[amitoj]

Congratulations! I know a couple of my colleagues who have Elantras and they are all quite happy with it. Am sure you will also enjoy many many miles on it.

[VLOCT]

Congrats Gandhi. Hope you've a lot of fun with your car.

[maddy42]

My friend has been looking for a replacement for his old ride which is a 03 Sonata. This car is good but not fun and the past couple of weeks its been giving some niggles! So the decision to look for a car was made.

Options:
Used Mercedes C class or Audi A4
There were a lot of cars in the market. Some at jaw dropping prices. We were planning on going to the dealer to test them but over some drinks we were discussing new vs used. I did mention the benefit of getting to drive a great car and not getting to eat the depreciation. But he felt that as he would be having it for a long time he would prefer something he has only driven and it would be his first new car

Coupe shootout - Contenders
Genesis Coupe
Was pushed out as i own it. Would be a contender if the rest didnt appeal

Dodge Challenger
Not a very appealing car as such and off late and somehow the image has not been right!

Camaro
So finally it was shortlisted to two of the american cousins. Went to the dealership of chevy and asked for the camaro 2LS. Vehicle looks awesome from the outside. When you step inside its a whole new world. The interiors are one of the worst i have seen in the market and if my genesis looks like a jazzy lil beast inside this one looks like a boring and dull frog.

The drive. Was great. Good pickup and loud roar. Rear seats were comfy with decent head room. Boot space was small.

We got a good quote but when we tried walking out of the dealership to look at the mustang(which we mentioned) they tried to stop us from doing it and made the deal more juicy! Anyways after another half hour of talking we stood our ground and went for a meal.

Over the meal we discussed next steps. Ford dealer was across the resto and we had to check the mustang out. Something at the chevy dealership told us a lot of people who walked out never came back.

So off we went to the mustang dealership. Met a sales rep on the outside who happened to be new and he was getting trained by a seasoned guy. So on the table we sat. He asked for social and we asked him to show the car instead. Took us to a Green mustang and we looked on the inside. Better looking than the camaro but not good in front of the genesis(i have a soft corner for my car). Took it for a spin. The car pulls awesome and the sound is not very loud which i feel is a good thing. Rear seats were great. Ford pampers you with a lot of inside lights and jazz which is a good deal.

Back to the dealership. They threw us a deal which was about 100 bucks more than chevy. So out came the paper from chevy and now we were talking. So they asked if we were serious on buying. Friend said yes but if we get black and black(interior and exterior). So they tried looking for a black but found none. So arose the problem. If we get the car from another dealer it would cost more. So why not the green.

My friend felt it would get boring after a couple of days. So we were about to leave when they came with the news. Voila. We have a car which is blue. I loved it but asked my friend to decide. He looked at it and well love for it began. Interiors were nice and it had a better package with reverse sensors and great brown interiors. Looked awesome.

Now number crunching again. We acted like we didnt like it so they came pretty close to the chevy numbers. So he decided to go ahead with the buy.

[chevelle]

For those going through a lease, Honda accord is available for $250 for 35 months with $0 Down. They are getting rid of 2012s to make way for new ones coming next month. 0.9% For those financing for 24-60 months.

Honda Cars Offers & Leases Detail - Official Website

Congratulations Gandhi on new Elantra. Hope you have million miles of fun. Go for the maintenance plan. I guess if you are going to spend $50 for 3 times a year to do oil change and rotate tires, it will come to $1050 for 7 years. If they will cover other stuff like changing PS Fluid, ATF and stuff, it will be total paisa vasool package. So just make sure you clear everything about this package and see if it makes sense.

Congrats is due to Maddy's friend too. Please pass it on.

[aah78]

Originally Posted by Gandhi

Now I have one question about one of the maintenance plan Hyundai is offering. They have a plan called Maintenance Plus for 1395/- which takes care of all the maintenance (including tune-ups, parts, consumables) till 7 years/105,000 miles. All I have to spend on is gas.

Is this plan worth taking? I have to inform them on Monday if I'm taking this plan or not.

Congrats on the car!

These maintenance plans usually come with some fine print.
It's extending your warranty coverage by 2 years and @45k miles.

Practically, all you'll get with the plan is a number of oil changes & tire rotations.

You might get a brake pad change depending on how you drive.

Does the plan include tire replacement? Is coverage valid only at the dealer-ship from where you purchased the car or any Hyundai dealer in the US?

I don't think it's necessary to go in for the plan but if you intend to put a lot of miles on the car and need peace of mind, then go in for it else you are covered for the next 5 years / 60k miles anyways.

Also, you're probably aware that if you do decide to go in for the plan at a later stage it will cost you a lot more.

[Gandhi]

Thank you everyone for the wishes. I've decided not to go for the maintenance package offered. Most of the people here and on the hyundai-forums recommend not to fall for such packages.

I haven't got the car home yet as I don't have the California driver's permit. Because of this, the insurance quotea for me are very high on Indian license. I'm going for the written test tomorrow and then will get insurance on the permit.

[Gandhi]

An update on the maintenance plus package I was offered. The moment I said no to the guy, he started bargaining the price. Finally we settled for $985. This plan is from Hyundai, so can be claimed at any Hyundai dealer in the US. It also covers things like lost keys etc. I bought it already, will know in the long run if it was right decision or not.

Here's a pic of my car -



Will update the thread with my observations after few weeks of driving. Things I've noticed so far is that the road noise is very loud in Elantra. And the rear suspension is not as good, its very bumpy.

[chevelle]

Originally Posted by Gandhi

An update on the maintenance plus package I was offered. The moment I said no to the guy, he started bargaining the price. Finally we settled for $985.
Will update the thread with my observations after few weeks of driving. Things I've noticed so far is that the road noise is very loud in Elantra. And the rear suspension is not as good, its very bumpy.

Congo on the car again. The package will give you piece of mind and it surely will be worth the money over 3-5 yrs.

The Elantra has not so good tires from factory. If you switch to better ones, i am sure road noise will go down. Additionally you can put some plasti dip on the wheel well. It will lower the noise too. As for rear suspension, get a better, stronger spring or shocks from Bilstein or other company. That will go a long way in improving how it drives.

I hope you put on tints soon. Elantra will look even better with all black.

Meanwhile enjoy the new car feel.

[VLOCT]

@Gandhi,

That looks very close to the current Sonata model. Look good.

[Jomz]

Originally Posted by chevelle

The Elantra has not so good tires from factory. If you switch to better ones, i am sure road noise will go down. Additionally you can put some plasti dip on the wheel well. It will lower the noise too. As for rear suspension, get a better, stronger spring or shocks from Bilstein or other company. That will go a long way in improving how it drives.

I hope you put on tints soon. Elantra will look even better with all black.

.

Check with Hyundai before changing shocks- that might affect your warranty.
Agree on everything else. nice car

[Gandhi]

Originally Posted by chevelle

Congo on the car again. The package will give you piece of mind and it surely will be worth the money over 3-5 yrs.

The Elantra has not so good tires from factory. If you switch to better ones, i am sure road noise will go down. Additionally you can put some plasti dip on the wheel well. It will lower the noise too. As for rear suspension, get a better, stronger spring or shocks from Bilstein or other company. That will go a long way in improving how it drives.

I hope you put on tints soon. Elantra will look even better with all black.

Meanwhile enjoy the new car feel.

Thanks Chevelle. The maintenance package is for 7 years. Right now I'm not thinking of putting anything more on the car, may be after a year. Getting approval for a new car from home ministry itself was so difficult, no more spending on the car .

Originally Posted by VLOCT

@Gandhi,

That looks very close to the current Sonata model. Look good.

Yes it does. It follows the same Hyundai Fluidic design. It can be said a poor man's sonata.

Originally Posted by Jomz

Check with Hyundai before changing shocks- that might affect your warranty.
Agree on everything else. nice car

Thanks Jomz, I won't do anything that can put the warranty of my car at risk.

[K.S.]

Congrats on the Elantra. Looks awesome.

By the way, I am getting set to look out for a car.
Recently came across a 2007 Altima 2.5S with 55K miles in it with almost new tyres. Friend's colleague is selling it. Single driver so far. Took a look at the car and it looks great. (Would not have been abused as it was a family car with a kid. Owner is a nice guy as well). Rate quoted is 12K (KBB very good). What could be the best bargain for this?

Say if I am to own this car for 2-3 years, is it a good bet? How is the car overall - from driving, maintenance and safety perspective?

If yes, what are the default checks to be done?
- Carfax
- 100 point check

anything less/more? Please advice guys

[chevelle]

Originally Posted by K.S.

Congrats on the Elantra. Looks awesome.

By the way, I am getting set to look out for a car.
Recently came across a 2007 Altima 2.5S with 55K miles in it with almost new tyres. Friend's colleague is selling it. Single driver so far. Took a look at the car and it looks great. (Would not have been abused as it was a family car with a kid. Owner is a nice guy as well). Rate quoted is 12K (KBB very good). What could be the best bargain for this?

Say if I am to own this car for 2-3 years, is it a good bet? How is the car overall - from driving, maintenance and safety perspective?

If yes, what are the default checks to be done?
- Carfax
- 100 point check

anything less/more? Please advice guys

A very good option if you know its history. Altima's are at par with Accords and Camry. Driving it is fun, much better to drive than camry and accords. It is quite safe too. Look at the link below

2007 Nissan Altima Safety - Consumer Guide Automotive

Try to settle around good value of kbb if history is known and all checks are positive. Carfax is not very reliable. It won't show any work done at independent shops if its not reported. Shoot for $11k and you should be good.

Also discuss about the pink slip value of car. That will help save a lot at DMV.

At $12k-$13k, you can get a 2005-2006 G35 with 70-75k+ miles on odo. Don't see any point paying that much for an altima. As another pointer, dealers in my area (Nor Cal) are quoting $12k for 2007 Altima 2.5S. So a couple of grand less for private party is pretty good deal. For 2-3 years, you can't go wrong with this. A very good buy if you like driving long distance.

Just a pointer, a 2012 altima should be available at good prices since 2013 is here. Try for those, you may land up with a good deal, something like $20k OTD if you push hard. If you have good credit, you may get 0% too. That will easily save you a lot.

[K.S.]

Originally Posted by chevelle

A very good option if you know its history. Altima's are at par with Accords and Camry. Driving it is fun, much better to drive than camry and accords. It is quite safe too. Look at the link below

2007 Nissan Altima Safety - Consumer Guide Automotive

Try to settle around good value of kbb if history is known and all checks are positive. Carfax is not very reliable. It won't show any work done at independent shops if its not reported. Shoot for $11k and you should be good.

Also discuss about the pink slip value of car. That will help save a lot at DMV.

How does this work like? Can you please explain more? I am planning to take most of the money from credit union as I am a started in the US altogether.

Just a pointer, a 2012 altima should be available at good prices since 2013 is here. Try for those, you may land up with a good deal, something like $20k OTD if you push hard. If you have good credit, you may get 0% too. That will easily save you a lot.

No idea of buying a new car at the moment.
Will try dealing with this and let you know how it goes.
What are the general checks that I'd do apart from carfax and 100 point check at a local service center?

Thanks Chevelle, much appreciated.

[infotech58]

Originally Posted by K.S.

How does this work like? Can you please explain more? I am planning to take most of the money from credit union as I am a started in the US altogether.

if you are asking about the pink slip value thing, here it is:
when you buy a vehicle from an individual, s/he will sign the title of the car and put his/her address details, your address/name details, ODO reading, and price it is sold for and hand the title over to you. you've to go to DMV to register the vehicle and give them the title, they'll charge you a percentage (say 8%) of the cost mentioned on the title as registration fee. if you buy the vehicle for 12000 and mention only 7000 on the title, you save a few hundred bucks while registration. not a recommended practice, but have seen many people do it - some even show their purchase as a gift.