2000 Hyundai Elantra Wagon - if you can find it, buy it.

Having this car just under two months, I haven't had enough time to find all the problems that might exist, but if my experience so far is any indication, I own a terrific automobile.

Interior:
Unfortunately this car is, apparently, made for shorter people. At 5'9", I am no giant, but if I were two inches taller (from the waist up) I would be hitting my head on the roof. The seats are adjustable in a multitude of directions, but won't go any lower. Be sure to check this out if you're 6' or taller.

According to other reports I have read, the engine and exterior wind noise is somewhat louder in this car than others in its class and I can confirm that it is not extremely quiet. Is the noise so loud you have to yell? No, but it is noticable. The car I owned before this one was louder, so it is not much of a problem for me.

I bought the wagon for the ability to carry more cargo. I will confess that I was disappointed at a furniture company when I discovered the longest article that will fit (with the front seats all the way forward) is only about 5'. Don't rush out and buy a bunch of six or seven foot bookcases if you have far to drive!

The leg room in the back seat is much greater than I expected from a car this small. I can't comment on room for three in the back, but two can sit very comfortably.

The extra amenities (power locks, power windows, power mirrors, rear wiper, intermitent wipers, etc) that are included for no extra charge make this car extremely good value for the money.

Engine:
Not being an automobile expert, I was concerned about the power of a 2.0 liter engine to pull a fully loaded wagon. For that reason, I decided to get my wagon with the manual transmission and I was very pleasantly surprised. With two adults and about 500 pounds of furniture in the back, my wagon easily sailed along the interstate at 70mph. Equally impressive, my gas mileage with that weight and speed averaged over 30mpg.

Since my car is so new, I have only had 4 tanks of gas and am averaging slightly over 30mpg total. Since my previous experience indicated lower mpg in the "break in" period, I am looking forward to obtaining 30 to 32 mpg average city/interstate driving in the future.

Overall:
Obviously, I am extremely pleased with my purchase. Fair warning though, with the 2001 models out, the 2000 Elantra Wagon with manual transmission might be very hard to find new. I bought mine before the new models and had to shop 5 dealers before I even found one with the manual transmission. Since Hyundai is no longer making this model, it might be very difficult to find. Unfortunately, the 10-year/100,000 mile engine/transmission warranty does not transfer.

If you can, buy this car; but be prepared to have to look far and wide to find it!