Easy-Bake Options

[Plain Jane]

Hello all you fine people out there in Internet land. I've very recently come into the ownership of a 2012 Elantra sedan (GL perhaps?) after suffering at the hands of a disabled Pontiac G5 for 3 months. At first I was looking for a winter beater to carry the torch for my car as it was highly modified and I didn't want to risk damage, but upon stumbling onto this golden deal on the Hyundai I had to jump all over it. It's a burgundy manual car with 168,500 kilometers and a few neat options. The price was $7140 tax in from a used car dealer.

Thing is, I never once considered a car like this and haven't a clue knowing what it's capable of. So, naturally, I signed up here looking to learn more. I'm rather pressed for time at the moment so I can't stay and write too much or post some pictures, so I'll have to come back and pick up where I left off. All I wanted to say was hello to you all and hopefully we can get along. Cheers for now.

[Blupupher]

Glad to have you here. When you do get a chance post up some pics. Also don't forget to fill out your profile and have some fun here.

Any idea on mods you plan to do?

[RPW00Mirage]

welcome to the club!

a bit high mileage, but the price was right. hopefully it was well serviced. it is still like new!!!

[Plain Jane]

Thanks. I've never put a dime into aesthetic mods, and I doubt I'll break tradition on this car. However, I was big into performance stuff and sank a lot of blood, sweat and tears into my little Pontiac to make her hustle. If I end up modifying the Elantra, I'd likely follow the same recipe. Having said that, what kind of aftermarket stuff is available, and what kinda numbers are we talking about? (both for price & power)

Yeah, the car's got a few miles under her belt. I can only imagine it was mostly gentle highway mileage.

[Alex2013GT]

Welcome to the club and congrats on your "new" Elantra! She is a beauty!!! There is a lot of information here, but don't be afraid to ask questions. Many of us have been around Hyundai's for a while and we try to help out where we can!

[Plain Jane]

She's definitely a looker, although she can seriously use a wash lol.

I've got a quick question. In the reviews it mentions that only the automatics have an Eco Mode. My car is stick and has a blank button, but when cycling through the steering wheel operated trip computer (Trip A, Trip B, Fuel Economy, etc etc), the last display is "Eco On/Off". This option is not mentioned in the owner's manual. Does this function similarly to the Eco Mode on the autos, or is it something else entirely?

[Memster1]

I just purchased a 2015 manual sport, and I can turn ECO on or off. With it on, the dash indicates optimal shift points for the 6 speed. I can see where it would improve gas mileage as I feel like I drive very conservatively with it on using the shift points.

[Plain Jane]

I do see the little shift indicator arrows above my current gear. It's neat but if that's all the Eco Mode does I'd be a little disappointed. In my old car (5 speed) I would shift at 2k rpm if I wanted to be conservative. Revs would drop to ~1400 and I'd be able to chug along nicely. At 60kph in 5th I'd be turning 1500rpm. 110kph would translate to 2650.

If I wanted more performance, what's available to me? I'm thinking bolt-ons and suspension packages.

[RPW00Mirage]

umm... you can do suspension, a cold air intake, and a ricer exhaust. the newer elantras is the wrong car for any real performance related modifications. the veloster and genesis get all the funs.

[Plain Jane]

Ah, that ain't so bad. I had an Injen CAI on my G5. It sounded nice but would throw a P0171 occasionally. Is there a single brand or do we have options?

Also, what kind of exhaust are we talking about? Cat-back? Axel-back? Tip? I'm really not looking to build a racecar so I'm not too disheartened from the lack of aftermarket. Thanks.

[Alex2013GT]

To answer a couple of your questions:

1. Eco mode is just a shift indicator. On the automatics it is an active eco mode, but the manuals just get a light. I turned mine off after a couple weeks.

2. For intakes, there is an Injen, K&N, and Weapon R available for the Elantra. I went with the K&N. It is not a CAI that feeds through the fender well like the other two, but sounds nice and I don't have to worry about water getting sucked up. Plus it is easier to remove should I ever want to. I bought mine used or else I may have went with the Injen.

3. For exhausts, there are a couple bolt ons available but they are quite pricey. Your best bet is either to just slap on a muffler of your choosing or taking it to a shop to do a custom install with your choice of muffler. This would be cheaper than buying one of the "kits" I have seen (at least it is for the GT's).

4. An extremely popular mod is to replace the rear shocks on the sedan. The stock setup leaves the rear end a little bouncy especially at highway speeds. It seems by far the most popular choice is KYB's and I have yet to hear a negative review from someone that has installed them. Most say they wished they would've done it sooner.

5. If you like the community, consider going VIP. You get access to additional areas, the arcade, plus many additional perks. In addition, you help support the club which is independently run/operated by the members and not by a large corporate group like so many forums today.

6. If you order anything online, check out the online "Mall" here. If you order something from clicking through the link on the site, the club gets a small percentage. There are a ton of great stores in there!

Finally, sit back and enjoy your ride!!!!

[Plain Jane]

Some good quality info right there, thanks a lot. I may wait for better weather before I pick up an intake or play with anything else for that matter. Another question, is there a main or preferred site to order aftermarket parts? Or does most of your business go through eBay?