Used 2018 Hyundai Elantra SEL 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 6A) Consumer Reviews
Used Elantra for sale
Nice car. Questionable Engineering.
palebeachbum, Jacksonville, FL, 12/14/2018
updated 06/21/2022
Hyundai Elantra SEL 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 6A)
71 of 75 people found this review helpful
*ORIGINAL REVIEW* I've only owned my Elantra SEL for about two weeks at the time of writing this, so this review is based solely on my initial impressions of the car. PROS: It's an excellent value in its class. The Elantra offers almost everything I want and expect from a car, except for a couple of gripes below. It looks classy inside and out. The build quality seems top-notch, aside from a few rattles. The interior is a very attractive and comfortable place to spend time. Passengers comment that it seems much more upscale than they'd expect for a compact economy car. The driver's seat is a nice balance of comfort and support. My bad back and hip seem to have no issue with this seat. I've done a couple of 5+hr drives with no discomfort. Ergonomics are very good overall, though I do dislike how high the window sill is. I can't comfortably rest my arm on it, even with the seat height raised up significantly. It's not hard to find a comfortable driving position. The driver's seat is height adjustable and the steering wheel both tilts and telescopes. The manual climate control is simple and easy to use, though I often find myself flip-flopping between fan speeds 2 and 3 to keep a comfortable cabin temperature. The 2.0L Atkinson-cycle 4cyl. engine is smooth and has plenty of pep for my taste. I've been averaging 37-38 MPG in mixed driving. The 6-spd automatic transmission feels weird. It's my least favorite aspect of the car. It downshifts aggressively when I'm decelerating to a stop. I feel it bumping down through every gear. I should note that this transmission has 3 drive modes: Eco, Normal and Sport. The issue of bumping down through the gears aggressively is not apparent in Eco mode, only Normal and Sport. It also has a weird delay of power when upshifting from one gear to the next, as if it partially cuts throttle during the upshifts. Overall, it's just an odd feeling transmission, especially in city driving where my speed fluctuates a lot below 40mph. The ride quality is a nice balance of firm and stable, yet smooth and relatively absorbent. The 4-wheel disc brakes are strong and the brake pedal has good feel, if maybe slightly spongy. I'm appreciating the Rear Cross Traffic Alert, which beeps inside the car when it detects a vehicle or pedestrian crossing behind me with the car in Reverse. It's saved me more than once. The maintenance required is very infrequent, making it a cheaper car to run. I split the difference between the normal and severe service schedule. Oil changes once every 5,000 miles. The transmission fluid every 60k miles. There is no timing belt to replace at regular intervals, since it has a timing chain. It has traditional multipoint fuel injection, so there is no extra maintenance required for GDI like on some other vehicles. *UPDATE 12/14/19* I've been driving my Elantra for 1 year and about 12k miles now. My opinion hasn't changed regarding the pros and cons mentioned above. Since the first week of ownership, however, there have been 2 persistent problems and one fluke that my local Hyundai dealers have been unable or unwilling to fix. First, the engine has random temper tantrums. The engine runs perfectly one day, then the next it exhibits multiple symptoms. It sputters, acts like it wants to stall, makes horrible rattling noise while accelerating and feels it's lacking its usual power. The check engine light has never illuminated during these times, which I find very odd. On two separate occasions the transmission slipped between gears. I was accelerating and when the transmission attempted to change gears it felt like the car went into neutral. The engine RPMs jumped way up while the car lost momentum. The lesser issue, but still annoying, has been a creaking noise coming from the front suspension. I guess both problems have to get worse before either of my local dealerships will be able to properly diagnose and repair. There were initially a couple of interior rattles, but those seem to have sorted themselves out. *UPDATE 6/16/20* 1.5yrs and 16k miles into my ownership now. Still loving the car for all the positive points mentioned above. No new issues to report, though the above mentioned poor running symptoms persist. That has been the Achilles heel detracting from my complete love of this car. One new negative point to mention is the low ground clearance. I have to be hyper-vigilant every time I pull into a parking space facing a curb. The "chin" of the car is extremely low and scrapes the concrete. I've never had this problem in any of the dozen cars I've owned in the past. *UPDATE 12/18/20* Currently at almost 20k miles. Still loving the car. Still hating the persistent problems. Gas mileage is fantastic. 34mpg in mostly city driving lately. Exceeds 45mpg on the interstate at 70mph. I'm still living with the poor engine performance and suspension noise. At the dealerships recommendation, I'm waiting for the check engine light to come on. Considering it hasn't come on yet in 2yrs, I'm starting to wonder if it ever will. *UPDATE 12/18/21* After 3yrs and 25k miles of ownership, I sold my Elantra. I was so tired of dealing with the ongoing problems. After writing a very unflattering review of my local dealership on a survey Hyundai sent me, they finally fixed the suspension noise last Spring. It turned out to be a defective front strut assembly. The engine was still running poorly with no solution. I was done dealing with this headache of a car. It had to go. I do not recommend the 2017-2020 Hyundai Elantra. All problems I experienced with mine are common complaints. It's a shame because it's a great looking car, solidly built, with nice materials and fitment. Plenty of pep and great gas mileage. Reeks of competence and quality, but with abysmal reliability under the hood.
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Happy with my purchase.
Seth U, Columbus, OH, 04/15/2018
Hyundai Elantra SEL 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 6A)
9 of 9 people found this review helpful
I am a big man and this car is super comfortable. I purchased for 15500 after 2.75k down. That included two dealer addons. It has navigation, steering wheel adjustment, a good sound system, good storage, and it looks good. I have gotten 44mpg but average around 40 highway. Sometimes when it shifts it is a little edgy but that is really my only complaint and it is a minor one. Visibility and comfort is excellent. I highly recommend this vehicle. Plus the 100k warranty is nice.
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2018 Hyundai Elantra for sale near you
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- Value Edition SedanMSRP: $11,9007 mi away
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This car is still new to me....but!
Andrew, Seattle, WA, 07/06/2018
Hyundai Elantra SEL 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 6A)
12 of 13 people found this review helpful
Just got this car and am already impressed. Got almost 40 mpg coming home from the dealer. Now when I put it in sport that number drops significantly. Now this isn't a "sports" car but it sticks to the road nicely while still riding quite comfortably. This car is a Jack of all trades. You can drive it in eco and it doesn't feel like a gimmick, unlike some cars. It's sporty enough to fuel the man in me but comfortable enough to please the old man in me.
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initial customer evaluation on HY
AUSTIN SUN, Phoenix, AZ, 05/19/2018
Hyundai Elantra SEL 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 6A)
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
The interior /trim layout is neat, clean and efficient, vehicle performance is enough for daily use, fuel economy ( city drive ) is about 29.5 mpg ( my elantra sel only has 200 miles to date, will chek again after breakin ( > 700 miles ). The only complaint from me is the riding comfort ( the suspention system is a little hard ) nice car, nice color ( LAKE BLUE ). I am pretty sure this is the right car for me !
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It is amazing
Arslan Shakoor, Baltimore, MD, 03/06/2019
Hyundai Elantra SEL 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 6A)
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
I did not expect that much but this car is amazing and reliable, it give good gas mileage and very quiet. Hyindai warranty is best in market so far i enjoyed the ride
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