With the Hyundai Elantra Touring out I must say I'm a bit torn... I still love my fit, but I sometimes find myself wishing I'd waited and gotten the ET. The fit has its advantages, but the ET has a few of its own. I love the fact that the ET Premium (equiv to the Sport package) has a Sunroof, 17" wheels, heated front seats, more steering wheel controls, and a few other things. I don't think its worth trading in my Fit for (I still plan to keep mine until it dies, which hopefully will be a while from now) but I do think Hyundai one-upped Honda on this one. Opinions? Not trying to start a flame war, just thinking that Hyundai actually did a 5dr HB a bit better than Honda.

And, before people bemoan reliability, my cousin and several friends have Hyundais which are still going strong after quite a few years and in several cases 100k+ miles. I'm sure there are lemons out there, but everyone I know has one just as solid as my old '93 Accord .

 

It looks good and I like it. The 2 things that I don't like is the gas mileage 23/31and the back or the hatch looks like a minivan. I'm not sure because I have seen the car in person but as of now I would keep the Fit.

 

YouTube - 2009 Hyundai Elantra Touring/ Quick Drive <-------------Elantra Touring

 

The MPG isn't that bad for a car with 141hp. And you could get better numbers with a few hypermiling techniques. It's very European, which probably means they'll sell upwards of 15 here in the United States.

Personally, I don't hold prejudice for any car company, hell I even owned a Saturn at one point, but I've noticed when I get into a Hyundai I can feel where they cut corners to keep the price low. The whole feel inside the car would have to be right, like the feeling I get in the Fit. Kinda warm and fuzzy.

 

Here is a view of the open hatch of the Elantra with the seats "down." They don't appear to give you the flat floor we like in our Fit.



Looks like a nice little car, but maybe not quite the finished package.

Cheers.

 

The Elantra Touring is the next class up, so it's going to have the advantages and disadvantages of a larger car.

I've been meaning to take a look at one myself--just need to find the time. For whatever reason, none of the compacts or subscompacts I've driven in recent years feels as agile as my Protege5.

 

I drove an 09 Elantra Touring. The Accent is really the car to compare to the Fit, but still, comparing the Elantra to the Fit:

- The Elantra is 15" LONGER, has SUPPOSEDLY 14 cu ft more overall interior room, but sitting in it the only advantage room wise the Elantra has on the Fit is a little more width. Elbow room is about the same, so is legroom, but the Fit has more headroom, more space up front and even just better seating in the rear. The Elantra's rear seat is low and not quite shaped right. Behind the rear seats I still give the Fit the nod for more useable room. The Elantra's cargo floor is much higher, with a lower roof. Don't even get me started on space flexibility.

I didn't get a chance to take the Elantra on the twisties or aggressive acceleration runs, but its engine was smooth and pleasant-sounding with good oomph. The body seemed rigid, but it already had a few rattles inside, whereas the Fit is rattle free when new.

What I liked over the Fit was the natural-feeling hydraulic steering. No electric assist here. It had good heft and feedback.

What I didn't like was the expected cheaper interior materials than the Fit. Even the exterior paint wasn't that good.

It's a great value, and an easier choice compared to the Aveo or even Scion XB, and if you don't care for handling or fun but put a priority on value and sensible ownership, the Elantra is a decent choice. Plus you have a 10/100 warranty with that peace of mind policy if you were to lose your job.

If it were me, obviously I would choose the Fit hands-down.

 

Thanks for the detailed comparison. That was interesting.

Cheers.

 

The front reminds me of a Saturn Astra and the rear reminds me of a Volvo Wagon. I was torn between a Hyundai Accent and my Fit when I was buying a few months ago. The Hyundai had more features and was a few grand cheaper. I decided to play it 'safe' in the end and go with the Fit, mostly because of all the stellar reviews the FIt got and the mostly average reviews the Accent got.

 

No way would I give up my GD for that

 

im waiting for the Elantra Touring GT-R V-SPEC TWIN TURBO RIDER.


you guys cant be serious comparing your Fit's to a Hyundai...

 

I looked at the ET when I bought my Fit but at that time there were none available yet. I had two Hyundais a 94 Excel (go ahead laugh) which I drove for seven years and sold to a friend with 189,000 miles on it. He drove it for three more years and sold it again (for a 12 pack of beer so help me God) with 235,000 on it. That car is still on the road as far as I know. My next one was an 01 Elantra sedan, which I loved more than life itself. I modded the crap out of that car (I/H/E I.C.E. suspension, wheels, etc.) it was destroyed in an accident (saving my life!) with 157,000 miles on it in May of 05. The ET has the Beta II engine which actually responds quite well to bolt-ons, springs and struts are easy to get and relatively cheap. You can use an OE Tiburon rear sway bar (works wonders). Gas mileage won't compete with a manual Fit, mine got a best of 30MPG. And in everyday driving the ET isn't really any faster than a Fit (don't let the 140HP fool you its pulling more weight) As for handling, the bone stock Fit will hand the Hyundai its ass all day long. The Hyundai is a great all-around car for the non-enthusiat driver, but if you are looking for thrills, look elsewhere.