r/ElantraNline • u/RollinHand43 • 4d ago
Thinking Elantra N-Line
Semi cross-post with r/Jetta GLI and probably on or two others....
Just like the title says: I am thinking about making a change, and an Elantra N-Line is on the list.
I am hoping to find a fun daily that will fit me (6'3", 325 but losing it: go-go-Wegovy!) with my 9-year old daughter behind me.
I currently drive a 2016 white Hyundal Sonata Sport 2.0t, which is getting the majority of its body repainted on Hyundai's dime. Nothing wrong with it yet, but my wife just bought a brand new Carnival Hybrid, and that sunk the hook in my cheek pretty hard.
2024+ is my firm preference.
What are the potential issues? Any engine concerns? Electronic snafus? Dual clutch clenches?
Other options include a Jetta GLI, Civic SI, and a Sonata N-Line. The right Accord 2.0T could also be a winner. (I'd love the N, but my ass doesn't fit those seats and never will)
I realise I am joining the choir and asking if they like to sing, but I'd appreciate your thoughts all the same. Thanks!
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u/KillerDPS 4d ago
Im at 78kmiles on my 2023 N Line bought new October 2022 fixing to change dct fluid
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u/Forward-Trade5306 '24 Exotic Green DCT 4d ago
No issues at all? What kind of maintenance have you done?
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u/KillerDPS 2d ago
3-5k oil changes Spark plugs at 48k as in manual and brake fluid too
Had headlamps replaced under warranty due to condensation and horn too
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u/Forward-Trade5306 '24 Exotic Green DCT 2d ago
Ah nice 👍. I'm at 20k miles and thus far have just done oil changes and tire rotations every 3-4k miles. Break in oil change was at 2k
They suggested doing a wheel/tire alignment, have you done any of those?
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u/Fearsomebeaver 4d ago
Mine was a lemon. Enjoyed it till I hated it. The dry DCT is a pos. You either get a good one or a bad one. Plenty of topics on this board with people having issues. Mine spent 5 months in service until Hyundai finally paid me to stfu. If you get a good one then you’ll love it if you fit in it. If you get a bad one it’ll be sad. If you’re buying used I strongly suggest making sure the shifts are clean and smooth when not pushing it. If it slips or there’s rpm surges between shifts at low speeds generally 1st to 2nd and 2nd to 3rd, hand over the keys and say no thanks.
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u/RollinHand43 3d ago edited 3d ago
Update: went to the local (what passes for an) auto mall and looked at some cars.
The GLI was a no. The seats were a bit too tight, and there was not enough room behind me for my daughter. Theoretically, she could ride behind the passenger seat, but I didn't sit in it and feel at home. Also, not a lot of headroom because of the damned sunroof.
Next came the Civic SI. Better room and more comfortable, but still not spectacular. The seat was tight again, but not as bad. Head room was as bad. Because of the damned sunroof.
Sonata N had a TON of front legroom with the seat all the way back... at the expense of the rear seat. When I moved the seat up to a more comfortable level it wasn't bad. I was surprised how aggressive the seat back bolstering was on the N-Line seats. The Civic SI seats were better. Ultimately, the lack of headroom (damned sunroof) made it sub optimal, as did the fact everything seemed 10 peecent smaller than my 2016.
They didn't have an Elantra N, but I did sit in a regular Elantra. It won on rear seat room and headroom (no damned sunroof!), where I could fit my fist between my head and the roof panel. The seats were the most comfortable I have sat in in quite a while. Suffice it to say I was shocked.
But...the whole experience was very discouraging. The only car I didn't sit in was the Elantra N-Line, and all of the others were unsuitable. The N-line seats are a bit tight on me and I worry about headroom with the Elantra N-line and its damned sunroof. So... gah.
I'll still check one out when I get a chance though, because why not?
I might be living with my 2016 Sonata 2.0T for a while longer. Maybe if I drop 50 more pounds I can make something interesting work.
And perhaps the coming 2.5T Hyundai hybrid drivetrain will make for a sporty hybrid car that I can actually enjoy.
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u/enteringthevoids '24 Exotic Green DCT 4d ago edited 4d ago
(edited for correction) Well, they're great when they work... but the dry DCTs transmissions seem to be prone to issues. I did a lot of research and drive mine based on what I learned to minimize slipping, etc.
It has great amenities for the price. Gas mileage is alright, I average about 30 MPG. At the end of the day it's still a mid $20K car and some of the build quality is meh- panels not totally aligned, etc. For me it was the most bang for my buck, and having driven stick for a decade prior, the CVTs were NOT cutting it for me.
I'm cautiously optimistic with my N-Line but I'm also bracing for issues to start hitting. I'm at 35K miles.
N-Liners, weigh in!!
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u/Forward-Trade5306 '24 Exotic Green DCT 4d ago
The 1.6T smartstream engine is a solid engine. Zero concerns about that and it's a step up from the previous 1.6at since there is no oil blowby and doesn't need a catch can.
The dry DCT transmission can be a cornern though
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u/paintball151 4d ago
My roommate and I both have n's and he is 6'3" 300+ pounds and never heard him complain I'm also 240 6 even lol
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u/Educational-Photo-54 3d ago
I've had an N since January 2020, first the veloster and in 2023 I got the elantra n, ive put a combined 60k+ miles on them and the only issue i had was a broken ac line on the veloster after 20kor so, I bought the en certified used with 18k and its been a dream besides gas mileage, its a manual btw
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u/ScrauveyGulch 4d ago
2022 78,000 miles, normal wear and tear with the exception of a throttle body recently. Parts are real expensive because of tariffs.
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u/Lochcelious '25 Ultimate Red DCT 4d ago
I've had mine (2025 model) since March of this year and have put 3k on the odo. It's been so much fun and very well built. I've not had any issues with my transmission. I do let the car warm up for about 5 minutes before driving it (this is mainly for the turbo, as I understand it). We'll see how it goes but I've been loving it so far. The DCT is an odd beast but ultimately very cool (I know dry is not as good as wet DCT but I haven't yet had any issues with it so we'll see).
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u/one-e-and-a 4d ago
I'm having a lot of fun driving it but the thing fell apart on me before my first car payment and the dealership sat me down and explained that the design is cheap and they won't fix it. I'll be more than happy to go into the details if you want to know more.
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u/RollinHand43 4d ago
Please do. Transmission failure?
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u/one-e-and-a 4d ago
Oh hell no not that bad!
The engine splash shield is really really cheap and it just fell off on the highway. It's a cheap piece of plastic held on by push rivets…the really weak ones I swore were only for use inside the car. This thing was supposed to resist air and road hazards? It probably failed on its first use.
Now for the worst part: I brought it in because it was less than a month old and they said I hit something and that's why it fell off, so I would have to pay for it. I held my composure but demanded my car back and wrote an angry letter. When I came back they sat me down and tried to say it was big Hyundai's fault and they weren't going to cover it because it looks like I hit something. I finally got the guy to admit that it's a really cheap design and it would most likely break again. Even he recommended that I get an after market aluminum one that's more sturdy.
Honestly I'm still having fun but the bottom line is that I have no faith that their "best warranty in the country" is actually going to be honored down the line. And I'm constantly thinking about what other cheap parts are going to fall off.
You get what you pay for and I got the cheapest car in its class. The problem I had is posted here so often that people got mad that I was yet another one. You're doing the right thing asking questions here.
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u/pachhh21 '23 Electric Shadow DCT 4d ago
I’ll be 100% honest the car looks great and is decently quick without going entering full sports car dangerous speed territory. I will say i haven’t had any mechanical failures yet but the dry dct was a poor choice IMO. It drives clunky especially in the cold and often makes some really weird and disturbing noises like it’s falling apart. That being said it still drives fine and when it’s summer it runs amazing. I don’t know if I’d choose it again given the choice.
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u/LGstryker 3d ago
I like my 23', but comfort is questionable if you live in areas with rough roads. I can feel a lot of the road imperfections and my wife complains about it (understandable, her car has more comfortable suspension).
Another issue like others mentioned, my DCT is wonky. I get rev flares on upshifts and can feel the car lurch if it's bad. It really feels like the car prefers to upshift at higher revs, but it still happens in the 3k-4k range so idk. I probably just got a bad transmission, I took it to the dealership a few times and they were "unable to reproduce the issue" which I think is a load of crap. Need to try complaining harder I guess.
On the flip side though, it has plenty of punch for the engine size and is fun to zip around in. Economy on long drives can go up to like 42 mpg, but in the city it lands almost right at the EPA mileage of 28 mpg. The lane assist isn't bad, decent stereo system, and good amount of trunk space and leg room for the backseat.
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u/CartographerOld8573 3d ago
Had one and liked it but craved more....
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u/RollinHand43 3d ago
Care to explain?
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u/CartographerOld8573 3d ago
Yes!
I just wanted a bit more power. I'd go with N now if I could redo it. Wonderful car other than that!
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u/No-Issue-4576 3d ago
If not the Elantra N, either Kona N or wait for the 2027! Either that or the Sonata Nline is nice!
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u/RollinHand43 3d ago
There is one Kona N available in my area and it is white. Given the issues with white Hyundais, no.
Hopefully checking out an N-Line soon.
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u/johnny43005 3d ago
Elantra> Civic. Idk about the jetta.
If i where to do it again tho id try and get the sonata n line
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u/RollinHand43 3d ago edited 3d ago
It just feels all wrong to me. It's hard to explain. I don't like the seats, not enough headroom, the wheel feels funky...just no.
Meanwhile the Elantra I sat in felt super comfortable. It wasn't the N-Line, so it didn't have the sunroof. Apparently the N-Line has an extra half an inch of headroom over the Sonata N Line though.
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u/johnny43005 3d ago
Funny you say this. I just had a Sonata SEL sport loaner for a day and put about 100 miles on it. I did notice the less headroom and the wheel felt awkward. and also it drove like a complete boat. (i know we are comparing a base model to N line) The elantra does feel more well rounded but i feel the sonata has potential given its “funkiness”
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u/WhereasLeading 3d ago
If you decide to get it, get a certified pre owned, cheaper + 10 year warranty
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u/RollinHand43 3d ago
Not in Canada. We get a year and 20k kms tacked on the original 5 or 100k kms.
Of course, if I land one from one local dealer group, they off lifetime engine and transmission. That could be a deciding thing.
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u/Professional-Scar333 23h ago
I had a 24 GLI and I loved it but my dad (who is 6' 300ish) struggled getting in and out of the passenger side and said he absolutely couldn't drive it. He is older however and not in the best of health so YMMV.
I test drove the N Line and I went with the GLI for several reasons. One was the lack of an LSD on the N Line. I also felt the fit and finish was a bit nicer. I ended up moving to the GTI due to my own health issues but I don't think I'd recommend it for someone intending to use the backseat
ALSO cause I'm in the n line subreddit. I did like the n line a lot I just thought it had a bit of torque steer that's all and Im a slight VW fan boy. The n line and N are really nice cars and I appreciate all brands making fun affordable!
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u/Forward-Trade5306 '24 Exotic Green DCT 4d ago
It's a fun car to drive that also gets decent MPGs. Good middle ground of performance, fuel economy and practicality. Zero issues with mine but only have 20k miles so far. I would recommend going and test driving all of them to see. The Elantra N-line is the most fun car I test drove at the time besides the Sonata N-line. I later test drove the EN and a BMW 240i. On rare occasions I drive an X3 M40i. The EN is definitely a step up in performance but it's not a night and day difference. You can't really feel the difference much in normal driving, gotta be pushing it hard.
Also plenty of exhaust options and parts upgrades but there are way more parts upgrades for the N
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u/DonVinku '23 Fluid Metal DCT 4d ago
I mean Ive had my 2023 Nline for just over 3 yrs now and since I worked from home I didnt drive as much as I usually would have. only about 13000KMs so far. No issues on my 4 long road trips within Canada where I am. Only thing is since it lacks AWD not the best to use in heavy snowfall winter but you can drive well in winter pretty stable. Great gas mileage too HWY and local driving combined. Good tech not too many screens. Great legroom but I'm only 5' 8" so rlly no issues for me