Premium Package or no?

17870 Views 26 Replies 15 Participants Last post by R1600Turbo, Jul 19, 2019

MarinaBlue

Discussion Starter · Apr 3, 2017

2

Let's hear thoughts from current and prospective owners on the Premium Package (Tech Package in Canada).

Is it worth the extra $2,400 USD ($2,500 CAD) for what you get based on these criteria:

- Thoughts on the base stereo and Infinity system?
- Does the larger 8" screen appeal to you?
- Is having a native Navigation application important for you?
- Do you prefer to have a sunroof or it does not matter? side note: Sunroof is standard on Canadian-spec cars
- Are blind spot assist and rear cross-traffic alerts a must? side note: both features are standard on Canadian-spec cars
- Is there a great sense of satisfaction from flexin' on the peasants with base cars?

- To those that have already purchased either, would you change your selection if you could do it again?

Have a great week!

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1 - 20 of 27 Posts

PMRPR12

· #2 · Apr 3, 2017

- Thoughts on the base stereo and Infinity system?- This is the only thing that I wanted but opted for the manual
- Does the larger 8" screen appeal to you? - NO, I will be looking at the road not watching a movie so not going to use it a lot.
- Is having a native Navigation application important for you? - Google Android Will take care of this/or apple for other people
- Do you prefer to have a sunroof or it does not matter? side note: Sunroof is standard on Canadian-spec cars - wanted it but no priority, also less weight on the car (minimum change but "that's one of the good parts of not having it)
- Are blind spot assist and rear cross-traffic alerts a must? side note: both features are standard on Canadian-spec cars - I have not have problems with blind spots since I have been driving, I position my mirrors to avoid this blind scenarios
- Is there a great sense of satisfaction from flexin' on the peasants with base cars? - N/A

- To those that have already purchased either, would you change your selection if you could do it again?
Yes, bought the base car and will do it again. Sound system is not that bad. will prefer a better sound system yes. I only wanted a lil bid more bass sound, will probably put a 10" or 8" on the trunk eventually and that will do it.

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R1600Turbo

· #3 · Apr 3, 2017

- Thoughts on the base stereo and Infinity system?

This was the main reason I wanted Premium, but after hearing the base stereo it's good enough for me. (and way better than my Kia)

- Does the larger 8" screen appeal to you?

It does, but again better than my last car so I'm OK with it. And the speed of the touch screen is really good.

- Is having a native Navigation application important for you?

No.

- Do you prefer to have a sunroof or it does not matter? side note: Sunroof is standard on Canadian-spec cars

It would have been nice, but not a necessity.

- Are blind spot assist and rear cross-traffic alerts a must? side note: both features are standard on Canadian-spec cars

Nope

- Is there a great sense of satisfaction from flexin' on the peasants with base cars?

I am a peasant with a base car.

- To those that have already purchased either, would you change your selection if you could do it again?

I think I'm fine with the base model.

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Voodoo Idol

· #4 · Apr 3, 2017

- Thoughts on the base stereo and Infinity system?

It's a pretty damned good system. Sub, mids, and highs are all surprisingly clear and undistorted, even at high volumes. Volume from the USB port is way better than my VT was.

- Does the larger 8" screen appeal to you?

I do like it - it's easier to read than the 7" screen in the VT, and the display is better overall. Once it gets up and running the response from touches to the screen is, for a car, lightning fast.

- Is having a native Navigation application important for you?

Not really as it pairs with Android Auto nicely, but the embedded navigation app is a good one. Once the map needs updating, however, I'll just switch to Android Auto. I'm not paying to update it.

- Do you prefer to have a sunroof or it does not matter? side note: Sunroof is standard on Canadian-spec cars

I love having a sunroof. I can't live without it here in the sunny land of Central Texas.

- Are blind spot assist and rear cross-traffic alerts a must? side note: both features are standard on Canadian-spec cars

Not a must, but it's a nice feature. My favorite part is the cross traffic alert when backing out of parking spaces. Since I live here in CenTex there are tons of giant trucks everywhere, so you can't always see to either side of you when backing out of a parking space, so it comes in handy.

- Is there a great sense of satisfaction from flexin' on the peasants with base cars?

Naw.

- To those that have already purchased either, would you change your selection if you could do it again?

Absolutely.

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mooses

· #5 · Apr 3, 2017

- Thoughts on the base stereo and Infinity system?
Infinity system sounds pretty good to me. I never heard the base, so I don't have anything to compare it to.

- Does the larger 8" screen appeal to you?
I like it. It is easier to read, but I don't think it is a game changer

- Is having a native Navigation application important for you?
Google maps will always be better than in-car nav. I do like having the map up as I drive though.

- Do you prefer to have a sunroof or it does not matter? side note: Sunroof is standard on Canadian-spec cars
The sunroof is nice, but I doubt I'll use it too often.

- Are blind spot assist and rear cross-traffic alerts a must? side note: both features are standard on Canadian-spec cars
This is a big one for me. I'm a big fan of extra safety features. Rear cross traffic is great for parking lots.

- To those that have already purchased either, would you change your selection if you could do it again?
Definitely like the premium package and wouldn't want the base.

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Drewberry

· #6 · Apr 3, 2017

I'll keep it simple.
Yes, I like it and don't regret paying the extra $40/ month.
No, I don't think you NEED it. If you are looking to keep payments low you can live without it.
If you live in Canada, base all the way.
If you live in USA, either is good.

Sunroof to me is worth 20/month easy in the summer. Rest of the features are meh.
I don't think it's a ripoff but it's also not wasted money imo.

wlwarfield

· #7 · Apr 7, 2017

I mainly bought the premium package for the homelink mirror and dual zone climate control. The rest of it was all just an added bonus. Although I do really like the sunroof too.

rdaex1

· #8 · Apr 9, 2017

The ONLY thing I really wanted was the audio.
Navigation is a joke with AA and car play.
Any extra nanny driving stuff pisses me off.
Sunroof is a nice to have, not a need to have.

Sport

· #9 · Apr 9, 2017

Anyone know how much it would be to upgrade the stock stereo to equal the premium package one? Or even surpass that quality? Since the car may be somewhat loudish from what some have said, I'd prefer the better stereo for sure. If it's easy or not too expensive to replace/upgrade, then that's a huge plus. I use Waze and I'm a 35k a year driver. It's not as good for tracking police any more, but works great for traffic alerts just like android auto.

When I lived in SoCal I loved having a sunroof being by the airport. Amazing seeing those low flying planes come in! Not sure I'd like to give that up. I have no idea of what the homelink mirror does haha! In reality the package is about $2000 more in the US after incentives. Tough call but I'd hate to not get something and wish I had down the line.

rdaex1

· #10 · Apr 9, 2017

MUCH less than 2400 bucks.

My buddy works at the largest audio shop in this area and just quoted me out like 1100 bucks for front JL components, line link EQ converter, 10" sub and an amp.

It would be 100WRMS going to the fronts, and 400 to the sub... Im going to ASSUME it will sound better than the infinity.

****, you could probably spend 500 bucks just upgrading the speakers and end up well ahead.

justsayyes

· #11 · Jun 12, 2017

Yes...if discounted heavily!

I got the Premium package since it was heavily discounted. After just a few drives and parking in my company's indoor structure (with concrete wall supports every 10 or 15 spaces or so:

- Thoughts on the base stereo and Infinity system? - Sound system is killer. Would not have spent the money to get it on its own, but as an amateur home theater guy, I can tell you that balancing a system for a particular room (car in this case) takes time, effort and specialized measuring equipment. For my theater, I used a SPL meter, tripod, delay sensor, and custom BRD with special tones to achieve the precise leveling, delay, and crossover for my 4.1 magnetic planar speakers and 500W subwoofer audio system. Given that Infinity claims to do exactly this for all Hyundai Premium Infinity sound systems, I'm taking a leap of faith that the Elantra Sport has as good balance/delay/imaging across the 8 speakers as I'm likely to be able to configure myself after much, much effort.

- Does the larger 8" screen appeal to you? - No.

- Is having a native Navigation application important for you? - Yes/No. Multiple drivers and I'd rather just plug in mini-USB flash drive with all my music. The basic Hyundai nav is fine for me most of the time. And then of course, I have my S7 Edge with Google Maps anyway. So, it's a nice to have for me, a really have for my wife who somehow is challenged when it comes to smart phones.

- Do you prefer to have a sunroof or it does not matter? side note: Sunroof is standard on Canadian-spec cars - Yes. I really dig driving with the roof open on warm nights in NorCal and early evenings. It's also really nice to have the extra sunlight. No. What if it leaks? I should also note that the sunroof takes about 1.5" off the headroom so you'll have to adjust accordingly. I'm 6' tall with a long torso, so now have to adjust the seat to nearly its lowest setting in order to keep my hair from touching the headliner. Just a thought...

- Are blind spot assist and rear cross-traffic alerts a must? side note: both features are standard on Canadian-spec cars - An emphatic yes. Just today, I had to back out of a parking spot next to a support wall. The beeping started well before I was able to see the car coming at my rear driver side panel at a 90 degree angle. Given the number of vehicles that are taller than the Elantra Sport, e.g., all SUV of any size, most pickups, minivans, etc., and that most of the drivers of these vehicles are on mobile phones while driving and/or focused on the open parking space ahead of them...

- Is there a great sense of satisfaction from flexin' on the peasants with base cars? - Oddly, a little to be honest! But that's a function of owning the Elantra Sport, not the Premium package. Seriously, it's not like we've bought an AMG Mercedes or anything...!

- To those that have already purchased either, would you change your selection if you could do it again? - No. At the discount, I am very happy with the Premium. But again, this is because of the audio upgrade and backup side impact detection primarily. IF the choice was paying $2100 for the Premium package, then absolutely no, I would not purchase again.

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1986

· #12 · Jun 13, 2017 (Edited)

deleted

17ElantraSportPremium

· #13 · Jun 13, 2017

I did for a couple reasons.

Bluelink: I like warmed up/cooled down car.

Infinity sound: like the sound upgrade, (borders on NEED - old guy who didn't take care of his hearing), could barely hear the base with a window down. Agree with above, how factory puts expense and effort to make sure it sounds good. I've done the whole audio thing. At this point, don't care to do it again (0 gauge wire runs and second battery and upgraded alternator and distro blocks and mdf and car smelling liked a canoe for a year and having to recarpet the car because the installation fabric/carpet didn't match and wire coming off one coil of one sub and it taking two hours to find the culprit and etc.).

Dual zone climate: wife, nuff said.

Sunroof: package required for sunroof, never owned a car without one, though this one is small.

Safety bits: After the YF, less need for blindspot assist since I was used to doing a full neck crane before any movement (visibility was an issue in that car), but is nice, and the cross traffic reverse was useful this weekend, saved me from a 40mph dually in a tight parking lot.

Tech: I prefer not touching my phone in the car, so I do prefer a satnav in dash - also, like that I can send destination to car from phone after starting and allowing it to warm up, all from inside the house.

So for me? Yep. Premium.

Lording over others? No. If you love your car, then you don't care about others' opinions. I hate blue cars because of a long history of correlation between blue cars and bad times. But, I don't disparage drivers of blue cars.

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nels0300

· #14 · Jun 13, 2017

Not a fan of sunroofs, so the premium package wasn't an option.

Love the fact that you actually can get this car, which isn't a stripper base model, without the sunroof.

Wouldn't mind the infinity stereo, but not getting a sunroof for it. The base stereo is decent.

The "base" model is still pretty loaded and includes options that are typically only available on top trim models from other manufacturers.

Leather, heated seats, HID lights, LED taillights, Android auto / Apple car play, 18 inch wheels, 200 hp turbo engine....doesn't seem too "base" to me, especially when you consider there isn't anything else that offers all of that for ~$18K street price for the "base" model.

Long story short, I'm all about the base. My sunroof will never leak or make noises, and I don't need sunscreen for the top of my balding head. ?

justsayyes

· #15 · Jun 13, 2017

@nels0300 Got passed at a light by a Civic Hatchback Sport today. You are so right...I felt pity for the driver even though the Civic Hatcback Sport was the only car I considered before purchasing the Elantra Sport.

justsayyes

· #16 · Jun 13, 2017

One other thing. The car only has one USB data port while the second USB in the arm rest is power only (true?). Anyway, this means I can't just leave a 64GB micro-USB flash drive in the thing and STILL get to use Android Auto. It's one or the other because:

- Elantra Sport manual states explicitly that starting the car with a USB drive plugged in may corrupt the drive
- Android Auto does not support ANY of the leading non-Google music apps...just a couple of streaming apps

Is there a workaround or is the manual spouting lawyer-ese just in case your flash drive gets corrupted? And yes, I think the Premium Audio system is good enough for my collection of 256kbps VBR MP3, .flac, and 192kbps & 320kbps WMS music files.

Regarding my early comments on sound quality, I very strongly suggest that we all get the music system that we enjoy rather than going with any machine optimized system (a la the Infinity Premium Audio system). For example, my Magnepan magnetic planar speakers (home theater) have incredible detail and transparency to my ears, but to some friends they sound antiseptic and lifeless.

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Voodoo Idol

· #17 · Jun 13, 2017

17ElantraSportPremium said:
I did for a couple reasons.

Bluelink: I like warmed up/cooled down car.

Infinity sound: like the sound upgrade, (borders on NEED - old guy who didn't take care of his hearing), could barely hear the base with a window down. Agree with above, how factory puts expense and effort to make sure it sounds good. I've done the whole audio thing. At this point, don't care to do it again (0 gauge wire runs and second battery and upgraded alternator and distro blocks and mdf and car smelling liked a canoe for a year and having to recarpet the car because the installation fabric/carpet didn't match and wire coming off one coil of one sub and it taking two hours to find the culprit and etc.).

Dual zone climate: wife, nuff said.

Sunroof: package required for sunroof, never owned a car without one, though this one is small.

Safety bits: After the YF, less need for blindspot assist since I was used to doing a full neck crane before any movement (visibility was an issue in that car), but is nice, and the cross traffic reverse was useful this weekend, saved me from a 40mph dually in a tight parking lot.

Tech: I prefer not touching my phone in the car, so I do prefer a satnav in dash - also, like that I can send destination to car from phone after starting and allowing it to warm up, all from inside the house.

So for me? Yep. Premium.

Lording over others? No. If you love your car, then you don't care about others' opinions. I hate blue cars because of a long history of correlation between blue cars and bad times. But, I don't disparage drivers of blue cars.

nice avatar!

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Sport

· #18 · Jun 14, 2017

Not sure if this is true or not, but looks like the 2018 Elantra Sport base model will get a sunroof. Also a few other goodies: "Last but not least, the Elantra Sport starts at $21,800 and now includes a standard power sunroof. The model also comes with Blind Spot Detection, Rear Cross-traffic Alert, and Lane Change Assist."

Might be enough for me to hold off. Only two things I really care about: Sunroof and upgraded stereo. Base model will probably still come with lower end stereo unfortunately. Link below.

2018 Hyundai Elantra Gains Extra Goods And A New SEL Variant

17ElantraSportPremium

· #19 · Jun 14, 2017

Voodoo Idol said:
nice avatar!

Nice Ink. 501st?

coffeeslug

· #20 · Jun 15, 2017

The extra wide plastic frame around the 7 inch screen would have made me sad every time I looked at it. Android auto doesn't excite me as much as I'd hoped. Used it a couple times. I prefer the factory nav. *ducks*

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