Hyundai getting aggressive with leases

[xcel]

Hi Guys:

The Elantra Touring is not the new 40 mpg highway, MPFI 1.8L w/ the 6-speed from the 11 Elantra or the new Fluidic design interior/exterior. Expect that upgrade to occur for the 2012 MY.

Wayne

[WriConsult]

ksstathead, you're totally right. The current Elantra Touring is still the prev-gen i30 and doesn't have the 40mpg drivetrain (not even close, at 23/31).

But if you need its 28cf of cargo volume, it's the best you can do without going for a TDI or FEH. And it's nowhere near the $25k+ price league of those vehicles. In fact, a local dealer has a red MT one on ad for $13,999 right now. Tempting, believe me.

Wayne, do you know something we don't know? I haven't heard anything about Hyundai's plans for refreshing the Touring. Since it's not quite the same platform as the Elantra sedan, I haven't been making any assumptions. A redesigned Touring for next year would be hot! (And we can only hope for a hybrid model a couple more years down the road? Might just undercut the Prius V in price).

[Nevyn]

I've heard the same from Hyundai about the Touring/Wagon. Next year it gets refresh. I've also heard that the wagon is leaving, and we'll be getting an Elantra hatch like the 2001-2006 Elantra GT; as well as a Sonata wagon.

So much rumor, so little confirmation. One thing is certain, though - next year SOMEthing is happening to the touring.

[WriConsult]

Hey Nevyn, as the resident Elantra expert: do you know if the Elantra Touring at least shares most of its parts with the last-gen Elantra sedan?

Being such a low-volume vehicle that has almost all of its sales overseas, if its parts mix is substantially different from the big-volume sedan that would probably be a deal killer, like buying a Saturn Astra: good luck getting affordable parts for it 8-10 years from now.

[PaleMelanesian]

Originally Posted by Nevyn

I've heard the same from Hyundai about the Touring/Wagon. Next year it gets refresh. I've also heard that the wagon is leaving, and we'll be getting an Elantra hatch like the 2001-2006 Elantra GT; as well as a Sonata wagon.

So much rumor, so little confirmation. One thing is certain, though - next year SOMEthing is happening to the touring.

Bold section - if true, that's shame. The current "true wagon" format is what I'm looking for.

[Nevyn]

Originally Posted by WriConsult

Hey Nevyn, as the resident Elantra expert: do you know if the Elantra Touring at least shares most of its parts with the last-gen Elantra sedan?

Being such a low-volume vehicle that has almost all of its sales overseas, if its parts mix is substantially different from the big-volume sedan that would probably be a deal killer, like buying a Saturn Astra: good luck getting affordable parts for it 8-10 years from now.

ElantrExpert.

The 07-10 was HD, and 11 is MD according to the Hyundai code names. The Elantra Touring is FD - it's more a cousin than anything else. Suspension, engine, transmission, and some interior parts are shared. It's a re-badged i30, if that helps.

If that's all a bunch of nonsense, let's keep rephrasing things until I understand your question better and can give a more sensible answer. I think the radio/center console is different, but drivetrain is identical.

[WriConsult]

If the suspension, engine and tranny are shared, that helps. I'm thinking of the semi-expensive parts that tend to need replacement beyond 100-150k: alternators, starters, ECUs, CV joints, wheel bearings, heater cores, sensors and the like.

Any parts shared with the sedan are likely to be stocked by the typical Hyundai dealer for at least 10 years to come. That will make them much less expensive than if they are specific to the i30, which means they will be imported in small volumes, and when needed will have to be special ordered from a centralized warehouse, which will also delay repairs by as much as a week. Case in point would be my VWs, whose European-sourced parts cost an absolute fortune, even compared to the Japanese parts I used to get for my Hondas and Subarus.

Interior hardware can get expensive too. As cars age, the occasional (or, if a VW, more than occasional) door latch, window switch, dome light or HVAC control will need replacement as the car gets older. The more shared parts, the better.