Need Advice on a New Car: Hyundai Elantra or Mazda 3

Buy what makes you happy, unless you see a car as a purely utilitarian purchase.

+1 for a woman who thinks logically, writes well and conveys thoughts with clarity.

Just throwing this out there... I know your looking for the sedan BUT I was is the market for a Mazda 3 hatch last summer and as luck would have it found the Kia Forte Hatch. Kia obviously stole the look from Mazda and I got it loaded (Nav, Bluetooth with streaming audio, push button start, proximity key, sunroof, auto climate control, fogs, cruise) for $18,000 after rebates. I have been very happy with it and it does get low 30's for MPG on the highway.

Got a 2012 Sonata 2 months ago, mpg is averaging 33 after 3K miles. What mileage you getting?

Buy a used Audi

dirtrat said:   I would take a Mazda 3 over a Hyundai Elantra any day. My own view is the korean brands still are not up to the quality of the Japanese brands. I've read a couple of reviews and the Mazda 3 is almost always the recommended car in this class. The long warranty of the Hyundai is nice but who cares if the car is always in the shop! Resale value differences are huge between these brands. If you plan on keeping the car forever then that doesn't matter.

I bought a brand new 2001 Hyundai Santa Fe in 2000 and had it until 2010. I had almost no problems with it. It was in the shop for routine maintenance only until the last 2 years I had it, and even then, nothing major. I now own a 2010 Hyundai Sonata bought brand new in 2010. I have not had any mechanical problems, but did have a paint issue, which they took care of. I did have to jump through a few hoops to get it painted, and I'm not sure about the quality of the paint coming from Hyundai these days, but that is probably true for most cars now. Other than this one issue I have been happy with Hyundai.

I loved the Santa Fe and wish I had gotten another one. My budget was also $20,000 and that is why I went with the Sonata. It is a good, reliable car, but I really enjoyed the Santa Fe. One reason that I like Hyundai's is because of the warranty, but since I am currently putting at least 15,000 miles a year or more on the car, and the nearest Hyundai dealer is 55 miles away, this will probably be my last one. If there were a dealership closer to where I am living, my next car would probably be a Hyundai. It would just be a Santa Fe or Tucson though.

falcontx said:   uutxs said:   gooddealie said:   I realize the wisdom of selling my car privately, but I don't have another vehicle I can borrow until I purchase the new one (I have no alternative for commuting and I sometimes need a car for work). I'm not sure I want to deal with renting, and the cost may eat up a lot of the selling price difference.
You buy the new one first and then sell (privately) the current car.
+1

Take advantage of the 100% financing you have available to purchase the new car, then sell the old one and use the proceeds to pay down the loan to where it would have been (or use the proceeds to pay off any higher interest rate debt you may have).

And, for what it's worth, I prefer having a car that's fun to drive, so I'd probably go with the Mazda.
Possibly. There are a couple of options to avoid the higher payment, though. Check with the credit union to see if you have the option to reamortize the loan in the future, or if they allow the refinancing of existing loans. Either of those options would allow you to lower the payment to what it would have been if you had financed the smaller amount to begin with.

If the credit union doesn't allow either option, then the third option would be to go with the dealer financing when you purchase the car (which may provide you with some additional incentive, such as Cash Back, anyhow), then, when you sell the old car, pay down the original loan, then refinance the loan (which now has the lower balance) with your credit union.

+1 on your assessment! I feel the same about my 2011 Mazda 3. What were the rattly vibrating parts you had replaced?

saferisk said:   I have a 2011 Mazda 3 and so far:
The Good:
Sweet steering control - This is the first thing you'll notice
The loaded model is only a couple thousand more expensive than the base
Made in Japan (that still means something to me)

The Bad:
Noise insulation - Or lack of. You can hear every bit of road noise. If I'm driving next to another Mazda 3 on a freeway, I can hear that guy's radio.
Couple of rattly vibrating parts needed fixing within 2000 miles.


Don't get the original Navigation system - its small and sucky. Just use a Garmin or even better, your smartphone.

USA Today just posted an article that Hyundai has a problem keeping up with demand. They're dropping fleet sales (car rental agencies) from 10% to 5-8%. What this means is Hyundai vehicles are in demand. When demand is up brought to affect supply, you know you won't have much bargaining power. Salespersons' attitudes are basically, "If you don't buy this vehicle at this price, I'm betting someone else will in the next 3 weeks." With this in mind you may wish to consider when you buy; perhaps a few months down the road if possible. I still vote for the Hyundai over the Mazda.

Do not get one of the hybrid piece of crap where they still have not figured out whether stick the batteries behind your buttlock or in the trunk.

I had a 2005 Mazda 3 5-door, who's engine which failed at 80k miles. For the record I was religious about oil changes and used synthetic oil. When looking at a rebuild, my mechanic noted that he'd seen a lot of the 2.3 liter Mazda with engine issues. I know they've changed to the 2.5 now, but the experience soured me on the brand.

I had a 2009 Mazda 3 - had some various problems throughout my lease term. Don't get me wrong, it had a nice steering and acceleration, but that's it. The rain was leaking through the legrest and the air filter was replaced three times in order to remove the fumes off from the engine. The engine light was on without apparent reason and dealers did not know the reason why. Later on, Mazda notified dealers' TIS to "flush the car's electric system" to flush the apparent engine light problem. Carnifex72 above also states the engine issues as well. And oh boy, when you are on the highway, the wind and engine sound is LOUD. Since Mazda3 is small car, if you go 80+mph, it WILL rattle.

To add the salt in the injury, Mazda3 needs their tire realigned frequently. After the trip to Chicago, which was 250 miles away, I realized that my car was going little to left side even though my handle was straight. Went to dealer, and that's what dealer told me: get the car realigned every 3 month.

After the end of lease, I decided to NOT to keep because of various little problems. For quality of driving, yes, Mazda3 is better: but the ownership cost will be high due to non-engine related issues. OP, since you want the car without the err, I think you should steer away from Mazda3.

My friend, however, decided to go with 2009 hyundai elantra. He never had a SINGLE problem and he is covered by his 10 year warranty. Yes, 2009 Hyundai Elantra is still previous generation than the new one and the driving isn't fun as Mazda3, it will LAST forever. The parts are dirt cheap too- he buys FAR oil from Advance Auto Parts and WalMart and still drives happily.

Hyundai has become new Honda- their workmanship is awesome. If I were to go back time and choose again, I would've bought Hyundai Genesis Coupe.

saladdin said:   What's the insurance premium difference in the 2?

You bring up a good point. I don't know. I'm assuming they're around the same amount, but that's something I should probably call up and ask my insurance agent.

bumblebug said:   I would definately go for elantra. 40mpg, rave reviews all over and 10 years peace of mind. I have several friends and family who are now proud owners of hyundai and never looked back. I've heard nothing but compliments about the new models. Newly purchased 1997 elantra which has been through 2 teenager abuse and with 140k miles, never needed warrenty repair. Aside from replacement of hoses and timing belt; its been solid. It needs new struts now but thats wear and tear issue. I would look toward the sonata for few thousand more tho for the space and appearance.

Right now I'm leaning a little bit more towards an Elantra. I'm trying to be careful not to let the worries about my current car's mechanical condition color my decision, though. The good warranty, the recent reputation for good reliability that the Elantra has... it's kind of music to my ears right now. But I've driven a "boring" car for a long time. I've been kind of half hoping for something a little more exciting this time around too. But I don't want "exciting" to equal a money pit either.

I'm hoping to go find a dealer that I don't want to purchase from, and go do some test driving so I can at least clarify in my own mind which car I prefer. Then I can start putting my purchasing strategy together. I might try the Sonata too for comparison, but I'm thinking that it's going to be well outside my budget. Still, I wouldn't mind knowing how it compares to the Elantra.

I did exactly what you are doing one year ago. I had it narrowed to the elantra and fit. i went with the fit been a great car around town maybe 32 if I drive conservatively. 38 on the highway if I keep it down to 65. LOTS of storage room! Forgot to add I have the Manual Transmission so I can make the car zip when I want!

jaymez619 said:   USA Today just posted an article that Hyundai has a problem keeping up with demand. They're dropping fleet sales (car rental agencies) from 10% to 5-8%. What this means is Hyundai vehicles are in demand. When demand is up brought to affect supply, you know you won't have much bargaining power. Salespersons' attitudes are basically, "If you don't buy this vehicle at this price, I'm betting someone else will in the next 3 weeks." With this in mind you may wish to consider when you buy; perhaps a few months down the road if possible. I still vote for the Hyundai over the Mazda.

That has been my experience dealing with Hyundai dealers. They want MSRP + and they claim there is not much markup on the Elantras. Hyundai views themselves as like where Honda was 20 years ago. Elantras are sold very fast and typically within a few days--not weeks. I have made several attempts to purchase an Elantra and have grown tired of the games the dealers want to play. I tried all the suggestions on the FW forum and the sales managers will not budge. I also find it interesting that none of the local dealerships participate in the Costco buying program -- that is a sign that the dealers believe they can get more profit by not participating. People are lined up to buy the Elantra and happy to pay the full price for what they believe is 40mpg.

I'm encouraged by all the positive comments on owning and driving a Mazda. I've driven Honda and Toyota for 20 years. They are good vehicles and fairly easy to take care of.

I got the Hyundai elantra with the nav package. There are several ways to get discounts. There are some dealers that will still offer the vehicle at invoice. Here in boston they were all asking MSRP or above. I had to drive up to Maine to find the color I wanted and the price (invoice). Look into motozuma $500 discount. Hyundai also has discounts for recent college grad / military. I also did their financing to get the rebate (then re-financed through my credit union at 1.99% for 72mos). The thread should be on FW, when I went through my car purchase. Overall still happy with the purchase. I don't get the advertised mileage though and no I don't have lead foot, but traffic heavy boston is probably the culprit.

May be off topic, but I'd go with Ford Focus. Better looks, newer design, much better quality interior, better gas mileage, same price. As a plus, it is designed and built in USA.

If you decide on the Elantra, don't forget to add the $1500 door edge guards.

lithdoc said:   May be off topic, but I'd go with Ford Focus. Better looks, newer design, much better quality interior, better gas mileage, same price. As a plus, it is designed and built in USA.How can it be a newer design than the 2012 Mazda 3 Skyactiv, but if it is, why does it get slightly worse city gas mileage, 19 vs. 22, despite claiming to have a super-efficient automatic transmission?

ymarker said:   I got the Hyundai elantra with the nav package. There are several ways to get discounts. There are some dealers that will still offer the vehicle at invoice. Here in boston they were all asking MSRP or above. I had to drive up to Maine to find the color I wanted and the price (invoice). Look into motozuma $500 discount. Hyundai also has discounts for recent college grad / military. I also did their financing to get the rebate (then re-financed through my credit union at 1.99% for 72mos). The thread should be on FW, when I went through my car purchase. Overall still happy with the purchase. I don't get the advertised mileage though and no I don't have lead foot, but traffic heavy boston is probably the culprit.

Did the motozuma myself. What a hidden deal that was. The military is not just for retired or active duty. The 5 year tour I did was good to get me another 500.

Hyundai Finance gave me 1.9% for 48 months.