Is the Hyundai Elantra Worth it?

The Hyundai Elantra is a popular choice among consumers. Dealers often have them on their lots and you don’t, then you’re fortunate to find us. Capital City Auto Auction is a dealers only auction, wholesale, and located in Rancho Cordova.

The Elantra has been around since the mid 90s and is on its 7th generation now with the 2024 models giving the 7th generation a facelift. Tangent: isn’t it funny how the car industry uses the term “facelift” It does make sense though since it’s purely cosmetic. 💄

We often have a quite a few Elantra’s on our Sacramento lot. Browse our inventory and sort by make and model on the left. Two Elantra’s as of this article, but it changes every week.

Let’s take a look at: 🤔

1. Best Hyundai Elantra years (and worst)
2. Hyundai Elantra Problems
3. Hyundai Elantra Price
4. Where to find a Hyundai Elantra near me at auction. Hint: at Capital City Auto Auction

🗓️ The Best Hyundai Elantra Years:

The Hyundai Elantra is known for affordability. The Korean carmaker has to be dependable too if it wants to keep pace with the likes of Toyota, Honda, and Kia.

Hyundai has offered a 100,000-mile warranty in the past, paired with their confidence in the car. We often see Elantra’s with over 150,000 miles so we have no difficulty saying that you can expect an Elantra’s lifespan to exceed 15 years driving around 10,000 miles a year.

The early Hyundai Elantra’s, including the 2004 Elantra, 2005, 2006, and late 90s models; 1998 and 1999 Hyundai Elantra; are among the best models. You’ll find a lot of these on our auction lot! 👏

We’d rate the 2007-2009 Elantra’s, along with the 2015 and 2016 Elantra’s in the middle range. They perform well, but not best. Not that you’ll find them here, but the newer models, from 2019 onward have been rated highly, and so far haven’t earned a lot of complaints.

Read on to hear about the worst years. Or click to learn how to be licensed to buy here.

⚠️ Hyundai Elantra Problems:

In the early life of certain model years, Hyundai’s have a lot of problems.

The 2013 Hyundai Elantra is ranked as the worst Hyundai Elantra. Steering problems, engine cooling issues, airbag malfunctions, engine ticking, electrical problems, trouble serving brakes, and suspension issues are just the top reasons plaguing this particular model. 🤦

Just stay away from this model unless if you want a lot of repairs on your hands.

The 2012, as well as the 2017, 2010, and 2011 Hyundai Elantra are troublesome models. Owners complained of engine cooling, airbag, electrical, steering, and even structural issues, as in the door won’t open. 😠

After a rough patch of several years from 2010 to 2017, Hyundai started fixing things. The 2015-2016 Elantra’s, as we mentioned, were much better. The 2017 misfired, but since then the Elantra’s have been pretty dependable.

One thing going for Hyundai’s is they are easy to repair. Here’s a list of the cheapest car brands to fix.

💲 Hyundai Elantra Price:

So, just how much will you save on a 2006 or 2015 Hyundai Elantra? Allow me to answer that.

At a used dealer, a 2006 Hyundai Elantra with 150,000 miles might cost you around $4,000. At Capital City Auto Auction, the bid might start as low as $50 and you could walk away with it for $850. See what I mean? 💰

The average price of a Hyundai Elantra on our lot was $1,977 the past 6 months. Many of those were those late 2000s models; 2004-2010.

A 2015 Hyundai Elantra with 100,000 miles will cost closer to $8 or $9,000. But we just sold one for $5,100. I’m not saying the condition is exactly the same, but over and over the evidence is clear that saving money is an auction thing.

👍 Hyundai Elantra for Sale at an Auction Near Me:

We’ve covered the basics of the Elantra. The best, the worst, and the price.

Head over to Capital City Auto Auction, the premier auction supporting charity here in Northern California. It doesn’t have to be an Elantra, we sell everything and you will save money on your next commuter, project, or inventory for your own lot!