Jetta TDI Test: VW Jetta TDI vs. Hyundai Elantra Limited

In just two short months, the odometer on our long-term 2011 VW Jetta has already rolled past 5,000 miles. That's more than twice the national average for miles driven per month, and our goal is to continue racking them up until next April.
We recently had the opportunity to travel to Chattanooga, Tenn., a 120-mile drive from the AutoTrader HQ, to tour Volkswagen's new factory and get behind the wheel of the upcoming 2012 Volkswagen Passat. Since it was a short drive, it made sense to hop into our Jetta, rather than a jet. Interestingly enough, a 2011 Hyundai Elantra Limited arrived in our garage just before we left.
Now, there are a few things that are significant about the Elantra this year. It was totally reimagined for 2011, and Hyundai aimed to make it a major contender in the market. The Elantra is beautifully designed with swooping curves, large wheels and a gorgeous interior, and Hyundai has packed the car so full of technology and premium features that would feel right at home next to a Mercedes S-Class. Navigation, sunroof heated front and rear seats, automatic headlights  and a six-speed automatic transmission ? the Elantra follows the same "unexpectedly luxurious" mantra successfully implemented by the bigger Sonata and Genesis.
Plus the EPA rates the Elantra's gasoline engine at 40 miles per gallon on the highway. Wait ? 40 mpg? That's surprisingly close to the 42 mpg rating for our Jetta TDI. We think Olga wants to rumble.

Comparably Equipped, Mostly
When it comes to features, the Elantra wins, hands down. Sitting side by side, the Elantra Limited is similarly equipped at a lower price than the Volkswagen. Though there aren't many differences, the Hyundai comes with real, albeit somewhat stiff, leather seats instead of leatherette, automatic headlights and heated rear seats, all for just under $23,000. The Jetta costs around $26,000, but it has heavy, substantial feeling doors that swing and click closed in a way that only German cars do, while the Elantra's doors feel thin and hollow by comparison. Both cars come equipped with navigation, satellite radio and keyless ignition, so we push the start buttons and head north for the mountains.
German Driving Advantage
On the highway, both cars are smooth, comfortable rides, but each has its own special brand of road noise. The Jetta's dash is made of hard plastics, and in our short ownership so far, it's already developed a few minor creaks and rattles. Turning up the music drowns them out with ease, but given that our test Elantra had more miles on the odometer and lacked any rumblings from its soft-touch dash, we think it's worth mentioning. The Elantra isn't without fault, though, because its tiny 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine whines at high speeds. While the Jetta's diesel engine emitted only a low burble for the duration of the drive, the Elantra struggled to keep up at highway speeds, and its audible engine drone was distracting.
Probably the most noteworthy difference in the cars comes with the steering. With its beefy, weighted wheel and intuitive response, the Jetta feels planted at 75 mph. By comparison, the Elantra feels nervous at speed, and both of our drivers complained about the amount of work required keeping the Hyundai in place with its overly fussy electrically-assisted steering. The Jetta is the clear victor here.

Not Quite 40 MPG
Of course we were maintaining a brisk pace and driving uphill into the Appalachian Mountains, but neither car achieved its full fuel economy potential. The EPA rates the Elantra at 29 mpg in the city and 40 mpg on the highway, while the Jetta comes in at 30 city/42 highway. During the course of this all-interstate drive, the Hyundai averaged a total of 35.1 mpg, while the Jetta made a competitive 38.4. Given that the price of diesel is typically costs 30 cents more than regular 87-octane gasoline, we can't conclusively name a fuel-sipping winner.
After almost 250 miles in each car, we think both the Volkswagen Jetta and the Hyundai Elantra make excellent companions for long commutes. The loaded Elantra is a value buy for the consumer most interested with getting premium-grade features in their economy ride. The Jetta TDI has the heart of an enthusiast's car, though, and while it may not have quite as many bells and whistles, it's certainly more fun to drive.

Stay tuned for our next Jetta TDI update, where we try to see which is cheaper: Diesel or jet fuel. One of our writers takes Olga to Maryland and back, and tries to do it for less than the cost of a round-trip flight.

Hyundai Sets Prices for Blue Link Telematics

Hundai  has set annual subscription prices for its Blue Link telematics service, which starts showing up in its cars this summer.

Blue Link is a technology embedded in the car. It offers safety services such as automatic crash notification and navigation, remote unlocking and concierge services.

Hyundai is dividing the Blue Link service into three packages--Assurance,​ Essentials and Guidance. Blue Link debuts with the 2012 Sonata this month, followed by the Veloster coupe this fall. Hyundai predicts that the majority of its lineup will be Blue Link-equipped by 2013.

After a few months of free introductory service, owners must purchase a subscription for the service. Hyundai's launch pricing schedule is:

-- The Blue Link Assurance package is $79 for one year, $139 for two years and $198 for three years.

--The Essentials package, which includes the Assurance services, is $179 for one year, $315 for two years and $448 for three years.

-- The Guidance package, which includes the Assurance and Essentials services, is $279 for one year, $491 for two years and $699 for three years.

Assurance package services include automatic crash notification, an SOS help button that transmits the vehicle's location, a button for roadside assistance, and a monthly vehicle-system report.

The Essentials package adds convenience features such as quick tips, which points out primary features of the car; a location-sharing feature for social networks, and a voice text-messaging feature that sends hands-free texts. It also includes self-diagnostic features such as recall advisories and maintenance alerts, as well as safeguard features such as a valet alert, which text-messages an owner if a valet driver takes the car past a prescribed area. There also is a curfew alert and a speeding alert to notify you via text if a driver disregards preset limits.

The Guidance package adds turn-by-turn navigation, point-of-interest recognition systems, daily route information and traffic, gas station locations and gasoline prices. There also is an Eco-Coach feature that tracks your driving performance habits and recommends improvements.

2011 Hyundai Accent

2011 Hyundai Accent 

The 2011 Hyundai Accent ranks 30 out of 33 . This ranking is based on our analysis of 58 published reviews and test drives of the Hyundai Accent, and our analysis of reliability and safety data.
The 2011 Hyundai Accent offers decent performance, adequate cargo space, good fuel economy and not much else for about $10,000. Looking for more features and a better performance? Check out the competition, but be aware that you’ll pay about $4,000 more.
The 2011 Hyundai Accent is the perfect car for hard-working Americans who want to save money. It’s one of the least expensive cars in the class, and reviewers don’t consider it a cheap car. They agree its well-executed interior, decent cargo space and high fuel economy ratings of 27/36 mpg city/highway are its best features.
The main drawback with the Accent is that it’s only a money saver if you choose not to equip it with air conditioning or an audio system. By the time you add these features, the Accent costs nearly $14,000. Other cars in the class are a much better value.
Hyundai designed the Accent for shoppers who can’t spend a lot of money on a car, but have to commute to work everyday. If $10,000 is your budget, get this car. You’ll have to sacrifice in a few areas, but reviewers say it’s a great commuter. But if your budget is larger, look at the competion. You'll pay more, but you'll also get a better car.
If you’re likely to buy the Accent, you should know that Hyundai is redesigning it in 2012. So far, one of the most noticeable changes is the Accent’s exterior styling, which reflects Hyundai’s fluidic sculpture design trend.

Other Cars to Consider

The Hyundai Accent is $15 shy of $10,000, and there are few affordable small cars that match this low base price. The Nisan and the Kia are also in this price range, and their reviews are very similar to the Accent’s: they’re inexpensive daily drivers with high fuel economy ratings, are adequate, but unimpressive performers, have meager interior features lists and tight back seats. Of these three, the Versa might be your best bet. It receives the most positive reviews from the automotive press, has the most rear seat room and handles better than the Accent. It’s also less than $10,000 for the base model.
But it’s easy to get fooled by these low prices. The three-door Accent doesn’t come with air conditioning, a tilt steering wheel or an audio system. By the time you add these features, the Accent will cost nearly $14,000 for the GS trim. Don’t pay 14 grand for the Accent because there are better and more reliable drivers with more cargo space. Take a look at thewhich reviewers consider one of the best values in the class. It comes standard with Bluetooth connectivity and a USB auxiliary input jack. The Forte, however, doesn’t come standard with air conditioning. That’s an extra $1,600 with the Convenience Package.
If you’re looking for a car that’s safer than the Accent but costs less than the Forte, look at the Toyota Yaris. Its  scores are much better than the Accent’s. The 2011 Yaris receives the top score of “Good” in front offset and side impact tests and the second highest score of “Acceptable” in roof strength crash tests, while the Accent receives low scores in all three areas.

Details: 2011 Hyundai Accent

The 2011 Hyundai Accent comes in three and four-door models. The three-door starts at $9,985, making it the cheaper of the two. It is available in GL, GS and SE trims. The four-door starts at $13,965 and is only available in the GLS trim. Last year Hyundai offered the Accent Blue; it’s unavailable this year.
A redesigned Hyundai Accent debuts in 2012.

2011 hyundai elantra

The surprisingly well-executed Equus proved Hyundai's competence in the high-end sedan market, and their push to introduce seven new or redesigned models in 24 months has yielded several fresh-faced offerings, including the midsize Sonata

Most new car updates take an incremental approach to improvement, but the Hyundai Elantra addresses its shortcomings with an aggressive eye toward performance, weight savings and fuel economy. The last point is a particularly salient one for the brand, since Hyundai plans on attaining a corporate average fuel economy of 50 mpg by 2025—a figure directly in line with the U.S. government's estimated 47-to-62-mpg mandates by that year.

Most new car updates take an incremental approach to improvement, but the Hyundai Elantra addresses its shortcomings with an aggressive eye toward performance, weight savings and fuel economy. The last point is a particularly salient one for the brand, since Hyundai plans on attaining a corporate average fuel economy of 50 mpg by 2025—a figure directly in line with the U.S. government's estimated 47-to-62-mpg mandates by that year

The Elantra's cabin is a vastly improved space that's accented with a wave-patterned dashboard, best-in-class front legroom, and roomy rear seats whose only dimensional limitation is the headroom for those taller than six feet or so, thanks to its coupe-like silhouet.

Claiming $1,505 in savings over a comparable Honda Civic LX and a $1,620 advantage over a similarly equipped Chevrolet Cruze 1LT, the Elantra offers strong value within the compact segment that Hyundai says has seen 47 percent of buyers downsizing to in order to seek improvements in fuel efficiency.

2010 Hyundai Accent

Since Total Cost to Own estimates can vary based upon your driving experience, Yahoo! Autos allows you to specify the numbers of years that you have driving experience. Entering your driving experience information and selecting "Customize" will help Yahoo! Autos prepare a more accurate Total Cost to Own estimate for your vehicle.

2011 Hyundai Elantra

Vehicle Anti-Theft Via Alarm

Child Safety Door Locks Located On Rear Doors

Programmable Power Door Locks Operated Via Remote and Internal Switch

Selective Unlocking

Hyundai Getz Prime

With a fresh new Euro-chic styling, thoughtfully designed interiors and a refined diesel engine, the all new Hyundai Getz gives you a global driving experience. The first sight itself will give the impression of a perfect mid-size car and the performance will underline your verdicts. The prominent full width Detachable Bumper Insert Moldings add to the sportiness, prevent external scratches and are easy to replace. Stylish elongated headlamp in harmony with the hood lines ensure optimum brightness and visibility. Refined and redesigned single horizontal slat Grille comes with a prominent 'H' logo and chrome insert.

The round bumper inserted fog lamps assist not only in better visibility especially during inclement weather but also accentuate a sporty look. Clear rear combination lamps offer fresh look and improved visibility while their contour has been designed to harmoniously integrate with the tailgate.

Additional comfort features standard in Getz Prime's top model are:

•Air conditioning with heating
•Power steering with tilt facility
•Internally adjustable ORVM
•Rear defogger & roof antenna
•Front & Rear Fog Lights
•Power Windows with Auto Down feature for driver
•Rear Wiper & Washer
•Rear Spoiler
•Full Wheel Covers
Getz is equipped with a tilt steering which ensures easy maneuvering with optimal effort and a comfortable driving position as per convenience. Backrest angle can be set to one's comfort level. It is very useful during long drives. The Getz Prime is the only car in the segment to offer reclining rear seat backrest. Effective heating, Air-conditioning and Ventilation of Getz Prime ensures year around driving comfort. Getz is the only car in it's segment to offer Double folding 60: 40 Split RR seat Backrest As standard fitments.

The interior beige and brownish/black finish was looking very good and was giving a classy feel but the center console wooden finish was looking pathetic. It wasn't uncomfortable or bad but they looked pretty boring. The front seats were pretty comfortable and offered good overall support, not too soft or too hard. The other change i notice is the steering wheel nice and small, same as verna