A good car wandered into our life one day,
An unassuming machine, we didn’t know it would stay.
As a fan of the odd and unusual we expected to be bored,
The fact that it will be missed left us rather floored.
As one gets older the definition of a good car changes. As a younger person something flashy and fast often appeals. As one settles into middle life, something that is economical to run and starts every morning becomes rather more desirable. It is easy to get comfortable with the vehicle you can change the oil with your eyes closed, you have long memorized the layout of the climate controls and have worn the seat in just the right way. Rather like a weathered but still practical jacket. So, while in my earlier adulthood I changed vehicles as often as my shoes, I recently ended up owning a rather modest 2006 Hyundai Elantra sedan for over 50k kms or 4 years. My younger self would have been disappointed but I was surprisingly reluctant and sad to part with this “good car” at the end.
As I mentioned previously the definition of a good changes as life progresses. I know for myself, when I was a young child trying to convince my father what car to buy next, what I considered a good car was rather different than my father’s view. I had one of those cheap but glossy books on cars that featured a few photos as well as their statistics for half a dozen seemingly random cars. I remember carefully pouring over every page, comparing the top speed to the listed price. As a young person I was blissfully unaware of the cruel mistress that inflation can be. My father informed me of it when I recommended that the Shelby Cobra had unbeatable performance for an amazingly low listed price. He gently explained that 1960s dollars were not the same as 1980s dollars and that no one could buy a Cobra for under ten thousand dollars these days. I was then informed that his focus was not on performance but rather initial cost, reliability and fuel efficiently. Plus it needed more seats and doors. How dull, young me thought. A good car should look great and go fast. My father chose a base Ford Tempo coupe with a five speed for the record.
As I became a driver who relied on borrowed vehicles my definition of a good car changed again. I had access to my parents Plymouth Turismo or Ford Tempo. Very occasionally, I would be able to drive my father’s Ford Contour which felt like an ultra modern rocket ship in comparison. This was when I looked on with envy at my peers who were effortlessly (or so it seemed) cruising around in a land barge from the 70s or a sleek sports car from the 90s. Those looked like a good car to me. They had working air conditioning, power in reserve, and in the case of the Plymouth Turismo, did not leak the coolant from the engine block. I did not concern myself much with the costs of fuel or insurance at this time.
Transitioning to owning my own vehicle, my priorities shifted again. I had come into ownership of a 1980 Dodge Maxivan with bright orange paint, wood paneling, velour captain’s chairs and a back seat that folded to a bed. Middle aged me is quite jealous of this and would love another similar van. But first time owner I dreamed of getting some flashy chrome rims with white letter tires. An upgraded carburetor or perhaps even a bolt on supercharger that would improve the sluggish performance. A good car grabbed eyeballs and won stoplight challenges (not that I ever did such a thing).
As I transitioned into early adulthood I got married and eventually had children of my own. I remember explaining to a colleague that I would not have a minivan but rather obtain a cool car with a trailer behind for the kids. This was mostly in jest of course, but I certainly figured I would own and make do with something other than a stodgy minivan. My wife and I certainly managed fine with non-minivans for a number of years, with our first two children travelling a Jeep Cherokee Sport and then a Chrysler Neon that we had during that time but we eventually folded to purchase a used Nissan Quest. At the time I could easily dismiss it as “the wife’s vehicle” as I usually had a cheap, fun car on the side, but in reality it was our main family vehicle. Reflecting as an older, hopefully wiser person, a minivan is the perfect choice for a growing family and definitely a “good car” for that period of life. A friend has recently camperized a GMC Safari minivan, so it can remain a good choice later in life as well.
As demonstrated by my COAL history, I generally bought cheaper second cars, to my wife’s practical car, as they caught my eye. We can skip those and go to the subject of today’s post. This 2006 Hyundai Elantra was purchased as a kids’ car and general winter beater for myself. Two of three our children were now drivers and I figured we could schedule ourselves so everyone could share this one. This did not really work out smoothly in practice but this car was passed around the family quite effectively for several years before being returned to me exclusively. While I was not particularly excited about its purchase, over its tenure I got to appreciate it for what it was. At purchase time, it was bought based on condition, price and ownership history. It was in excellent condition, with a very cheap price of $1,200, and from the original owner who used it only to commute back and forth down the highway to work. The make, boring silver color, high mileage and manual transmission were likely a turn off for other potential buyers.
Over the next several years I replaced several maintenance items like rear struts, front brakes and tires as well as s few air and oil filters. A leaking radiator was the only unscheduled repair and it had the good sense to burst just a few blocks from home, so no tow truck required. The replacement of tires was the only time the Hyundai saw a professional mechanic, so running costs were kept very low. In fact my costs were probably negative for a while? How you ask? An inattentive driver hit and wrinkled the front fender while my middle son was driving. The other driver, understandably, did not want to involve insurance in the repair. An estimate of over two thousand dollars meant I feared that if insurance was involved, they would just write off my car so we settled on five hundred dollars to make it right. I punched out the dent more or less, which covered the cost of several maintenance items for a couple years.
Over its time with us, the Elantra was a daily driver for myself and my son as well as my truck, race car and our Great Beater Challenge entry. It taught my youngest son how to drive a manual. My wife even (reluctantly) drove it once or twice.
We took it to the auto-x course a few times, where my eldest two sons could practice a bit of car control in a safe environment. When I needed to haul something to the dump the Elantra was my first choice of vehicle as any spills or scratches were no big deal. For The Great Beater Challenge 2023 we dressed it up, rather unconvincingly, as the time machine from the Back to the Future movie.
We finally parted ways when it was no longer able to make it up hills due to a badly slipping clutch. The Elantra had close to 350,000 kms on it and while the body was solid, interior clean and engine running well a clutch replacement on a modern-ish front wheel drive car does not sound like my idea of a fun time. There was no way I was paying for someone else to do one either. So, I sold it on to another father who wanted to teach his sons how to drive and repair a manual car. Perfect. I hope its adventure continues. As a bonus, I still managed to sell it for more than I paid for it. This was a totally unassuming, boring, even car that had lived a life. It had seen things, experienced thrills, taken us on journeys. Not bad for what most people would consider a cheap, disposable car even when new. It had done it all with no dramatic breakdowns, no complaints, just semi regular maintenance. That is what I call a good car.
Nice write-up David. And in that last picture, that ‘boring’ car actually looks pretty handsome!
This article hits home in a way, as my definition of what I must have in a car has changed too over the years. It was always PLC(s) for me over the years until all I could get from Ford anymore at the age of 47 that was even close to a PLC was my V6 Premium 2007 Mustang.
In 2016 at 56, my wife convinced me that practicality made more sense, and I bought my 2016 Civic to go back and forth to work. It gets killer gas milage, and is a hoot to drive. Never in a million years did I see myself in a Honda Civic, but I fell in love with that little car and still have it at 138K (miles) on the clock. At least it has 2 doors, so I stood my ground on “style”.
Finally, at almost ’63, I bought my first car with my name on the registration with more than two doors. My wife’s name is also on that registration, so like you, I can pass it off as “her” car. This Mazda CX-5 has been a very nice ride so far.
But as I near retirement, I still need one more car to get me to the finish line and after my good experience with a small Honda, I’m thinking about the new Prelude. It will be a hybrid of a different sort, like the current Civic Hybrid, but damn it – It’ll have 2 doors! The car isn’t out yet, but if I can find a Civic hybrid, at least I can see if I even like that drive train before committing. But I’m really in no hurry, because the Civic still runs great (he knocks wood as he says this).
I’ve certainly owned my shape of coupes or two doors. They just feel special. That said my current daily driver has two doors and is rather impractical and just today I had to borrow the wife’s vehicle to move some bulky items.
Many parts of this parallel my own experience, though with different cars. And right now, I find myself in one of those situations of pondering how my “definition of a good car” has changed over the past few years.
My wife and I currently have two minivans – both with over 100,000 mi. – and her ’95 Thunderbird that she’d bought new. We love that T-bird, but over the past few years it’s been a maintenance hassle, and has several lingering problems. With our kids reaching driving age, it’s not a car I feel comfortable having them drive, but we’ll need three dependable cars soon. To make a long story short, we’ll probably be getting rid of the Thunderbird this year and instead look for something else, with low running costs – which is now our #1 priority. Probably something incredibly dull. And I used to loathe when people said stuff like this, but dull and durable meets my definition of a good car.
Your Elantra sounds like a great car for your family over the past few years. Glad you got such good use out of it!
I own a similar car (09 Elantra) that I bought for $500 in 2017 for my daughter’s first car. It had lived a hard life for the first 190,000 miles before I got it. A LOT of cleaning and some simple maintenance turned it into a faultlessly reliable runabout that has seen her safely all across our home state of NC and from NC to ME and back several times. She’s put on about 50,000 miles in 8 years. She’s is still happy with it but would something a little bigger like a CR-V.
Well done David. An inexpensive, reliable car has so many hidden benefits and are hard to come by. My Mom and my MIL purchased GT versions new 20 years ago. Mom’s was passed to my brother and my MIL still drives her’s. When I lost my job 10 years ago and the associated company car, I’ve had a number of rigs that fall into your Elantra’s category. Two stand out. My 2003 Accord EX- purchased for $2700 with 142K from a neighbor who bought it new, it still hums along at 264K under my son’s care. Second was my 2002 Saturn SL2. Little old lady car I picked up at small dealer for $2400. After a welding repair to the engine cradle in my driveway, it gave me a year of nearly trouble free service before selling it to a coworker 20K miles later for the same price.
I also find it freeing in a way to drive a cheap car. If something were to happen to it I can only be economically inconvenienced in small way.
I always thought that GT hatchback version of this generation Elantra was pretty sharp looking, and that along with the stiffer suspension and other niceties that came with the GT package seemed pretty compelling in theory, tho’ I never got to drive let alone own one.
Yes, until they stopped making them (and the Kia Forte 5) for the US market anyhow. I’m a big fan of hatchbacks.
I too have gradually succumbed to the “staid” car but in an interesting way…I’ve been in the VW fold since 1981, starting with a Scirocco, then a GTi, and now my 25 year old Golf (which is no longer sold new in the US as cars get withdrawn in favor of SUVs /CUVs or trucks. Guess I can still buy a GTi here but I’m 40 years older than when I bought my GTi and don’t want a sporty car anymore…good handling, but with a kidney busting ride and soft compound tires that wear out in 15k miles isn’t my thing now.
So, I’ve hung onto my 25 year old Golf too long. It has had some issues, but interestingly not the same ones as the GTi…which I replaced a clutch in (leakiy rear seal) but haven’t had to in the Golf. Instead I had shift cables break (didn’t strand me though, I put the transaxle selector shaft into 2nd and slipped the clutch at stops to get me home. Also a power steering rack went bad without any warning. But no clutch yet, and I’m sold on stainless steel exhaust, used to replace almost every other year aluminized in GTI (have bought a new cat converter though when my ignition coil failed and ran rich too long to foul it). Was always replacing voltage regulator on the GTi alternator whlle the Golf has original alternator and regulators. Splurged about 15 years ago and had progressive springs and shocks/struts put in so far don’t notice weak suspension.
And I’ve grown maybe too fond of it…such that other than a Mazda 3 hatch (sadly the only remaining choice it seems unless I get a GTi) draws my eye. Really should get an automatic since no one in my family drives standard and could be an issue as health changes, but I enjoy the manual, maybe a bit of a control freak but mostly don’t like driving torque converter. Plus it seems reliability has taken back seat to fuel economy so it seems more of a crap shoot when buying new.
So boring is good, yes…hard to convince 40 year younger me of that, but i appreciate it over time…have only had 5 cars in 51 years driving (my brother in law easily has 10x that number).
What a well written article and bang spot on to boot =8-) .
Being a farm boy I always loved practicality so my very first vehicles was an old Ford F100 pickup truck .
Since then I’ve had more vehicles than I can recall but the majority of them have been sedans, because they’re made to _work_ similar to a light truck .
These days my hobby car is a two door but it’s still a four seater sedan (NVW Beetle) .
-Nate
Theres too many older Elantras on the road here for them to not be any good, Hyundais are quite common in general lots of them about, if you wave the tools at anything regularly to keep the maintenance up most cars are quite reliable now days,
Roadgrime grey/silver is the best colour it hides the dirt so my 20,000km wash routine works just fine, every oil change the car gets washed whether it needs it or not.
I did not know this had become your DD. And I’m in quite a similar situation with my ’05 xB, as it needed a new clutch due to being fouled by a leaking engine rear seal. But I’m taking a different course, as it’s right now torn apart in the driveway awaiting my wonderful wandering mechanic Willie to replace the clutch and a few other parts. I just love the unique qualities of the xB to get rid of it, although it is a rather crude, noisy thing. That part is really driven home since I’ve been driving Stephanie’s TXS a few times in the past week.
I’m glad the Elantra has found a home willing to take on the work.
I’d love to hear more about Willie the wandering mechanic!
To me a Scion xB is something more unique that is worth hanging onto and retains some value. My new to me, current daily driver is a first generation Mazda Miata which I would also consider worthy of a clutch replacement as it is a bit special as well.
David, as someone who has followed your posts here for some time, I absolutely appreciate your love (tolerance, embrace, ???) of common place vehicles that serve seemingly heroic purposes. Thus, I think that this is a perfect send off for your Hyundai.
Yeah, I remember those days too. In a similar vein, I (along with my wife too…just in case anyone thinks this is male blindness bragging) remember going on about how it would be entertaining to teach very young children the “wrong words” for things so that once they wound up in school they could say things like “My mailbox gave me breakfast…”. Or perhaps teaching children (in this case, various nephews and nieces of relatives) to scream at their parents when they heard the “secret word” for the day which was “the”. It was all tremendous and transgressive fun. Until a couple of years (well, maybe 10 or 12 years) later into when I actually had kids. Oh well.
I bought a minivan as well.
Back to the car for a moment, I hear you…but a clutch replacement??? That’s what YouTube is for, right?
(I know.)
It needed a clutch … then a timing belt soon and probably some front end work at some point. Sometimes it is just an excuse to move onto something new to me.
I felt the same way about my Kia Sedona minivan, right up until the day it got totalled in a wreck. I bought it new, so the economics weren’t as favorable as your car, but a new car for $19k is now a cherished memory for geezers.
I fear that we are also transitioning out of old Hyundai-Kia vehicles being good long-lived beaters. They seem to have done what Chrysler did long ago and exchanged good looks and flash for basic durability.
I vowed that I would always have sports cars and never, ever buy an SUV – (StupidUseless Vehicles). And always have a convertible. And never understood the fascination of old VWs. Under 50hp? – Pah! Oh, and never have anything that couldn’t cruise at 180km/h.
Oh well…
Got married, got dog, had child, priorities changed. Safety and reliability for my little family.
Bought Jeep Grand Cherokee and can remember feeling that this was a proper dad’s car. Had a Chevy Volt for commuting.
Now have an Italian SUV in the UK (at least that one does 170mph) and an old VW in the USA which I love dearly. Haven’t driven my ’63 ‘Vette in years. My latest passion? VW camper vans…
So yes, my tastes have changed radically over time…