Team-BHP - Driven: 5th-gen Hyundai Elantra

Quote:

Originally Posted by sunny310c (Post 2935150)

All I will say is the Elantra is a compelling package. You cannot ignore it, even if you want a "driver's car" like the Cruze. I find myself torn between the Elantra and the Cruze. There is no questioning the VFM factor of the Elantra with the sheer amount of features and bells & whistles it offers. The ride is comfortable, the handling is precise enough, the light steering makes it a breeze to manoeuver in the city, and all the driver aids like EBD, EPS, VSM etc make it a very safe car to be in. Yes the power & torque are not comparable to the Cruze but then this is meant to be a city car, more than a highway rocket and so it really does tick all the right boxes as far as that goes.

So, like you put it, it all boils down to personal preference. Most customers in this segment are looking for comfort, class, bells & whistles, hassle free A.S.S and a good ownership experience and this car will give them all that. As for the short comings of the car, I wouldn't say they are over-rated because, again, it depends on your driving style and preference. I think it is fair to say that most people will not find the short comings of the car that big a deal breaker as most people buying this car will either be chauffeur driven or will use it mainly in the city.

I personally, have always wanted that extra power and torque in my machine, along with a solid sturdy feel, which the Cruze gives me. I must admit after TDing the Elantra, while I wasn't thrilled with the drive, my head was turned by all those features and those absolutely gorgeous looks. But then my wife didn't like the beige interiors one bit. Then there was this stretch of road where I switched lanes while doing between 90 - 100 and she felt very queasy at the back. Those two things were enough for her to make up her mind about it, although she was all gaga about the car before the TD and wanted it more than the Cruze. I am now leaning more towards the Cruze but still can't get the Elantra out of my head lol:.

Booked the elantra after pondering over the Jetta, laura and fluence. Since 95 % of my driving is in the city and in the back seat , I wanted a car with hassle free A.S.S. I have had a Skoda Superb for the last 5 years and even though the driving experience has been great the maintenance costs have just escalated. I seriously don't think these european cars are designed for our roads.

I decided against the Jetta as it was much more expensive and didn't feel the car was that much better than the Elantra. Also the sales of the Jetta have been quite poor at a few hundred a month so going down the road I forsee it getting quite expensive to maintain as all the spares will be imported.

The fluence had a superb ride but again with them selling 100+ cars a month it will be expensive to maintain. Also they did not have a auto diesel.

Only problem I had with Hyundai is that they refused to let me do the Insurance. I called the help line and their western regional office and they claim that for the Elantra it is compulsory to buy the Insurance through them. Would have saved me a few thousand if I did it on my own.:Frustrati

ditto for the registration they charge about 7500 extra and don't account for it.:Frustrati

Quote:

Originally Posted by sunny310c (Post 2935150)

Hey,

I am in a similar dilemna here. But to be honest, I am almost sure that I am going for the Cruze. I tend to travel once a month on long trips of approx 600-1000kms. And though most of the times, Cruze will be Home-Office-Home car, but then I want a car which would roar when I put the pedal down.

Completely agree with you that Elantra is a good-looking / good-packaged car, but when you cross the needle above 110 kmph, the car seems to show its true worth. Why spend 17L and still compromise on speed / handling etc... That's my logic of not going for Elantra. So, CRUZE it is for me and plan to book it in 2-3 months... Need to collect some bucks before buying it...stupid:

Quote:

Originally Posted by zen kobane (Post 2936106)

So instead, you spend 17L and compromise on style, safety, quality, comfort, efficiency, A.S.S. and luxury?

Don't really think it's a compromise on things like quality, comfort and style, especially if it is going to be self driven (for comfort). The A.S.S in Hyderabad is supposed to be pretty good so that's not an issue for me at least. As for the luxury bit, well, the Elantra's cabin might feel more luxurious especially if you are sitting at the back, but if you are going to be in the driver's seat, I really don't think you will feel that much of a difference, at least I didn't. I do agree about the safety bit though. The extra air bags, ESP, VSM, EBD etc are really things that should be present in a car which can touch 200 Kmph as easily as the Cruze does, and that is my only gripe with the car. Add those to the Cruze, and it is the perfect car. I am really hoping that if there is another upgrade to the Cruze in the coming months (as is rumoured), they do address this, perhaps bring the Stabilitrak system (yeah, am allowed to dream).

Anyway, I think both cars have their merits and demerits and while the Elantra might appeal to most customers of this segment, there will always be those who will swear by the Cruze.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sunny310c (Post 2936305)

Comfort For Driver

- Ventilated Seats
- Dual Zone Climate Control
- Reverse Camera

Comfort For Back seat

- Audio Controls
- Bucket seats
- Rear AC vent

Style - Though looks are subjective to taste, but Cruze is definitely a more outdated design compared to Elantra.
Comfort - I felt Elantra's bucket seats were way more comfortable than Cruze's, and the rear leg room was way better too.
Quality - Elantra definitely looks more refined and sophisticated in terms of evolution in auto standards and finishing, compared to an overpriced American or a German car. In today's competitive environment, I don't see its justified to charge such bomb prices for spare parts in the name of quality. Why should the customer pay if they cant localize products? If Koreans and Japanese can, why cant the others too? I take this as arrogance and not at all in the favor of the customer. The market has matured, and the ones who understand that, will evolve with it. Koreans just happen to understand this before rest of them, that's it.
Efficiency - Im sure Elantra burns less in more, due to smaller engine :)

Oh and lets not forget the lighter Silica wheels, Solar Glass and hill assist :)

I'm sure if you're paying 17L for a car, you would want some bit of luxury, right? Also, if we go by road tests, Cruze's power is only on paper, and seems quite underpowered when actually tested. It surely doesn't feel like 166 bhp in real world test.

Quote:

Originally Posted by zen kobane

For Driver

- Ventilated Seats
- Dual Zone Climate Control
- Reverse Camera

For Back seat

- Audio Controls
- Bucket seats
- Rear AC vent

Style - Though looks are subjective to taste, but Cruze is definitely a more outdated design compared to Elantra.

Comfort - I felt Elantra's bucket seats were way more comfortable than Cruze's, and the rear leg room was way better too.

I'm sure if you're paying 17L for a car, you would want some bit of luxury, right?

Also, if we go by road tests, Cruze's power is only on paper, and seems quite underpowered when actually tested. It surely doesn't feel like 166 bhp in real world test.

There are many people who pay 20L for a Jetta and there are also many people who pay 16L for a Laura petrol. Both these cars are short on features but offer the best engines and drive experience. I would rather pay 20L for something that gives me driving pleasure than pay for one with a lack luster engine and mediocre drive experience.

Also the Cruze performance is not just on paper, it is the quickest D segment diesel sedan still, matched only by the Jetta. The only misunderstanding you have is because the new one is tuned for better drive ability than outright performance. It's 0-100 is slower than the earlier Cruze only cause low rpm performance is improved.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vid6639 (Post 2936668)

Also the Cruze performance is not just on paper, it is the quickest D segment diesel sedan still, matched only by the Jetta. The only misunderstanding you have is because the new one is tuned for better drive ability than outright performance. It's 0-100 is slower than the earlier Cruze only cause low rpm performance is improved.

Yep, thats what i meant, no misunderstanding at all. I am talking about whats out there right now, not the model which was available earlier.

Also, in my perspective, car is more than just drive-ability. Thats what I had stated before. I dont think I would compromise on comfort, luxury, sophistication, A.S.S. costs and service just for drive-ability... Which IMHO is an overrated issue with Elantra. I drove it, for me, it was just balanced. Nothing too extreme :)

Even in Auto Mag reviews, 0-100 is a .40 - .60 difference between both, 0-1000 Elantra beats Cruze. So again, the drive-ability is a possible question mark on individual driving style too.

Quote:

Originally Posted by zen kobane

I haven't driven the Indian Elantra yet so don't want to comment too much. Though a few weeks ago I drove one in the US along with a Cruze and Focus that I had for 3 weeks. The Elantra was positively the worst of the 3, with no driver feel, too light and just never felt confident. The Cruze was better and the Focus was the best.

Your definition of fun maybe different but let's not go overboard in pushing the Elantra.

I have an Altis and I can positively say its one of the poorest cars to drive when it comes to fun and driving feel. From what I have heard the Elantra makes the Altis feel like a good handler.