Strap in... This is a long one.
Hello, elantrasport.com! Glad to be here, and man, I am test-drove out! I considered posting this in the introductions section, but I think this post is more relevant here, and it would be kinda silly to make an introduction post without actually owning the car. It's been a long road but I finally managed to find something to replace my '13 Audi A4. What!?! You might be asking yourself. Yes, I decided to go the cheap route, as I couldn't stand handing over a large chunk of money every month for a car that nowhere near justifies twice the price of an ES. Also, now that's it's past its warranty, I'm sure maintenance is going to kill me. So, I started test driving cars, slowly but surely, and my preconceptions across the board were pretty much shattered. I figured I'd post my findings for prospective buyers, and maybe to start up some discussion. So, without further ado, here's a list of cars I test drove in order!
1. Chevy Cruze Hatchback... lol, no. Got me in with their low lease payments ($149/mo 0 down), got me out with the most boring-as-**** hatchback I've ever driven
2. VW Golf... Nice driving manners, reminded me of my A4 in a lot of ways, but sparsely equipped for the money (good luck finding a well-optioned manual, too), terrible lease residuals and dealers didn't want to budge much on price.
3. Honda Civic 1.5L Coupe. Great car, better equipped than expected... Probably would have bought one, but manuals were few and far between, and I didn't want to drive to PA to test one. Steering was "springy" and pretty satisfying, plenty of torque, but the CVT was a no-go. Oh, and I wasn't a fan of the seats... basically park benches.
3. Hyundai Elantra Sport... Surprised the **** out of me. Figured it would be just a trim package with the VT engine in it, it handled surprisingly well, torque for days, Italian-like exhaust, manual shifter/clutch was my favorite of all I tested (could use stiffer shifter bushings, though) and really well equipped. Also, the incentives were crazy... got like $5k off an ES with premium package. Also, fuel economy is miles better than what it's rated for (regular gas, too!!!) Ended up using it as a benchmark. Cons: Really loud on the highway (maybe I'm just used to my A4?), interior could keep the entire plastic injection molding industry alive (although the fantastic seats make up for this), especially when compared to the Mazda 3.
4. Kia Forte5 SX. Similar engine as the ES, but more expensive with a worse suspension setup and disappointing interior. Pass.
5. Mazda 3... Surprised again, this time in a disappointing way. For all the hype this car gets, it just couldn't stand up to it. The ES gets criticized for its steering (seems great to me) but the 3 wasn't any better. Clunky shifter and oddly heavy clutch (least linear clutch I've ever used). Interior could rival my A4s, though. Incredible quality and design (although the infotainment system wasn't my favorite).
Why I didn't test drive the...
1. GTI. Couldn't afford it. Well, I can, but I didn't want to. Dealer wanted to deal even less on them.
2. Focus ST. Owned one. Seats are terrible for long drives, really tiny inside (I'm 6'7, though), but it's an insanely fun car to drive. Been there, done that. Would be torture not being able to mod, due to me leasing this time around.
3. Fiesta ST. Owned a regular Fiesta. The base one is a sh** sandwich. Again, I'm sure it's an amazing car to drive, but this is a DD, so sadly performance isn't the only priority.
4. Toyota 86. Slow, small, can't fit, not a Toyota fan.
5. WRX. Actually, I did... A long time ago. Was plenty fast, but it just wasn't for me. Also, again, probably too much money to lease.
The ES is an insanely underrated car. I just finished up with a 24 hour test drive and I found very few niggles. The only ones off the top of my head is the lack of a CD player (becoming the norm), the warm temperature of the HIDs and the lack of sensors in the backs of the door handles for the proximity key. I never thought I'd own a Hyundai (well... I quite admire the Genesis Coupe, but can you even buy those anymore?), but this car is really special. I can't wait to own it on Monday!
Hello, elantrasport.com! Glad to be here, and man, I am test-drove out! I considered posting this in the introductions section, but I think this post is more relevant here, and it would be kinda silly to make an introduction post without actually owning the car. It's been a long road but I finally managed to find something to replace my '13 Audi A4. What!?! You might be asking yourself. Yes, I decided to go the cheap route, as I couldn't stand handing over a large chunk of money every month for a car that nowhere near justifies twice the price of an ES. Also, now that's it's past its warranty, I'm sure maintenance is going to kill me. So, I started test driving cars, slowly but surely, and my preconceptions across the board were pretty much shattered. I figured I'd post my findings for prospective buyers, and maybe to start up some discussion. So, without further ado, here's a list of cars I test drove in order!
1. Chevy Cruze Hatchback... lol, no. Got me in with their low lease payments ($149/mo 0 down), got me out with the most boring-as-**** hatchback I've ever driven
2. VW Golf... Nice driving manners, reminded me of my A4 in a lot of ways, but sparsely equipped for the money (good luck finding a well-optioned manual, too), terrible lease residuals and dealers didn't want to budge much on price.
3. Honda Civic 1.5L Coupe. Great car, better equipped than expected... Probably would have bought one, but manuals were few and far between, and I didn't want to drive to PA to test one. Steering was "springy" and pretty satisfying, plenty of torque, but the CVT was a no-go. Oh, and I wasn't a fan of the seats... basically park benches.
3. Hyundai Elantra Sport... Surprised the **** out of me. Figured it would be just a trim package with the VT engine in it, it handled surprisingly well, torque for days, Italian-like exhaust, manual shifter/clutch was my favorite of all I tested (could use stiffer shifter bushings, though) and really well equipped. Also, the incentives were crazy... got like $5k off an ES with premium package. Also, fuel economy is miles better than what it's rated for (regular gas, too!!!) Ended up using it as a benchmark. Cons: Really loud on the highway (maybe I'm just used to my A4?), interior could keep the entire plastic injection molding industry alive (although the fantastic seats make up for this), especially when compared to the Mazda 3.
4. Kia Forte5 SX. Similar engine as the ES, but more expensive with a worse suspension setup and disappointing interior. Pass.
5. Mazda 3... Surprised again, this time in a disappointing way. For all the hype this car gets, it just couldn't stand up to it. The ES gets criticized for its steering (seems great to me) but the 3 wasn't any better. Clunky shifter and oddly heavy clutch (least linear clutch I've ever used). Interior could rival my A4s, though. Incredible quality and design (although the infotainment system wasn't my favorite).
Why I didn't test drive the...
1. GTI. Couldn't afford it. Well, I can, but I didn't want to. Dealer wanted to deal even less on them.
2. Focus ST. Owned one. Seats are terrible for long drives, really tiny inside (I'm 6'7, though), but it's an insanely fun car to drive. Been there, done that. Would be torture not being able to mod, due to me leasing this time around.
3. Fiesta ST. Owned a regular Fiesta. The base one is a sh** sandwich. Again, I'm sure it's an amazing car to drive, but this is a DD, so sadly performance isn't the only priority.
4. Toyota 86. Slow, small, can't fit, not a Toyota fan.
5. WRX. Actually, I did... A long time ago. Was plenty fast, but it just wasn't for me. Also, again, probably too much money to lease.
The ES is an insanely underrated car. I just finished up with a 24 hour test drive and I found very few niggles. The only ones off the top of my head is the lack of a CD player (becoming the norm), the warm temperature of the HIDs and the lack of sensors in the backs of the door handles for the proximity key. I never thought I'd own a Hyundai (well... I quite admire the Genesis Coupe, but can you even buy those anymore?), but this car is really special. I can't wait to own it on Monday!
