Hey,

How's it going? I came across the ET quite by accident - and I couldn't say it was my first choice for my automobile. But I must say that the new face of Hyundai wiped most of the old worries and tensions aside.

Of all the cars I test drove and checked out, the Elantra Touring fit my body like a hand in a glove. My price restriction did not help in this regard and therefore most of the cars I ended up test driving were subcompacts. Due to Hyundai's inability to properly market the ET, I only found it after having heard about the 1 year assurance program and an article in U.S. News.

When I slid into the seat of the ET after testing a whole bunch of subcompacts, I breathed a sigh of relief -- and the dash was very nice as well. I am what you may call a spirited driver and my commute includes 20 miles of twisty highway each way - so I really needed a car that could handle the turns as well as carry everything I need for work. With the rear seats down, my 6'2" frame fits in well and I can carry up to three other 6 footers with ease.

The exterior space of this car belies the actual interior dimensions. The cargo hold (with rear seats folded) swallows everything I throw into it. The relatively higher roof gives great headroom for all. The seats are comfortable for long drives (in six weeks I have accrued 6345 miles - it's nearly time for a service).

You guys probably know all of this but I like to repeat the fact that the Elantra Touring is in fact not really based on the Elantra sedan but is in fact really the European Hyundai i30CW. And it shows through when driving the car and in its handling.

When I went to my nearest dealership, they tried to stick me with one of their Automatic cars and I just would not take it. That car felt lethargic and the 4 - speed was never in the right gear. For a control freak (especially when behind the wheel) like me, that just wouldn't do. Also, the A/C took a long time to cool down the cabin with the Automatic and I think it had to do with the lower revs at which the gears were shifted...that's for another post.

So the dealership finally located 3 cars in California (with M/T) and I ended up with my Gray 16" wheel car. And I love it. Even though there is a lack of power in the hills, all it takes a downshift from 5th or 4th into 3rd and we're back in it. When the more powerful cars still catch up and pass me, I remind myself that I'm getting 31+ mpg vs 24 mpg (if they're lucky).

Also, the EPS took me a little getting used to as the car needs my eyes on the road at all times as the car does not track through turns as one would expect. I wonder if there is a way to adjust the over-servoed nature of the steering, or perhaps a mini-recall to work on that area of the car - through Hyundai (wishful thinking). Or perhaps an increase in effort in steering at higher speeds would help...

In any case, I can bring this point and all others that I think of up in another thread. Enjoy your ET's!

 

Welcome to the forum.