Not happy about being extorted by Hyundai
My wife wanted a vehicle with extra comfort & convenience features such as heated seats, remote start, power this and that. Having owned 4 Toyota products, that was the 1st place we looked. Being near retirement, and wanting to conserve cash, the Toyota was well over budget. Looking at other makes, the Elantra was fitted with the features she wanted, and was affordable. The car is driven only in the winter months, as she drives her Mustang in the summer (if its not raining). First it was the thermostat. It was replaced twice, and it still takes 4-5 miles of driving until heater/defroster blows hot. Keep in mind, the car stays in a heated (to 50 degrees) garage. Then the battery in the keyless entry had to be replaced within 18 months. The car was parked at an airport parking lot for a week, only to be greeted upon return by a dead battery. The battery was found to have a dead cell, and replaced under warranty. I bring these issues up because the 12 year old Corolla I drive daily has had the original key fob battery replaced twice, and the 12v OEM battery replaced once over the 12 years I've had it. The "extortion" issue comes from being forced purchase unnecessary "Blue Link" features to keep the remote start function. This is a $200 yearly expense. This is probably what turns me off the most about this vehicle. Finally, as mentioned, my 12 year old Corolla which is driven every day has stood the test of time with money only spent for routine maintenance. It's hard for me to envision the Elantra providing this kind of service. I gave the car a 3 rating on reliability score as this has yet to be determined.
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