[GTSport]

Estimated price on the Hyundai Elantra GT Turbo is between $19,635 and $20,635

This information is via Car&Driver and I'll post a quote from there that has their brief explanation.

For me, anything in around that $20k range really isn't bad at all and hopefully after driving it, I can feel better about my decision. But from a practicality stand-point, I think it's ideal and it's within range of it's competitors.

The 2018 Elantra GT will reach dealerships this summer and is likely to be priced starting around $20,000. That’s higher than the Elantra sedan’s $17,985 base price, but the GT will try to justify its higher price using its enhanced practicality and style.

Hyundai Elantra GT Reviews - Hyundai Elantra GT Price, Photos, and Specs - Car and Driver

 

[AlfaDog]

If they can stick to the $20K sticker price and if this car doesn't need alot of options added to it (I for one will not add driver's assist options like adaptive cruise control and auto start/stop -- I find them annoying), then this car should be a winner provided the performance and driving quality is close to what's been advertised so far.

 

[Electra]

$20k sounds great, but Subaru could be cutting back on standard features to sell it for such a low price. So far, all I know is that an 8.0-inch infotainment touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto comes standard.

 

[hyundaiguy]

If they can stick to the $20K sticker price and if this car doesn't need alot of options added to it (I for one will not add driver's assist options like adaptive cruise control and auto start/stop -- I find them annoying), then this car should be a winner provided the performance and driving quality is close to what's been advertised so far.

If the Scion iA/scion iM was any lesson to them, then creating a Hyundai version of that will serve them well. iM's sold well enough, all Hyundai has to do is slot a product right into that segment

 

[GTSport]

The biggest downfall of the iM was the power that the engine produced, the Elantra GT Sport will have that rectified with just enough kick to make people happy, and the functionality of the hatch. the iM to be was just a regular hatch whereas the Elantra GT Sport will be a hot-hatch.

 

[hyundaiguy]

biggest problem was that they based the iM off the corolla platform, doing that made it sluggish and fundamentally not as sporty driving as it looks. maybe the next generation iM will be better or not exist at all.

toyota needs to learn from Mazda on what to do

 

[AlfaDog]

Test drove a 2017 Elantra Sport this weekend to hopefully get a feel of what this engine is going to be like. Absolutely loved it. Hopefully, the feel of the sedan transfers over to the hatch. Nice acceleration...but the handling was fantastic. Our local dealer has a test track they take those who are test driving performance models, so they let me take the sedan out and toss it around a makeshift autocross course. Minimal to no body roll and it just feels dialed in. The steering in "sport" mode has a nice feel to it, and I could feel the sport suspension in the corners but it felt pretty normal during straight line acceleration. If there's anything about the hatch that doesn't do it for me, it's nice to know the sedan is out there. If for some reason I don't like the hatch, I'm definitely picking up a Elantra Sport sedan.

My wife is thinking about getting one too, but locally they are very hard to find. Keeping my fingers crossed that this GT Sport is going to be as good as advertised.

 

[GTSport]

Your local dealer has a test track?! That is absolutely crazy! I would make weekly visits to that place haha!

I'm sure it wouldn't feel that much different, and maybe it'll have a slightly wider track width or longer wheel base so it'll feel even better going through the turns. A bit more planted.

 

[hyundaiguy]

Test drove a 2017 Elantra Sport this weekend to hopefully get a feel of what this engine is going to be like. Absolutely loved it. Hopefully, the feel of the sedan transfers over to the hatch. Nice acceleration...but the handling was fantastic. Our local dealer has a test track they take those who are test driving performance models, so they let me take the sedan out and toss it around a makeshift autocross course. Minimal to no body roll and it just feels dialed in. The steering in "sport" mode has a nice feel to it, and I could feel the sport suspension in the corners but it felt pretty normal during straight line acceleration. If there's anything about the hatch that doesn't do it for me, it's nice to know the sedan is out there. If for some reason I don't like the hatch, I'm definitely picking up a Elantra Sport sedan.

My wife is thinking about getting one too, but locally they are very hard to find. Keeping my fingers crossed that this GT Sport is going to be as good as advertised.

How did you find body roll to be while on the track? Never owned an Elantra but heard how bad body roll has been with previous generation, which leads me to believe its a characteristic naturally part of it... although its not a good thing, however not a deal breaker.

 

[AlfaDog]

Body roll is minimum. My Abarth has quite a bit of body roll going into corners...enough that you wish the seats had more bolstering. The Alfa has absolutely zero body roll. The Elantra Sport definitely leans towards the Alfa end of the spectrum.

The dealer's test track is probably about the size of a football field, with one side being coned like an autocross track and the other side left as a fairly decent straightaway. While in the autocross section of the track (with lower speed, of course) I could detect almost no body roll at all. When entering the turn at the end of the straightaway, there was some very, very minor body roll, but I was going fast enough to wag the rear end with traction control on, so I think you'd have to be really flogging the throttle thru the turns for the body roll to be noticeable. Now since the GT Sport will be a little taller, there might be some additional body roll, but I'm inclined to think it will be negligible, especially since the cars share the same rear suspension.

I bought my Fiesta ST from the same dealer, and they let me take that car on the track too. Probably sealed the deal. Hopefully, when they get some GT Sports in stock, they'll let me repeat the drive in one of those, then I can report back with my impressions. The waiting is annoying, especially with the sedan already available and being so good. My wife might have bought the one we test drove if it wasn't red (not her favorite color). This has the potential to be a pretty outstanding ride if they did it right.

 

[hyundaiguy]

Very pleased to hear about that especially since you had experience with the 124 Spider.
Even with feedback that good I think getting braces might still be in order for me, heard great things about Shark Racing.

If you plan on upgrading suspension let me know, looking for suggestions and example of what other owners are doing.

 

[AlfaDog]

Depending on price, I might lease a GT Sport, especially since this will be my first Hyundai. If I love it then I'll just buy it at the end of the lease. If I lease, I probably won't do any mods until I purchase it, which might be good since it will give some other vendors a chance to develop parts for the car. I hear mixed things about Shark Racing, but only with respect to customer service. I haven't heard anything negative about the parts themselves.

That being said, the Elantra Sport I drove stickered at $23K, but with incentives and rebates you could snag it for around $17k. If something similar is going on with the GT Sport, then I'll probably just buy it outright. It that happens, we'll definitely be talking about some aftermarket upgrades.

 

[Electra]

I doubt the GT will go for around $17k, but a sticker price of around $23k after incentives is still a steal for the GT depending on what trim your heart is set one. What's a goof estimate for the GT Sport?

 

[GTSport]

Once it's sub $25k, I think it'll be a good price. But if that's going to be a price point at sticker (goof estimate), what would you guys anticipate spending, or better question, what would be the most you would spend on one of these OTD (out the door) pricing?

 

[Parteklman]

I'm willing to (but will try not to..) spend up to $28-29k for a EGTS Ultimate. I spent $26k on my 2014 Elantra Limited w/tech. Although that did include an extended Hyundai factory warranty. Considering the Tech that is included I expect it to pay a bit more. The Kia Forte 5 sx w\tech package lists for around the same price. So that my best guess on where it will be priced anyway.

 

[GTSport]

So that's not a bad estimate at all for an out the door price. For something like this under $30k out the door, I think it's well worth it completely. Good performance, nice features, and killers looks.

 

[AlfaDog]

I think I'd have a hard time dropping any more than $25k out the door. While Parteklman is completely accurate that a Kia Forte5 SX with tech package stickers around $28k to $29k, dealers in my area are giving about $6k off in incentives, so they're actually pricing out around $21k to $23k. Add to that the fact that you can get an Elantra Sport for $20k or less with incentives (same engine with, from what I've read, a more aggressively tuned suspension), and a VW Golf GTI S can be purchased for $24k, it's going to be hard to attract a whole lot of buyers, imo, with a price point anywhere near $30k.

Don't get me wrong...I love the looks of the GT Sport, and would be willing to pay a little more than I would for the other models I've mentioned in this post. But I don't know if I'd pay $5k more, especially since the performance numbers will be the same or a little less than those other models. I would assume that the GT Sport will not be as fast as the Elantra Sport due to increased weight, and the VW just has too much power in the GTI trim to consider it equal, so the closest you'd probably get, from a performance perspective, is the Kia. I like the rear suspension set up in the GT Sport more than the Kia, but since it's a daily driver, in my case, and will probably see some spirited driving but no real track/autocross duties, I'm not sure how much more I'd pay for the rear suspension. I really hope it comes in at $25k or less, because that will make my purchasing decision a little easier. Just waiting.

On a positive note, my local dealer did contact me to tell me that they are expecting some GTs to arrive in the next 4 to 6 weeks. He believes that they are MY 2018 but is still trying to verify that for me. I'm a bit skeptical since no concrete pricing data has been released nor can you build a 2018 on the Hyundai website, but if I'm wrong, hopefully we can clear up some of these questions in the near future.

 

[GTSport]

4-6 weeks really doesn't seem too bad when looking at overall time lines and how long we typically have to wait for new vehicles in a whole.

Can't disagree with you on those GTIs though, they're some quick puppies.

 

[Parteklman]

HYUNDAI ANNOUNCES 2018 ELANTRA GT U.S. PRICING

 

[Electra]

An extra $5,000 to get the Elantra GT Sport with an automatic transmission doesn't seem too bad but that's depending on what kind of extra features it comes with. If it's just the engine and multi-link then I may as well get the entry level with automatic and add on a lot of options.