Confirmed: NO Spare in 2011 Elantra (US version) Options

[NoSparein2011Ela...]

I just got back from the dealership in Maryland where they had a 2011 Elantra Limited with NO SPARE TIRE. There is a bottle of goo and a small air compressor in a chunk of foam that fits where the spare goes. There is a place where you can attach a spare inside the trunk if you remove the foam, but unless the Limited Premium comes with a spare (which i doubt) don't expect to get a spare tire in the US. I figure they did this to save weight, cost, and improve fuel economy (less weight). If you have a blow out, there is no goo in the world that will get you back on the road. Hyundai is betting that most people will call the 5 year free roadside assistance. I hadn't thought of it, but he's most likely right that the goo will ruin the TPMS (which I believe is mandatory on new cars in the US).

The car also had continental tires which was somewhat unexpected. The oil change dipstick has changed into a steel cable with a plastic tip for measuring the oil. It's easier to read the oil since the plastic tip is yellow, but I had some difficulty getting it back into the engine. It's nice the alternator is easily accessible since I've had issues with these with other models of non-hyundai cars. I don't know if it's all the glossy slime the dealership coats the interior with, but I was a little disappointed with the feel of the interior because the pictures make it look so great. I'm not sure exactly why I felt that way. Maybe the pushy car saleswoman was at fault. I still like it better than anything else I've seen so far.

Like my profile says, I bought my first Hyundai Elantra brand new in 2003 and haven't looked back. I've owned Dodge, Honda, Toyota, and GMC cars. None have compared to my Hyundais in reliability. Everyone else can have their hood ornaments and high car payments.

I love my 2007 Elantra SE. I was going to go for the 2011 Sonata, which was nice when I had it for a rental, but since the Elantra is almost the same thing (with a few more features where it counts) I'll probably go for the new Elantra once I get back from overseas in a few years. That's the great thing about Hyundai is they depreciate quickly, I can buy a used one with the 5 year warranty (10 year is non transferable), excellent quality, for a great price. That's what I did with my 2007 when I bought it last year.

One tip I have is that you can check Hyundai technical service bulletins on their website here http://www.hmaservice.com/ with a free account. If your Hyundai has any issues similar to ones described in the TSB's it's easy to convince the service department when you have a printout of the TSB that describes the issue perfectly. They have details on the new MD version of the Elantra posted, but I didn't see the owner's manual last I checked. They have features that aren't available listed such as rotating headlights (as you turn corners) and rain sensing wipers in the repair guides, but I also noticed stuff like that for my 2007. It would be cool if you could mod your car with those features later using the parts from those overseas (like Korea where I'm assuming they offer those features).

The dealership gets in the 2011 Elantra Limited Premium next week. I'm hoping I'll like the push button start, backup camera, and nav that aren't included in the Limited. I also didn't see the automatic headlights on the Limited, but the dealer mentioned that it's on the premium verison. I'm disappointed that I have to wait until I get back from being overseas to get a low mileage used one. Sorry for rambling.