Hyundai has slowly become a much more popular brand in the United States over the last 3 years. Because of this, many people have started to consider an Elantra as an excellent used car option. Unfortunately, because the Elantra has only become popular recently, many people are still a little unsure about how good it is as a used car. Here is a quick review of the Hyundai Elantra.
There are four generations of the Hyundai Elantra: 1991-1995 (1st Generation), 1996-2000 (2nd Generation, 2001-2006 (3rd Generation), 2007-Present (4th Generation). When shopping around for used Elantras, it is still the best choice to search for the 4th generation. Between the 3rd and 4th generation there were a lot of changes made throughout the entire design and many of them are much more than cosmetic.
Price
As far as the price is concerned, the Hyundai Elantra does an excellent job of holding its value for several years. All used 4th generation Elantra will range between $9,000 and $12,000 in regards to a dealership price. With the prices staying so similar over the span of several years, it is often a better idea to get a newer used Elantra because you will not be paying much extra, for an extra year or two of use.
Value
As far as value goes, a used Hyundai Elantra tends to stack up exceptionally well. The best illustrator of this fact is the warranty that Hyundai offers. They have been offering a 10 year 100,000 mile warranty on their new cars for several years (applies to new cars only). They also have a transferable warranty that can be applied to used cars which is 5 years or 50,000 miles. This means that you can get a used Elantra and still have a full manufacturers warranty for a few years. This aspect alone proves how stable a Hyundai Elantra can be. Additionally, JD Power has consistently ranked the Elantra extremely high in regards to reliability since the 4th generation was introduced.
Additionally, buying a used Hyundai Elantra provides additional values because of the accessories. A new Elantra has a lower than average base price, however the additional features will increase the price extremely quickly. However, used Elantras act the same way as any other make and model of used car. This means that by purchasing a used Elantra, you will not need to pay a premium for the additional features.
It is important to note that older used Elantras (not 4th generation) are not as reliable. If you purchase a used 2006 Elantra, you will get a much less reliable car than if you purchased a used 2007 Elantra.
When looking for a quality used car, Hyundai should always be in the consideration. They have proven that they can be as reliable, if not more reliable, than the traditionally reliable brands like Honda. The Elantra is one of the best models that Hyundai offers, and even as a used car, it has proven to be one of the best.
