Used 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT Base Hatchback Review
Consumer reviews
Read what other owners think about the 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT Base Hatchback.
Most helpful consumer reviews
It's been a car...
bkohs, Fort Lauderdale, FL, 03/05/2014
2013 Hyundai Elantra GT 4dr Hatchback (1.8L 4cyl 6M)
So after almost 3 years of leasing this car, I'm glad it will be gone soon. Over all there is nothing wrong with it, but there is nothing great either. My biggest complaints are the lack of power, gearing, and the sensitivity of the ABS system. For the engine, it's about 30 to 40 HP less than it should be. There is a serious lack of power while going up hill or trying to pass on the … highway. When paired with the manual transmission, the power is only usable in 2nd through 4th gear. 1st gear will get you going from a stop on a hill, but I find myself starting in 2nd more often than not due to how short 1st gear is. you can get it up to about 25mph if you get close to red line on the tach, but that's about it. 5th gear is only for cruising (not enough power to accelerate). 6th gear is basically useless. If you are doing over 65mph it's OK, but again, no power for passing so you'll have to shift down to 4th to overtake. I can live with all of that, however the big issue I have is with the ABS system. if you are on the brakes (not even hard) and go over any bumps the ABS will kick in. Most cars will do this, however, the ABS continues to stay active for a while after you've cleared the bumps. this gives the feeling of not being able to stop because the brakes are pulsing. I've had it happen to me many times and at all speed ranges I normally drive in. I've even slightly overshot a stop sign because of it. I've mentioned it to 2 different dealerships on multiple occasions and have been in the car with the tech while it happened, but they have all come back and said there is no problem with it. This is the main reason I will be happy to be rid of this car in a month. now that that's out of the way, there are a few highlights to this car. there is lots of storage space when the rear seats are down. I've been able to fit 3 bikes in the back. With the seats up, storage space is slightly limited, but there is a good amount of room for the rear passengers. I've gone on a couple of week long road trips with my wife and 2 kids and we all comfortably fit with our luggage inside. My car has the basic entertainment setup, but it still sounds great! I can hook up the iPod or connect the phone and play media through BT. The mic for the BT system works well and I've had a few people tell me they didn't even know I was driving while I was talking to them. The front seats are very comfortable and the fact that they are heated is a nice touch in the winter. The rear seats are a little stiff and upright, but that wasn't an issue for us as our kids are still in baby seats. Over all this car is OK. As long as you don't expect it to be something it's not. It's not sporty. It's not even slightly fast. It's not amazing with fuel consumption. It will, however, get you where you need to go. It's hasn't been expensive to maintain. It looks pretty good. And they are now going for a decent price. I've seen them for less than $12,000 with under 50,000 miles. My suggestion is if you MUST have this car, go for the 2014 or newer. The engine is better and they fixed the gearing issues in both the auto and standard. I'm not sure about the ABS, but I cant imagine they didn't do something to improve that as well.
Better than Ford Focus
justaguy6, Milwaukee, WI, 10/21/2012
2013 Hyundai Elantra GT 4dr Hatchback (1.8L 4cyl 6M)
Owning a 2012 Ford Focus Titanium hatchback for 5 months, I was in the shop 4 times for transmission issues and once for the nav/audio screen shutting off. All in all, it was a mess. I have purchased a silver elantra gt with tech and style package, manual transmission. Owning it for about a week, I am averaging 37 mpg (not sure where everyone else is driving). Prior to Ford, I was a BMW … owner (2003) - fed up with costs to own. Although this is no BMW, this car is a lot of fun. Feel solid and handles pretty well for a car in this segment.
GT rocks!
capte, Chippewa Falls, WI, 09/21/2012
2013 Hyundai Elantra GT 4dr Hatchback (1.8L 4cyl 6M)
I purchased a 2013 Elantra GT with the 6 speed manual shifter and am more than pleased.
After breifly owning a 2012 Ford Focus Hatchback for a week and returning it because of automatic transmission issues, I decided no more automatics in small cars.
The manual tranny in the GT is smooth with reasonably short throws.
I installed 17 inch wheels with Continental Extreme Contact DWS tires … and the improved cornering and traction is noticeable.
It now handles as well in the corners as the Focus did, without the reliability issues that Ford has always been known for.
The interior quality and noise levels are better in the GT than the Focus and the controls in the GT are much more intuitive.
Poor quality - so many recalls/defects! (updated)
Doug in Vancouver, Vancouver, WA, 10/13/2016
2013 Hyundai Elantra GT 4dr Hatchback (1.8L 4cyl 6M)
10/7/19 - Update to my earlier review: After having suffered through the false-mpg class action lawsuit debacle, the window trim falling off, and the transmission seal leaking, I have now been notified by Hyundai of yet-another dsn/mfg defect - the panoramic glass sunroofs are prone to random shattering! I have finally decided it's time to cut my losses and sell this lemon. Throughout … all these problems, Hyundai has been a real pain to deal with. They just don't seem to care about customer satisfaction, nor about accepting responsibility for their design/mfg defects. My previous Hyundai's were solid (Tiburon, Santa Fe, Veloster) but after this experience, no more Hyundai's for me!
------------------------------------
Earlier review: I purchased my Elantra GT new, and have driven it for four years, putting about 70K miles on it. For the most part, the car has been comfortable and reliable and trouble-free. As is well known, the true MPG is nowhere near the marketing claims by Hyundai (and there is an unresolved class action lawsuit underway to address that). I also had a problem where the rear quarter-panel window trim fell off - fortunately I found a TSB published on the internet about that, so Hyundai fixed it under warranty. However, I recently had a problem where the clutch started chattering/slipping. My mechanic discovered that the transmission input shaft seal was defective/leaking. Even though this is covered by the Hyundai 10 year/100K warranty - Hyundai refused to honor the warranty and pay for the repair. So if you are considering buying a Hyundai vehicle, I would recommend purchasing instead a vehicle with higher quality/reliability and from a manufacturer who stands behind their product and their warranty commitments (think Honda, Toyota, Mazda). And definitely don't count on the Hyundai 10 year/100K warranty actually providing you any protection from product defects.
UPDATE OCT 2017:
Hyundai continues to disappoint me with their terrible customer service. They truly seem not to care whether or not their customers are happy with their Hyundai vehicle. At this point in time (after having been a loyal multiple-car Hyundai customer) I have zero loyalty toward them, and I will definitely not even consider ever purchasing another Hyundai product again. Honda offers much superior products and customer service! My advice to anyone considering buying a Hyundai vehicle is DON'T DO IT!!!
Edmunds Summary Review of the 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT Base Hatchback
Pros & Cons
- Pro:Lots of features for the money
- Pro:spacious and well-built interior
- Pro:appealing balance of ride and handling
- Pro:long warranty coverage.Notably, we picked the 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT as one of Edmunds' Best Used Cars.
- Con:Not as sporty as some rivals
- Con:sluggish automatic transmission responses.
Full Edmunds Review: 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT Hatchback
Edmunds Insurance Estimator
The Edmunds TCO® estimated monthly insurance payment for a 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT in Ohio is:
not availableLegal