I currently have a 1999 Hyundai Tiburon that's pretty souped up. But I want a economic car for the twice a day drive to college and work. Should I get a xA or a Hyundai Elantra? The only thing I'm worried about with the xA is the lack of power I hear it has. Can you mod it to have decent acceleration? It's my first new car and the payments on a xA would be really cheap. What do you think I should do?

Drive them both and make a decision.

The xA is fairly quick because it is pretty light.

The aftermarket performance parts for this engine give very small performance gains for the $$$, for $1000 you can gain about 8 hp!

ken

I'm not a fan of Hyundais, but I like my xA a lot. It's completely stock. I haven't gotten an intake yet, but adding one should help gain a little horsepower. A cold air intake, header, and exhaust should do you right with an xA.

I think I'll go with the xA. It's sharp looking and I love the gas mileage.

I think I'll go with the xA. It's sharp looking and I love the gas mileage.

good choice :D

well i was looking at the (well not really) the Hyundai Elantra GT (cause the gt only comes in hatch back form) what a waste of money around 18K for the GT no way, glad the scions came out couple years later(2002 mind you) :D

I think ive seen a gt elantra four door. I used to drive a 01 elantra and i liked it the only complaint I had was that it was auto. I think I like my xa better though it handles much better. I also got a better reaction from the ladyz :D

Don't forget about about Toyota's resale value!

Hyundai's resale value is terrible.

No question about it whatsoever. . . xA!!!!!!!!!

well i was looking at the (well not really) the Hyundai Elantra GT (cause the gt only comes in hatch back form) what a waste of money around 18K for the GT no way, glad the scions came out couple years later(2002 mind you) :D

i've never heard of a $18k elantra GT. most new EGT's go out the door for under $15k. unlike scions, you can negotiate their price.

i also own an 02 EGT and have an xA on order. because of the horrible resale value, i got the EGT used (less than one year old) for $10k with only 12k miles on the clock. try finding an xA for that!

i have driven both cars, so i can say from experience, the EGT is in a different league. the elantra Gt is quick, the scion is, well, not. 0-60 in 8.5 sec, 138hp VVT engine, 34MPG highway, and it comes loaded with leather, power everything, alarm, keyless, trip computer, fogs, cruise, kenwood CD/mp3 with six speakers, armrest, side airbags, 15" alloys with 195/60-15 michelin mxv4's, 4-wheel discs, etc.... (basically everything you can get as an ACCESSORY on the scion + some that you CAN'T). not to mention the warranty.

the suspension on the EGT is superior as well (stiffer than the GLS's), with thicker sway bars and multi-link rear suspension. handling is definitely better than the xA's, though keep in mind both cars are economy cars at root.

no offense to the scion owners here. i will be one myself soon. for me, the xA will be my commuter car since it does get better mileage. but for more fun driving, i'll drive the elantra GT. just trying to provide an informed judgment.

what the scion DOES offer that the elantra GT doesn't is the "cute" factor, better mileage, probably better long-term reliability, and higher resale value.

my advice would be to drive each, and see which you like better!

FYI the xA does 0-60 in 8.8. That's not much slower than 8.5 . . .

FYI the xA does 0-60 in 8.8. That's not much slower than 8.5 . . .

is that auto or manual? i'm guessing manual since the auto i test drove was WAY slower than 8. 8. the EGT auto is 8.5. the manual is 8.0. 1/4 is usually in the high 15's to low 16's.

yeah, manual. . .
I hope this doesn't ____ anyone off, but I really really hate the auto xA. . . I don't think it is a good buy because the auto saps so much power.
But 8.8 is by far, liveable and about average. In the case of the manual, I think the xA is the logical choice. . . but anything slower than that is unacceptable. If I were to consider a hyundai, I would also strongly consider a Mitsubishi Lancer, Ford Focus, Chevy Cavalier, and/or Dodge Neon. With incentives and rebates, the price can be very competitive. And in terms of quality, resale, and power, these cars are at least equal to Hyundai IMO, and price would be the deciding factor.

The xA will not be a fast car...at least not for a while. If you're into speed, I'd look outside the newest Toyota lineup. However, if you're looking for a reliable, good looking, efficient car, then the xA would be a great choice.

what website are u on? i mean really what should we say? i think u want the xa and wanted to here it from someone else. Hyundai's are terrible. !0 yr waranty that scares me all by its self. Sorry if i seem mean. But only u can make the decision go with your gut... On this you'll be paying for it...........

yeah, manual. . .
I hope this doesn't ____ anyone off, but I really really hate the auto xA. . . I don't think it is a good buy because the auto saps so much power.
But 8.8 is by far, liveable and about average. In the case of the manual, I think the xA is the logical choice. . . but anything slower than that is unacceptable. If I were to consider a hyundai, I would also strongly consider a Mitsubishi Lancer, Ford Focus, Chevy Cavalier, and/or Dodge Neon. With incentives and rebates, the price can be very competitive. And in terms of quality, resale, and power, these cars are at least equal to Hyundai IMO, and price would be the deciding factor.

i ordered a 5-spd xA and will have it in two weeks. it didn't feel like 8.8 sec 0-60 when i test drove it, but i'll take your word. but maybe because it was new and not broken in.

i agree that the elantra GT competes against the lancer and ford focus zx5, but all three of these cars are in a league above the cavalier and the neon (except the xrt-4 or whatever it's called). where i think it wins out is in price. with negotiation, you can walk out the door with an 04 EGT for $13k if you try. and remember that that comes loaded, incl. leather. by the time you get the lancer or zx5 with the same equipment, even after rebates and negotations they will be more like $15k out the door.

Hyundai's are terrible. !0 yr waranty that scares me all by its self.

alright, where are all of you getting your misinformation??!! blackxb, tell me where you learned that hyundais have 0 yr warranties. what planet are you on? or did you just not read my earlier posts. all hyundais have 5/60 B2B warranties that transfer for ever. only the 10/100 extended powertrain coverage does not transfer.

Elantra is good if you want your car to run 100k miles, xA is goood if you want your car to run 100K+ miles.

Don't say you can get somthing for this price if you haggle. that may be true, but most people can't haggle, I can't, my family can't, most people that i know don't want to haggle. pure pricing may has its drawback, but at least you know what your are paying for. ok you are going to buy a car, the next thing you know is you are going to pay between 12k to 16k all depend on your haggle skill. i will be ____ off on that since I know I am most likely end up to pay 16k for somthing that someone will pay 12k for it.

My ex-girlfriend drives a Hyundai Elantra, and I have my Scion xA.

Yesterday, she got into an accident.

So, you should totally go with the xA.

if you go to edmunds.com, you can compare the vehicles and see the diff.

The big deciding factor for us was looking at both the top 10 listings and the bottom 10 listings on all vehicles. The Scion models were in most of the top 10 listings while most anything from Hyandai was in the bottom.

good gas mileage, resale, reliability, and affordability (not to mention it looks kewler) are the biggest contributors in this decision making.

love my XA...more then my bug.....it has faster pick up then the bug and LOVE the gas milage :)

I worked at a Toyota dealership last year doing detailing. I got to drive lots of different cars. All the used Hyundais that came through were rattle-boxes.... even after only 30,000 miles they were literally falling apart. Almost all of them had engine light warnings, their interiors were deteriorating, plastics were crumbling, and many of the accessories had broken (power windows, seat belt retractors, etc.). Avoid Hyundais like the plague. Sure, that 100,000 mile warranty is nice, if you want to spend the next five years in the waiting room of your Hyundai dealership.

My first car was a 1985 Corolla with nearly 300,000 miles on it. It idled smooth, shifted smooth (automatic), pulled strong, and didn't use a drop of oil.

Buy Toyota quality... get the xA :)
Sorry to all current Hyundai owners! Just trying to inform, not offend.

get the xA cause the elantra looks like ___...i always make fun of my girlfriend cause she owns an elantra gls.....hyundai is alot better company now by the way over the past few years they have made themself into a force to be reckoned with. I have a tC and i was trying to decide on if i should get a tiburon 2004 or the tC or the xA. but if you are tying to decide on the elanta gt or the xA then def get the xA i love the way it looks. One of the main reasons i didnt get an xA is because my girlfriend thought it looked funny and i didnt want to hear her complain about my car all the time:) but i think it looks great!