1992 Hyundai Elantra GLS | Retro Review

[@Pau_Pau9]

I like these MW reviews because they are snapshot in time.

[@tommytufguy3432]

The nostalgia from these is epic!

[@trailsandtopwater]

Same! I noticed “Jet City Woman” by Queensryche when they showed the radio.

[@kamrankhan-lj1ng]

Mirrors with history

[@cmdc778]

Absolutely. Even the average, boring cars of the time seem interesting because of this; it’s not just the Corvette and Porsche reviews that are enjoyable.

[@hellkitty1014]

This car singlehandedly saved Hyundai's North American operations in the mid 90s. I was surprised to see how well it handled and great roadholding abilities.

[@jareknowak8712]

I drove this car once, like 20 years ago. Same color as in the video, but Euro version with 1,5L engine and manual, car was already like 10 years old back then. It was in very good condition, despite the fact, that my friend paid only half a monthly salary for it. Cheap interior, boring exterior, but to be honest, it was a really nice expirience to drive it. Predictable suspension, light weight, small but peppy engine, pleasant and fun to drive. I've never driven a Korean car before. I am ashamed to admit it, but I have very fond memories of this car.

[@User-cb4jm]

If you were impressed by this crappy little thing, wait till you actually drive todays world class Hyundais.

[@Blakecryderman7244]

@@User-cb4jm not world class if they are plagued with major engine fire recalls. If you have to get a Korean car, but one with a manual transmission from the early 2000’s.

[@lab1042]

4:23 99.1 WHFS, 97.9 (98 Rock), 101.1 (DC101). I had the same station presets back when I lived in MD in the 90's. Someone at MotorWeek had good taste in music.

[@GeeEm1313]

I had those until the 2000s, plus 94.7. But that changed to Latin format. Plus it seemed like 99.1 was always playing fake, watered down punk. We'd use 99.1 as a last resort.

[@Elky-yn3ev]

Moved away from Maryland a year ago, 98 rock and dc101 are still alive and well.

[@disan9135]

I remember these on the roads. Hyundai has come a long way. Now is a reliable brand and cars with nice designs.

[@vlajster]

We had a 1995 1,6 liter lantra. That engine was straight out of a mitsubishi lancer of that era. That was a facelift model and it had pretty good equipment for what it was. A/C,power mirrors and windows,profiled front seats,metallic paint,rear spoiler etc. and it was all part of the GLS model line,no extra charge. For example if you wanted a vw passat you had to pay extra for all of that and the base model was more expensive than the top lantra model. Sadly we had to overhaul the engine after 100k miles and it started to consume a lot of oil,but after that it was reliable again. My dad had an accident where he went into a ditch full of water and he landed on the roof. They pulled the car out,dried it and everything worked,not a scratch on it. I'm happy to see how good hyundai is doing these days.

[@shapiroshekelberg604]

Those MotorWeek folks sure do love those oil and volt gauges!

[@leonardyoung5626]

Hyundai is the definition of not giving up thats for sure.

[@guffmanify]

This car has come such a long way. I love its looks now.

[@smartkid1201]

Love these older Hyundai retro reviews! Hope we see more of them soon.

[@tientrinh943]

You like to see hyundai’s progression

[@RallyLancer95]

"Not jointly developed with Mitsubishi" *Immediately cuts to Mitsubishi engine with Hyundai valve cover*

[@303nitzubishi4]

Hey you stole my comment 😆 I think they ended up putting the 1.8 version in this model the next year

[@Banom7a]

and clearly a Mitsubishi branded fuel-injection system

[@pbfloyd13]

I wanna believe the editor has a sense of humor

[@lawrencebautista1]

And the transmission too was from Mitsubishi. It will take a few more years before the Hyundai Alpha engine made its way.

[@lawrencebautista1]

And the transmission too was from Mitsubishi. It will take a few more years before the Hyundai Alpha engine made its way.

[@brianbfree2328]

My Mama had a 93' "program car" Elantra for $7950 advertised price. It was a beautiful dark red GL automatic. Yes, it was slow! It also used to squeal atrociously on cold/moist starts for 20 secs and then stop. She traded it for a revised 94' Elantra GL in Ruby Pearl. This review brought back some memories. I was 15 at the time. Thanks MotorWeek Retro 🤎🤎

[@alfamonk]

The "larger 14" tires" man...how times have changed

[@tompeterson5042]

I love how the test driver is wearing a helmet while driving a 100 hp car. Ralph Nader would be so proud.

[@natelove187]

I had this car in 1993. Went through 3 transmissions, cracked paint, engine pulley fell off, tire fell off while driving down the interstate, the wheel studs on one of the wheels broke off when I sat in the car. That was funny but dangerous. I remembery getting the timing belt replaced and the engine never was the same. It idle real high. The engine was still good after we traded it off. I remember my dad traded the Elantra off at a Lincoln Mercury Dealership. The owner came out and said I’ll pay 💰 you to take it off my car 🚗 lot😂😂. We ended up getting $750 for that car.

[@chrisgnonya]

I didn't experience anything that exciting 🤣 but I had a 2000 and almost all of the paint came off while I pressure washed it at the car wash when it was less than a year old. They "repainted" it under the warranty oh my was it special looking after that 😳

[@Jordi7174]

They were garbage back then. My cousin had one and woke up one day to find it engulfed in fire in front of his house. But now they are leaps and bounds and many light-years ahead of where they were even 12 years ago.

[@elcheapo5302]

@@Jordi7174 They're still garbage and still bursting into flames spontaneously. Hyundai just recalled ANOTHER 438,000 cars last month for that very defect, for a total of over 3.5 million recalled for catching fire in the past few years. Two years ago NHTSA fined them over $200million for not recalling cars fast enough. A leopard cannot change its spots, despite marketing efforts.

[@rondavid7413]

I had the Excel 5sp manual it kept popping out of 1st gear with heavy vibrations above 65 mph to this day i wouldn't buy a Hyundai, Kia or Genesis

[@natelove187]

@@elcheapo5302 oh my. A guy at my job had to get his engine replaced based on a recall. He still loves Hyundai. They are a much improved car 🚗 company now days with their partners KIA and Genesis

[@patrickbateman6885]

Today I saw the brand new EV6 in the flesh for the first time. Probably the most innovative and futuristic car on sale in Australia today.Probably the best EV in my opinion that’s not a Taycan or E-Tron GT. Also saw the Elantra N and it’s just crazy to think how they’ve gone from making this to being arguably the best “normal” brand on sale today.

[@MaxPower-11]

Hyundai has also advanced light years in terms of reliability since the early 90s.

[@mattw8332]

3 decades ago this was the cheapest car you could buy with air conditioning in the UK. It was called "Lantra" over here because there was concern of confusion with the Lotus Elan model. Which is a completely different type of car.

[@theKevronHarris]

I remember a relative of mine used to have a 1993 Hyundai Elantra GL in the peacock green exterior color along with the 1.8L DOHC 16V engine since I was three years old back in 1997.

[@WanderingAroundAZ]

I had a 93. It was my first new car and it was a reliable car. I traded it for a 95 5speed Elantra (same car, minor appearance refresh) and it was at the dealership a lot. Even though they were underpowered, I really liked them. Thanks for the memories!

[@Danodie2013_Official]

now this and rest of Kia and Hyundai 90s cars are gold in the US because there's no more exemplar driving around.

[@dohc1067]

Looking at this Elantra, it doesn't look 30 years old per say. As soon as I looked under the hood, I forgot about Mitsubishi supplying the engines...nice and clean. The styling doesn't necessarily remind me of Audi, but the concept. Streamlined, no over hangs. I remember seeing Hyundai cars in south Korea 🇰🇷 while in the military and yes they were rust buckets 🪣. Fast forward to today, Hyundai and kia have truly grown and evolved.

[@blakeingram1711]

I love the boxy styles of late 80s and early 90s cars…

[@arn7992]

I had a 2006 Elantra that I bought from my sister who bought it new in 2006. I got it in 2013 and had it until I sold it in 2020. Great car, low maintenance!

[@megatop412]

A very nice looking, unassuming car. My Uncle had an Excel and we had an '00 Elantra GLS that I loved driving. However, it had several issues such as a broken rear power window motor and a tail light that constantly burned out. This appears to be an issue with many Hyundais I see on the road with one taillight out, even brand new ones. A mechanic once referred to it as, "you got one of their electrical gremlin cars"

[@knytrydr73]

A friend of mine in college had one of these. Not gonna lie riding in it made me nervous. Maybe it was because it was one of the first compacts I ever rode in and the doors and body seemed incredibly thin to me. I was driving an 89 Formula at the time. LOL Many years later I would find myself owning a 2002 Elantra. Bought new and had it for 12 years.😆

[@katecool2237]

What's a formula

[@knytrydr73]

@@katecool2237 - 1989 Pontiac Firebird Formula 😁

[@donaldwilson2620]

I almost forgot that those early Hyundai engines were actually built by Mitsubishi.

[@jackdough8164]

I’m not a fan of Mitsubishi but I’ll defo say the engines used to outlast the cars pretty much always lol

[@mattb9748]

They were not. They were Mitsubishi engines built by Hyundai under license.

[@davidaubin3902]

3:46 John: WE MAKE NO APOLOGIES FOR WANTING A FULL SET OF GAUGES! LOL

[@1985toyotacamry]

He wants full gauges damn it lol

[@bghoody5665]

I guess he got tired of mentioning volt and oil pressure and just went with "Give us the full set!"

[@Mr.Everything]

John in 2022: Give us the full operating system on the screen!

[@christopherconard2831]

You'd think a manufacturer could build a one off that projected everything the car measures onto the windshield as a giant heads up display. Then give it to MotorWeek. Apparently having to glance down from time to time is also a major problem.

[@Agent-qd6ch]

The first car of my family.

[@carwrtr1]

This was a good looking Elantra, and this car has improved a bunch. Glad to see Motorweek test it with an automatic…

[@fernandorocha-dx1wv]

Very beautiful the Hyundai Elantra

[@Ronnocbot]

Wow the Elantra has come a long way, I currently own a 2018

[@joec1774]

Acceleration to 60 is very acceptable by the standards of the day for cars of this size; 24MPG is most definitely not. The inflation adjusted price of this car would be about $24,695 - amazing that you can get so much more power, economy, room, safety, etc. in todays very similarly priced version!

[@jamessteven526]

My sister had the 1995 version but it was this same generation. It was a tank. She was not good to that car, however it was good to her. Had well over 250,000 miles before the transmission gave out. She crashed several times, it was stolen once... Car lived a bad life and just kept going lol. Solid little beater car. At least in the early 2000s.

[@bingoberra18]

1:44 "Huyndais first product not jointly developed with Mitsubishi" *Shows Mitsubishi 4G61 engine with Hyundai branded valve cover*

[@1985toyotacamry]

Yeah I'm like I'm pretty sure that's a mitsubishi engine. "not jointly".

[@dimaslopez-dejesus2371]

It’s been over 30 years of Hyundai Elantra since when I was born in Puerto Rico 🇵🇷

[@flashindapan7965]

It seems like it took another year or two before John Davis finally stopped giving a shit about voltage and oil pressure gauges. Sparse gauges is brought up in every retro review.

[@sammyt3514]

Surprised that you haven't posted your retro review of the 1998-2002 8th gen Corolla yet; it's one of the most popular cars on the road even today! And, yes, I drive one :)

[@sp19822]

Here in Australia it was called the Lantra, due to Mitsubishi in Australia using a similar sounding name in one of it's models. It was badged Elantra from 2001. The Elantra name was replaced by the i30 Sedan a couple of years ago.

[@iEnofadov]

Correct. I think it was because of the Mitsubishi Magna Elante name.

[@mr.thomas7347]

My friend had one in college at the end of a school year. She was on her way back home (a 2.5 hour drive) only for her Elantra to catch fire on the side of the road burning all of her belongings with it. I knew then that I would never buy a Hyundai.

[@steveespinola7652]

I don't care what people say, I liked these old Elantras they were nice looking cars.

[@cezar0076]

I bought one 1.6-5speed manual 1992 and drove it till 2001... not the best car but I got 130k miles out of it and the AC was still ice cold when I sold it. Major repair was an idle stepper motor and timing belt. The rest was just maintenance.

[@myungjaebang2048]

Oh wow... i am so impressed..

[@juanc5149]

This car has a Speedo that reads up to an indicated 140 mph. When I was ten years old, I was convinced that my parent’s brand new 94 elentra could reach it! 🤣

[@default919]

My 07 won't hard to hit 100

[@default919]

My 07 won't hard to hit 100

[@default919]

My 07 won't hard to hit 100

[@Zipfei_Kloatscher]

That's a damn fine automotive! 🙂👍🏻

[@joek81981]

Did they already do the Scoupe? I'd completely forgotten about it until he mentioned it.

[@gunzoqc]

In the early 2000 I wouldn't never thought I would buy a Hyundai car...and yet..I now own a 2018 Kona and 2007 Santa Fe!! Really happy with these cars

[@anibalbabilonia1867]

Boy how times fly by! Hyundai has come a long way’s from a crappy econo box car’s, to a very reliable beautiful car’s that are selling as well as Toyota’s!

[@briq4409]

Yep just change the engine that self destructs every 70k or so and you’re good to go.

[@joskjj3625]

@@briq4409 at least it won’t need a new transmission at 20,000 miles like Honda and Nissan

[@briq4409]

@@joskjj3625 my 2017 civic is at 75k and no transmission issues. My aunt just sold her 2007 accord and it had 193,000 on the original trans. Both autos.

[@revelare_xvii6269]

Nearly 3 decades later the Elantra is now a dedicated small sports sedan.

[@SmangItDrums]

4:48 The 1992 Hyundai ElanTRAH

[@carexpertandy]

They complained about the lack of an airbag when only few direct competitors that year had one. For model year 1992, I think the only competitors with an airbag were the Dodge Shadow/Plymouth Sundance, Honda Civic and Isuzu Stylus.

[@jmin8400]

He did that even during a late 1989 review of a 1990 Integra sedan, but never had the same criticism for Cadillac models nor any GM vehicles. Expected *dual* airbags in a 1990 Integra, never mind that the bigger Legend only had one and BMW barely began to offer one in the 3-Series that model year. It’s honestly slanted, anti-import BS of yore. I can only excuse, the expectation a new design was expected to have one at least.

[@stevenkreiss2113]

Had an 2001 Elantra. Loved the car.

[@TheCarCrazyGuy]

I remember as a young adult going into a Hyundai dealerships and test driving these cars for laughs. I’m still laughing at them.

[@ramoncarter6585]

I haven't seen these cars in years but man Hyundai has come a long way now. Back in the day Camry and Accord were ahead now Kia and Hyundai are stepped up from both of those brands.

[@briq4409]

4:49 fancy way to say Elantra. Almost as fancy as the Toyota Camray.

[@Spheredalai]

the rear tail lights certainly took inspiration from a 1996 audi A4, or perhaps, audi took inspiration from it 😳

[@reallyrandomrides1296]

Wow, hard to believe the Elantra has been made for 30 years! The 1992 Elantra definitely looks smaller. I actually thought it was an Excel, based on the size and also the styling. It's sure come a long way! (I still wouldn't buy one though).

[@Blakecryderman7244]

@ReallyRandomRides the headlights look exactly like the ones on the same year 1992 Protege

[@reallyrandomrides1296]

@@Blakecryderman7244 They're very similar! I think the Protege's headlights have more squared off corners, but at quick glance, they do look almost the same.

[@yoranw4608]

It wasn’t good. But it really looked interesting and somehow with an elegant rear. Hyundai has improved so much it looks those vintage ones are 100 years old in general quality.

[@jareknowak8712]

8,999$ in 1992 = 18,194$ today.

[@fijitears]

My 04 Sonata also has Mitsubishi parts lol. She’s a beast never gave me one problem at 212k

[@caesar810]

The engine was still Mitsubishi. Frequent clogging of fuel injectors was an issue and the car used to lose power rapidly after each service. Nevertheless the equipment and value for your money was nice. I enjoyed the car during all my college years

[@adamlapinski7590]

4G63, WRC championship-winning engine.

[@VortexGarage]

Queensryche on the radio 😎

[@codyjohnson5347]

Looks like a nissan sentra of the time

[@bitzovhadez7214]

Imagine living in a world where a brand new car costs just 10k. Wow.

[@cameronmiles645]

See if you can find yourself a Mirage, I head dealers discount the hell of out em

[@slowanddeliberate6893]

Yeah, like 2010. Nissan Versa.

[@themaritimegirl]

There's one left - the Mitsubishi Mirage. You can sometimes get one for under $10k in the US.

[@jareknowak8712]

There are a few below 10k in Europe, but they are very small cars. BTW, 10 000 in 1992 money is over 20 000 today!!

[@chynacash3138]

@@themaritimegirl The company I work for just bought 4 Chevy Sparks for around $10k each. I think those and the Mitsu Mirage are the only ones left that cheap.

[@qmto]

I have literally never seen one of these before. And I’ve seen plenty of Excels in my time.

[@donaldwilson2620]

Agree, you hardly ever see Hyundai's from that era anymore. These early Hyundai's were considered throw away cars.

[@grunkohlaktionar7474]

94 Galant please!

[@johnbehneman1546]

I LOVE IT!!!! THANKS FOR SHARING!!!!

[@mr.c493]

We had a 97 Elantra, the check engine light was always on, my mom kept taking it to the dealer, under warranty and they could find what was wrong with it. The driver window motor went out. Pile of shit!!

[@lglg4151]

Great job... From Argentina... Keep it up...

[@RallyLancer95]

Jafromobile has entered the chat

[@gregg9672]

I havent seen one of these in years they were nice looking but mostly junk back in the day i remember a lot of them with bad automatic transmissions

[@jeffb.6642]

ahh the good old days, when a car only had two trim levels. Some of them now have too many trims to count on your fingers and toes. cough*FORDBRONCO*cough

[@palebeachbum]

Nice looking compact sedan. It's a clean, handsome design that has aged well. I actually find it better looking than the current 2022 Elantra. That thing is overwrought and ugly.

[@henryovalles1163]

Haven’t aged well because they are all dead lol trust me I’m always looking for 80s and 90s cars

[@TheLuisg92]

@@henryovalles1163 Actually, not all of them are dead. Many US spec elantras were exported to Central and South America and there's plenty of them still around being used as daily drivers, some even in good shape. They are surprisingly hard to kill!

[@sedona3495]

The Scoupe also should've used the 4G61 1.6 16V

[@dronepilot260rc]

Watching these throwback reviews never get old. Pun intended

[@haydenbush]

That 1st Gen Elantra looks more like an Audi than anything tbh

[@karoltakisobie6638]

This entire generation of hyundai cars was pretty good. If you couldn't afford Corolla or Civic Elantra was a good idea especially with MT.

[@TheRealHungryJoe]

Am I the only one who sees a Toyota Camry / Avalon front? I need coffee lol

[@danhummel84]

I was thinking toyota paseo

[@TheRealHungryJoe]

@@danhummel84 there ya go!!! Hahaha that one

[@theKevronHarris]

Looks like a combo of the 1988-92 Mazda 626 and a 1990-93 Acura Integra on the front.

[@jmin8400]

Yes, you do.

[@jmin8400]

@@theKevronHarris Typical styling in the design studios of the mid-late 1980s.

[@MS-iw2vk]

My dad had exactly such an (E)Lantra. It was a 1992 model. It was ridiciously cheap but not that bad.

[@LoveMyZJ]

If you asked someone to just draw a generic car from the 90s, it would probably look like this. Definition of "NPC" styling lol it's amazing though to see how far Hyundai has come since then.

[@dannyn5041]

That engine is a 4g63 but Hyundai named the engine G4cp Mitsubishi mad engines for Hyundai in the older days I have a 95 sonata with 2.0l 4 g4cp

[@herrgolf]

“Not developed with Mitsubishi?” It’s an 89 Colt/Mirage platform.

[@xnopyt13]

I have never seen one of these before (or any Hyundai/Kia before 1995 model year for that matter).

[@aashutoshbhagat2677]

Wow a old Hyundai car that handles really well 🤨😳. That's surprising. This version looks pretty nice for its time . It has certainly aged well but Hyundai back then were still recovering from their cheap car image 😅. By the time they came here in India in 1997 they had become reliable I guess .

[@kz1000ps]

Hyundai ElantrAAAAH

[@dyingbreed7740]

No missing that Mitsubishi designed 4G61

[@SierraTango00]

when do these go on sale? i want one.

[@davidm5707]

We had a 2000, and a couple of 2004 GTs that were head and shoulders above this model. I could tell then that Hyundai made great products, and now they have the Genesis line which is as good or better than any other luxury brand.

[@darknessislight3689]

I had a 1993 Hyundai Excel 😣 bought new 🙊 transmission went out at 4k no hole drilled for dipstick 🙈 dash crack after a year 🙈 and rust in both quarters. The absolute worst car I’ve owned 🚫 and my first car was a Chevy Spectrum 😂😂😂😂 1985 silver 2dr hatch.

[@albear972]

Back when Hyundai cars were pure garbage that you were lucky to get 80,000 miles off them.

[@natelove187]

Yes mine fell apart while driving it. My wheel came off while driving down the interstate

[@Ludeboi420]

My friend's brother's Excel lasted I think 90k Miles tons of issues 😂

[@MrCarGuy]

I also know someone who had their Hyundai catch fire while on the highway in early 90s. Their supply chain or QC must've been SO sketchy

[@briq4409]

Now they have self destructing engines. Super nice feature.

[@SolamenteVees]

"Not jointly developed with Mitsubishi..." 1:44

[@andersonsanjose8785]

Que sensacional 👏👏👏

[@brantisonfire]

Why not get a tester with a 5-speed? I’d assume a couple seconds faster to 60. It takes manual control to get the most of those high-strung, low displacement motors.

[@matthewbowen5841]

Little late for recommendations on a test reshoot...

[@oldtwinsna8347]

They get these cars from the manufacturer for press reviews. Take it or leave it concept.

[@brantisonfire]

@@oldtwinsna8347 yeah, but I would assume most people are gonna get the manual anyway cause it’s cheaper.

[@ragadallas1982]

In venezuela this cars where carburated .

[@marekw.9816]

Still see so many of these on the road today.. ok, maybe not :P

[@jackdough8164]

How did this little car get the same mileage as my 2011 Ford Escape does lol. Actually out of the city I get way better than that even

[@05gtdriver]

Funny, this design arrived for the 1990-91 model year, but it looks very similar to the yet to be released 1993 Toyota Corolla... so who copied who?

[@jmin8400]

That’s ridiculous (to even bring up). One who knows how most cars are developed and the launch dates for both, would know that’s an irrelevant question to ask. No one copied anyone, just typical peanut gallery copycat speculation. Both designs were completed during 1988, in deep secret. Hyundai needed the average 2 years from 1988 to 1990 to go from styling to factory, while Toyota spent 2 1/2 years from 1988 to May 1991. The fact I need to even point that out is unfortunate, being that it’s already obvious that E100 Corolla started internationally in May 1991 and USA 16 months later as a 1993 model.

[@05gtdriver]

@@jmin8400 Long winded response to what you consider an irrelevant point...

[@KenanTurkiye]

When everyone used to find these bland I seemed to have a thing for them back when they were realeased, weird me. : )

[@KenanTurkiye]

1:41 I mean look at it, it still looks good!

[@rebelusa6585]

This hyundai was alot more reliable than a yugo.

[@93sundance]

Why is it called Elantra in the states an Lantra in the UK?

[@ByungWooChung]

At that time, the name could be confused with Elan of Lotus, so it was changed. And interestingly, Elan would later be acquired by KIA and released in Korea.

[@93sundance]

@@ByungWooChung hmm ok, and I used to work with a guy with your name.

[@ByungWooChung]

@@93sundance Oh really? 😂

[@matthewbowen5841]

And then Kia ended up buying and making the Elan!

[@TunahanBalc-kx1so]

Merhaba 1992 model elantra otomatik vites var 4.viteste takılı kalıyor ne yapmalıyım arızası nereden yardımcı olabilirmisiniz? Teşekkürler

[@carloscollomps1552]

I have a 1993 with 136.000 km (80.000 miles). Is still alive somehow..