Used 2012 Hyundai Elantra Touring Hatchback Consumer Reviews
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2012 Elantra Touring GL
rooke1991, 10/10/2012
2012 Hyundai Elantra Touring GLS 4dr Hatchback (2.0L 4cyl 4A)
17 of 17 people found this review helpful
Had it for 8 months now, pretty damn good! Really comfortable and spacious, driven with 5 average guys, between 20-27. and everyone had enough space for a 3 hour drive. Fit enough stuff(tent, beer, air mattresses, etc) for 3 people for a weekend camping trip, not comprimising on seating space at all. Alittle slow acceeration wise but once going its all good! Sound system is good, the usb input is kind of a pain, auxillary cable works fine though. Tons of compartments, all mine are empty dont have enough stuff to fill them. ONly complaint is seeing as im 21 I get called a soccer mom alot.
Whish They still made it. Still going strong!
Northa40, 01/28/2020
updated 08/09/2023
2012 Hyundai Elantra Touring SE 4dr Hatchback (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
12 of 12 people found this review helpful
I have owned this car from new and have 325000 (202000 miles) and would recommend this vehicle to anyone that is more concerned about quality and good value than trying to, LOOK GOOD. Myself I like the way it looks. This car has adequate power good handling and you can't beat the storage space, nothing comes close not even the new GT version. What a let down that was. I was hoping Hyundai would update the engine and keep the utility. Oh well I won't buy a GT because of the poor interior space. I have only done normal maintenance on this car including spark plugs, oil and filter, brakes and timing belts. The car still has the original radiator, water pump, alternator, starter and fuel pump. I have owned one other Hyundai and it was a 2002 Santa Fe I put 420000 km(291000 mile) on it as well. If you are looking for a reliable inexpensive used car, its hard to beat. As of Feb 5 2022 I still own this car and drive it every day. I had to replace the alternator last summer. As before I wish Hyundai had kept the wide and low hatch opening, oh well looks before practicality. Update: I know have 217,000 miles (350,000 kms) on this car and it is still going. There is some rust starting to come through but I never oil sprayed it. I replaced the alternator last year but apart from tires and brakes this is the first major component failure. It is still running on the original a/c compressor, evaporator and condenser and still the original water pump. All wiper motors are original as well. Unfortunately Hyundai's aren't what they used to be, ya they are flashy and fancy but reliability isn't what it used to be. And what happed to the Accent? Are there no more economy cars?
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2012 Hyundai Elantra Touring for sale near you
Showing 3 of 59 listings
- GLS 4dr HatchbackMSRP: $10,500105 mi away
- SE 4dr HatchbackMSRP: $7,995181 mi away
- GLS 4dr HatchbackMSRP: $8,990233 mi away
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Excellent value
crowcanada, 02/06/2015
2012 Hyundai Elantra Touring GLS 4dr Hatchback (2.0L 4cyl 4A)
18 of 20 people found this review helpful
My wife and kids positively *love* our Touring! They're all short (5'2 to 5'4) so they love the visibility and low-dash design The controls are well laid out and easy to use. The radio is small and fiddly. Ride is stiff, but handling is good. Not truly sporty, though. Hyundai seems to think making things stiff and heavy = sporty, but that's not true. It is a vastly better driver than my '13 Elantra Sedan, which, although more comfortable, has "unsettled" handling. Handling is predictable and road holding good. Engine is weak and mileage is not great in this class. Seats are hard and flat, but surprisingly don't kill you on long (14+ hour) drives.
Other than the odometer LCD...
JT, 04/29/2017
2012 Hyundai Elantra Touring GLS 4dr Hatchback (2.0L 4cyl 4A)
10 of 11 people found this review helpful
I'm happy enough with my 2012 Hyundai Elantra Touring GLS, except for having to repeatedly replace the odometer/trip LCD. I think I'm on my third replacement. I have 13K on it (each replacement odometer LCD is set at "0" miles), and this one is now starting to go. Once it goes bad it can only be read in the morning. After the car sits in the sun all day the odometer fades until it is unreadable. Other than that I'm happy with the car.
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It's Okay
urbanhippie001, 01/27/2015
2012 Hyundai Elantra Touring GLS 4dr Hatchback (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
9 of 10 people found this review helpful
Overall, the car is reliable. However, I've had to replace the odometer/dash twice (w/in 60K miles) due to the numbers disappearing on me. Not sure if due to malfunction, heat/sun, etc... But it's annoying because the fix resets the odometer back to 0. I really miss my old 2005 Hyundai (accent). It was made better than this car. Other than that, the car has been reliable. No major problems aside from odometer. Does not accelerate quickly. Would I buy one again? Unfortunately, no.
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.
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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.
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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.
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.
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Did my homework!
hwjoe, 10/17/2011
2012 Hyundai Elantra Touring GLS 4dr Hatchback (2.0L 4cyl 4A)
129 of 381 people found this review helpful
I love my new 2012 Elantra Touring! It has more cargo rom than a Nissan Murano at 1/2 the price! Good gas mileage, comfortable ride, and room for my small family make it the perfect crossover alternative. The GLS with the preferred package is a great compromise between the bas emodel and the more expensive SE model! Many of the same features for a lower price. The competition cant touch this car. Matrix seems shoddily built, Focus HB is much more expensive, Mazda 3 HB has much less room and price is higher. I recommend this car whole heartedly
Amazing car
John, 08/15/2021
2012 Hyundai Elantra Touring GLS 4dr Hatchback (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Just know if you buy one of these amazing little cars you'll have enough room for kidos and groceries or luggage in the back these cars are made to last and run forever beautiful body style great interior design gas milage is the best 23in town /31highway its made to travel i think this is one of the best vehicles on the road today
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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)
1 of 1 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!
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2012 Hyundai Elantra Touring Review
CB, 05/27/2020
2012 Hyundai Elantra Touring GLS 4dr Hatchback (2.0L 4cyl 4A)
1 of 2 people found this review helpful
Love my little workhorse!
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Worse seats ever
Jann, 05/24/2023
2012 Hyundai Elantra Touring GLS 4dr Hatchback (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
The Hyundai seats are the worse of any car I owned. Would never buy another Hyundai. Ruined my back and hip