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Used 2012 Hyundai Elantra Touring Hatchback Consumer Reviews

3.6 out of 5 stars
14 reviews

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Pros
Cons
4 out of 5 stars

Great little family car that can really hold gear!

redsoxmomVA, 01/09/2019
2012 Hyundai Elantra Touring SE 4dr Hatchback (2.0L 4cyl 4A)
4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Overall, we love this car - I was looking for a smaller around-town car with decent mileage that could also hold quite a bit of gear for family vacations. We have packed this car to the gills and my Boy Scout son has noted that you can fit more gear in back than in the Scoutmaster's Honda CRV. Great legroom and headroom in both the front and especially in the back for adults. Low windows in back so that kids and smaller adults can see out (we didn't know that was a potential problem until we were shopping!) Only complaints are the odometer fading out (seems this is a common problem and yes, we had it replaced and the second one did it too) and overall it feels a little cheap inside - the cloth drivers seat developed a hole fairly quickly and handles, doors, etc. just feel less than substantial. (Then again, this car is fairly inexpensive!) It now has more than 100,000 miles (tough to know exactly due to odometer issues!) and is going strong - it has needed very little maintenance. I do wish it got better mileage overall though - seems like a car its size should get better mileage.

Safety
4 out of 5 stars
Technology
3 out of 5 stars
Interior
3 out of 5 stars
Comfort
4 out of 5 stars
Reliability
4 out of 5 stars
Value
4 out of 5 stars
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5 out of 5 stars

Best car for the money I've ever owned.

P.McNeil, 10/08/2020
2012 Hyundai Elantra Touring GLS 4dr Hatchback (2.0L 4cyl 4A)
3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Bought it used from dealer in 2017. 3 years without any problems. Drives like it's on rails. I'm tall 6'1" and have at least 3 inches of headroom in the drivers seat. Lumbar support is awesome. I could drive this car all day. Handles solid, won't wear you out correcting steering. Decent fuel mileage. Has great pickup when moving into faster speed limit (60klh to 90 klh) areas. Can stop on a dime. Tons of room for my golf clubs and equipment. Had 5 people in it and all were comfortable. Paid $12,000 for it with 28,000 km. I would have paid $16,000 I'm that happy with it. If anything happens to it I'll be looking for another one first. Too bad they stopped making them in 2012.

Safety
4 out of 5 stars
Technology
3 out of 5 stars
Performance
4 out of 5 stars
Interior
3 out of 5 stars
Comfort
4 out of 5 stars
Reliability
4 out of 5 stars
Value
4 out of 5 stars
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1.38 out of 5 stars

DON'T BUY THIS CAR!!!!!!!!!

coltraneous, 07/27/2012
2012 Hyundai Elantra Touring GLS 4dr Hatchback (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
17 of 28 people found this review helpful

I just bought a manual one and since day one is having problems with first gear that most of the time doesn't engage. I have to start in 2nd gear even when I am completely parked. Took to the dealer and was told that I am the problem. I have always driven manual cars and NEVER had any problems. They don't want to fix it or they don't know how. Now I am stuck with a brand new car that doesn't work properly.

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4 out of 5 stars

Outstanding Practicality with a little bit of fun

Sam, 07/07/2022
updated 01/16/2025
2012 Hyundai Elantra Touring GLS 4dr Hatchback (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
2 of 2 people found this review helpful

I never even thought to shop for an old Hyundai. But I wanted a wagon and preferred a stick shift and there happened to be on nearby. I gotta say--give this car a chance. The quality is higher then you expect from Elantra Sedan and the stick shift is quite good to use (and light!). The ride is fun on normal sweeping country roads, but reaches its limit on mountains. Its truly a city car that has alot of space for a family and can do highway but reaches its limit when your on freeways at 80 for any extended amount of time. In spite of that, ive put alot of highway miles and that's mainly due to adding sound deadening to the car and hood which decreases the ambient noise by nearly 4DB! Everyone also complains it doesn't look good, but i think it looks like a classic hatchback with a bigger trunk. The mazda3 is a better car, but this is the better wagon. Update: I'm at 188K and had to replace the clutch due to worn pilot pin, starter and alternator. Still getting 29MPG. I have also found that when I need to haul very large things I can take the 4 bolts out of the front seat to make it perfectly flat once in a while. Still a wonderful, fun car! 205K: finally decided to donate this car. I had to replace the steering wheel gear (a known hyundai/kia issue @ 1K) and my passenger window motor stopped working but it still runs fine. Just needed a bigger car. One of my favorite cars!

Safety
5 out of 5 stars
Technology
3 out of 5 stars
Performance
3 out of 5 stars
Interior
4 out of 5 stars
Comfort
4 out of 5 stars
Reliability
5 out of 5 stars
Value
5 out of 5 stars
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3 out of 5 stars

You will need the 10,000 mile/10 year warranty

Lisa, 01/07/2019
2012 Hyundai Elantra Touring SE 4dr Hatchback (2.0L 4cyl 4A)
4 of 7 people found this review helpful

I love this car, but . . . I bought it in April of 2013 from the dealer. It was loaded, and had 1,000 miles on it. Within the first few months of owning it it burned through oil like crazy. It took 2 dealers to solve the problem, which was covered under the warranty. The first was Gary Rome Hyundai in Holyoke, MA, and they said it was fixed, but it wasn't. Will never go to that dealer again. A year or so later, the instrument panel lights faded, (mileage, odometer, range),making it impossible to navigate using these tools at night at night or in bright sunlight. It took 3 dealers to solve the problem, and necessitated sending the odometer somewhere in Michigan so that the mileage would remain intact. 5 years later, after having shelled out over $1,000 for the 60k mile service, and just after making a 1600 mile road trip (thank god it didn't happen on the trip), the check engine light came on. Turns out I need a new transmission, which is also covered under the warranty. I was hoping to get at least 100,000 miles out of this car, but at this rate I don't know if it's worth it to try. On a side note, the tires that come on Hyundai cars are no match for serious winter weather. During the first winter, I got stuck coming up the slight incline in the driveway. Swapped out the tires for Nokian SW2 all season tires rated for snow. I wish they still make them, but am now on the latest iteration - Nokian SW4s. I wish the rear seats folded flat, but they don't. Next time I will check before I buy, as this is pretty much a necessity. FYI when the second dealer put me in a loaner while they fixed the oil problem, they put me in an Equus. I got a lot of thumbs up from young kids in the neighborhood, as in pimp my ride. I hardly ever see any Equus's on the road or at the dealerships because, after all, who wants to buy a luxury car from a car maker that is known for economy pricing? Not me. This Elantra will be my first and last Hyundai.

Safety
4 out of 5 stars
Technology
3 out of 5 stars
Performance
3 out of 5 stars
Interior
4 out of 5 stars
Comfort
4 out of 5 stars
Reliability
3 out of 5 stars
Value
2 out of 5 stars
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