[Electra]

Hi everyone,

Just on the lookout for any nice hatchbacks and the Hyundai Elantra GT looks promising along with the Mazda 3. Currently driving an old Honda Civic and it's still running, just doesn't have the cargo space I'm looking for. A hatchback should satisfy that and loading larger items should be a breeze, but I also want it to be a joy to drive too.

Hoping to learn more about this model on here!

 

[AlfaDog]

I'm pretty big into hatchbacks. It started a long time ago with a Pontiac Vibe GT. No where near a "hot hatch" but I still loved the manual gearbox and the utility. A few years later, I moved up to a 2014 Ford Fiesta ST, which is simply an awesome car. But my daughter has turned 15 years old and will be learning to drive soon, so I had to trade it in for something with an automatic transmission (yes, I could teach her how to row her own gears with a stick, but she doesn't handle pressure very well, so one thing at a time). The ST got traded in for a Fiat 500 Abarth with an automatic transmission. That's my work car. My other car is a 2015 Alfa Romeo 4C, and she isn't going anywhere near that. My wife drives a 2017 Volvo XC90 R-design, which is too big and $$$ to learn to drive with. The Abarth is perfect. But I have recently been informed that she wants the Abarth, so I will be in the market soon for a new daily driver. My short list is the Golf GTI, Hyundai Elanta GT Sport, and the Kia Forte5 SX. I have driven Subaru Imprezas and Mazda3s and found them lacking. Performance wise, I'm leaning towards the GTI. But appearance wise, the Elantra GT Sport has the advantage (I really like the Kia, but it's overpriced for what it is and would really be a 3rd choice if the others didn't work out). So, I'm anxiously awaiting the chance to test drive the Hyundai. If it has any attitude/character, I'll be sold. I know it won't out-perform a GTI, but it doesn't have to as long as it's fun to drive and feels solid.

 

[hyundaiguy]

I'm pretty big into hatchbacks. It started a long time ago with a Pontiac Vibe GT. No where near a "hot hatch" but I still loved the manual gearbox and the utility. A few years later, I moved up to a 2014 Ford Fiesta ST, which is simply an awesome car. But my daughter has turned 15 years old and will be learning to drive soon, so I had to trade it in for something with an automatic transmission (yes, I could teach her how to row her own gears with a stick, but she doesn't handle pressure very well, so one thing at a time). The ST got traded in for a Fiat 500 Abarth with an automatic transmission. That's my work car. My other car is a 2015 Alfa Romeo 4C, and she isn't going anywhere near that. My wife drives a 2017 Volvo XC90 R-design, which is too big and $$$ to learn to drive with. The Abarth is perfect. But I have recently been informed that she wants the Abarth, so I will be in the market soon for a new daily driver. My short list is the Golf GTI, Hyundai Elanta GT Sport, and the Kia Forte5 SX. I have driven Subaru Imprezas and Mazda3s and found them lacking. Performance wise, I'm leaning towards the GTI. But appearance wise, the Elantra GT Sport has the advantage (I really like the Kia, but it's overpriced for what it is and would really be a 3rd choice if the others didn't work out). So, I'm anxiously awaiting the chance to test drive the Hyundai. If it has any attitude/character, I'll be sold. I know it won't out-perform a GTI, but it doesn't have to as long as it's fun to drive and feels solid.

You are going to be in for a real treat here because from what I can make of this, Hyundai is setting the stage for what might be a class-leading hatch in all categories you can think of.

Performance being a big appeal, Elantra GT N-Sport is in the works, after all they had this thing running around....

 

[dhoosee]

Hi! Read your post, and your reason is exactly why I am here too. I LOVE hatchbacks and currenly daily-drive an '08 Mini Hardtop, 6-speed. The car is fun to drive and handles like crazy in the turns, but at 92K miles, it rattles and is really showing its age. My short list is currently the GT Sport, Fiesta ST (when will the new gen from Europe be announced for the States?), and the non-hatch Civic Si Coupe (looks like a LOT of fun to drive). The GT Sport will probably get the nod, as it will have great cargo capacity for those Home Depot runs, is one of the few cars still available with a manual transmission, and looks to be available with some GREAT options for reasonable money (panorama roof, heated AND cooled seats?!?!?). I just hope that the car handles well and offers some room for customization like wheel choices, and a subdued, burbly exhaust as can be heard on the N prototype.

Fun and utility are tough to find in the same package, but it looks like Hyundai may have both in the same bag with this car! I cant wait to drive it.

 

[hyundaiguy]

Hi! Read your post, and your reason is exactly why I am here too. I LOVE hatchbacks and currenly daily-drive an '08 Mini Hardtop, 6-speed. The car is fun to drive and handles like crazy in the turns, but at 92K miles, it rattles and is really showing its age. My short list is currently the GT Sport, Fiesta ST (when will the new gen from Europe be announced for the States?), and the non-hatch Civic Si Coupe (looks like a LOT of fun to drive). The GT Sport will probably get the nod, as it will have great cargo capacity for those Home Depot runs, is one of the few cars still available with a manual transmission, and looks to be available with some GREAT options for reasonable money (panorama roof, heated AND cooled seats?!?!?). I just hope that the car handles well and offers some room for customization like wheel choices, and a subdued, burbly exhaust as can be heard on the N prototype.

Fun and utility are tough to find in the same package, but it looks like Hyundai may have both in the same bag with this car! I cant wait to drive it.

I feel quite confident that this will be a solid product. Looking at all they have done so far in terms of performance, Hyundai could deliver quite well here. But at this point in the process I think its more of what we want to see, sounds like a question that deserves a thread of its own, who wants to start that?

 

[GTSport]

Hi! Read your post, and your reason is exactly why I am here too. I LOVE hatchbacks and currenly daily-drive an '08 Mini Hardtop, 6-speed. The car is fun to drive and handles like crazy in the turns, but at 92K miles, it rattles and is really showing its age. My short list is currently the GT Sport, Fiesta ST (when will the new gen from Europe be announced for the States?), and the non-hatch Civic Si Coupe (looks like a LOT of fun to drive). The GT Sport will probably get the nod, as it will have great cargo capacity for those Home Depot runs, is one of the few cars still available with a manual transmission, and looks to be available with some GREAT options for reasonable money (panorama roof, heated AND cooled seats?!?!?). I just hope that the car handles well and offers some room for customization like wheel choices, and a subdued, burbly exhaust as can be heard on the N prototype.

Fun and utility are tough to find in the same package, but it looks like Hyundai may have both in the same bag with this car! I cant wait to drive it.

Just out of curiosity, why no the hatch version of the Civic if hatches are your primary focus? I haven't looked into the Civic too much to be honest so my knowledge on it is limited. Do they not have an Si version of the hatch perhaps?

The burbly exhaust is going to be something that I'll be looking forward to achieving through the aftermarket, as they sound stock (Elantra Sport) they have a nice growl to them, but slight modifications can really make it bark