[Exeno]

Checking in. Part-time lurker, semi-active at Hyundai-Forums. Long time forum-lurker in general. Originally went to trade in my '17 Value Edition sedan, a year ago, on an '18 Sport DCT Ultimate. When I got there to sign the papers, my partner ended up falling in love with the car. So he got it instead

Lived with my sedan for 6 more months, learned that they changed to the N-Line and made all the adjustments they made, and saw the car looked even better with the N bumpers then paired it with the sexy wheels off the Fastback N. So a few months ago I finally traded it in on an N-Line DCT Ultimate as well.

His car just has the intercooler resonator delete, since we both wanted to hear the pops and bangs a bit more plus the slightly rumblier note in general, plus stiff mudguards and swapped interior and license plate lights to LED.

I have the front mudguards (doesn't look like Hyundai has an accessory yet for the rear N bumper...), resonator delete, am in the process of having a dual-pod A-pillar gauge fabricated- for a boost gauge, and an ODB II multi-readout gauge, all-LED interior and license plate, and swapped rear cluster signals to LED (good 360 degree bulb + resistor mounted to chassis). Waiting to put a few more miles on it, and next Spring will come the catch cans + intake, and an ECU flash. Debating an aftermarket axleback for more sound but without resonating, I hope. Probably not going to go too crazy with it. Just mild performance tweaks and improvements.

The '18 GT and '19 N-Line definitely drive noticeably different, especially when you get in them back-to-back. But hubby likes how his has a little less edge to it than mine.

Love both these cars. Two happy dudes.

 

[miluardo]

Congrats guys! It's really cool to be able to do a side by side comparison.

Please post updates of the mods you get done Looking forward to seeing them!

 

[JP_N-Line]

Congrats on the N-Line!
We're you able to source white LEDS for the rear passenger dome lights (by the door?). The factory ones seem to be a yellow LED soldered into a board

 

[jetrep]

Thanks for posting. Care to elaborate regarding in what ways the two cars drive differently? Handling? stiffness of ride? transmission? power delivery?

 

[Exeno]

Congrats on the N-Line!
We're you able to source white LEDS for the rear passenger dome lights (by the door?). The factory ones seem to be a yellow LED soldered into a board

Well, I replaced all of the LEDs EXCEPT those. I don't feel like trying to replace the whole board, so they stay ugly yellow.

Thanks for posting. Care to elaborate regarding in what ways the two cars drive differently? Handling? stiffness of ride? transmission? power delivery?

Sure:


Handling/Stiffness: the 2019 is noticeably stiffer, but only "just-so". It's also more planted and a little more stable on the freeway, due to the N bumpers/splitters. A prime example is a section of local freeway that has a break in it, and if you go over it faster than about 60mph, you'll get full suspension extension and very nearly catch fricken' air. The 2019 N-Line doesn't get as floaty and "weightless" as the 2018 Sport. I may have been going faster than 60mph in both cars. When you're making a long sweep toward the limit of grip, like the cloverleaf freeway entrance ramps, the car definitely feels more neutral and is a little less inclined to plow.



Transmission: Hyundai doesn't state any different PCM programming, though you would be convinced that there is. It's just as snappy and responsive as the '18 Sport. I can still trip it up and get it to hang for a moment, sometimes, or confuse it inbetween gear changes. But that's really more a product of unpredictable heavy rush hour around here, on top of geography (stop and go on hills and stuff can trip it up easiest).



Power delivery: In a word: better. Because of the stiffer engine and trans mounts, the N-Line doesn't wheel-hop like the Sport can/does. Nailing the gas from a stop, in the Sport, gives a 50/50 chance of shuddering wheelhop when hitting boost. In the N-Line, it's very minimal hop and more one-wheel peel. This. Car. Needs. A. Limited. Slip. Differential. ****, I REALLY wish someone would program our ECUs with the Veloster's e-Diff programming, at least. It's easy to roast the inside tire of the DCT's Hankook tires, when trying to take a corner or powering out of a curve. I think a set of Pilot Sports/Cup would do wonders.



Really, in summary, the car is stiffer, more buttoned-down, firmer in all the right ways, and more neutral handling... all for the better. It also does a much better job of putting power down, the steering is a little quicker and more direct-feeling, the seat bolsters are a little better, and the smaller N wheel is a blessing. I do miss the rear traffic and pedestrian detection, and it did cause me to get small circular blindspot mirrors, partly for the blind spots from the passenger side. The pillars are so damned big...


All the little differences add-up to a noticeable whole; the GT Sport feels more like a sporty slighty-softer touring hatchback, whereas the N-Line feels much closer to a straight up sporty warm hatch.

 

[Lester]

Good comparison - thanks!

I have the 2018 GT Sport and agree with plea for a LSD. Failing that, a stiffer rear sway bar will greatly improve powering out of corners without a noticeable effect on percieved stiffness in ordinary driving.


If you intend to autocross, the rear sway bar mod is permitted in the base class (H Street), but it sounds like your car is already or soon will be well beyond that.


Thanks for the good comparison between the two model years.

 

[Exeno]

I have the 2018 GT Sport and agree with plea for a LSD. Failing that, a stiffer rear sway bar will greatly improve powering out of corners without a noticeable effect on percieved stiffness in ordinary driving. If you intend to autocross, the rear sway bar mod is permitted in the base class (H Street), but it sounds like your car is already or soon will be well beyond that.

Thanks for the good comparison between the two model years.

Full list of changes here: https://www.hyundainews.com/en-us/releases/2689

For some reason I'm having trouble linking images right now, so in text form:


Versus 2018 GT Sport:


Engine mount stiffness + 6.3%

Baseline Trans mount stiffness + 24.0%

“Rollrod” mount stiffness + 37.1%

Spring stiffness (F/R) +14.3%/+21.9%

Stability Bar diameter (F/R) 23 mm / 17 mm (GT Sport: 24 mm / 14 mm)

Shocks: New tuning

Steering: New calibration


Nicest part is that in spite of all of the added stiffness of various parts, it does NOT translate into a harsher ride, and do NOT result in added vibration in the steering wheel.

 

[CalculonsTalent]

Full list of changes here: https://www.hyundainews.com/en-us/releases/2689

That was a good read but it's really only about changes against the base GT (2018 GT) and not the 2018 Sport that the N-Line really replaces.

For example, the article refers to larger brake rotors in the front and back, but this difference wasn't in their table of changes. Did the '18 Sport also have larger brakes (EDIT: it does according to car and driver's review)? I know this is specific, but I need to buy some winter wheels, dang it! 🙂

 

[Exeno]

I did some hunting around for brake size, and without linking 500 more pages of things:

2018 GT Sport: F-12" R-10.3"
2019 N-Line: F-12" R-11.2"




Seems the original link I had was pretty janky, too Try this: https://www.hyundainews.com/models/hyundai-elantra-2019-elantra_gt_n_line/overview


Specs sheet of base GT vs N-Line: https://newspress-hyundai.s3.amazon...-2019ElantraGTSpecificationsFinal1918docx.pdf

 

[CalculonsTalent]

Wow! Thank you!!

So any wheel that fits the 18 Sport will fit the 19 N-Line. Differences in the back shouldn't matter, since the back brakes are smaller than the front.

Guess I'm closer to ordering some wheels 🙂

I did some hunting around for brake size, and without linking 500 more pages of things:

2018 GT Sport: F-12" R-10.3"
2019 N-Line: F-12" R-11.2"




Seems the original link I had was pretty janky, too Try this: https://www.hyundainews.com/models/hyundai-elantra-2019-elantra_gt_n_line/overview


Specs sheet of base GT vs N-Line: https://newspress-hyundai.s3.amazon...-2019ElantraGTSpecificationsFinal1918docx.pdf

 

[MrRkangel]

Interesting. Has anyone tried the Sxth Element motor mount and rear sway bar on the 2018 GTS in comparison to the N-line?