2003 Hyundai Elantra Review: An Excellent Deal on a Pretty Good Compact

The 2003 Hyundai Elantra is a good car at any price, and a great car at under $3,000. One of the most dependable cars on the market today, and on the shortlist for best value overall, even if safety scores and onboard conveniences are underwhelming.

Is the 2003 Hyundai Elantra a Good Used Car?

• Overall Rating 8/10 – The 2003 Elantra is an overall decent used compact that earns an extra point for being reliable, affordable, efficient, and more powerful than you expect.
• Interior, Comfort & Cargo 7/10 – Comfortable and spacious for a compact, but a recurring suspension issue is worrying.
• Reliability 9/10 – The 2003 Elantra is on a short list with cars like the Civic. If you want to join the high mileage club, the Elantra will probably hit at least 250,000 miles.
• Safety 6/10 – Dated safety tech and mediocre crash test scores are mildly concerning.
• Gas Mileage 9/10 – There are more fuel efficient cars out there, but they don’t feel nearly as sporty as the Elantra’s 135 horsepower i4.
• Value 9/10 – The 2003 Elantra might not be one of the best cars in the world, but it’s certainly one of the best deals on the market.

What Do Critics Say About the 2003 Hyundai Elantra?

Consumer Reports found the 2003 Elantra spacious, comfortable, and surprisingly quiet with good handling and peppy acceleration. They felt it could stand to be more agile, but had few other complaints.

Kelley Blue Book users give the 2003 Elantra a 90% recommendation, praising the comfortable ride and reliability, with recent reviews reporting mileage well past 200,000. The lack of cruise control in the GLS and low ground clearance earned the car a few red marks.

Edmunds found the 2003 Elantra to be solidly built, affordable compact with more power under the hood than you expect to find in this size class. They took issue with the mediocre crash test scores and anti-lock brakes missing from the standard features list.

What Common Problems Does the 2003 Hyundai Elantra Have?

Suspension issues take the lead on the 2003 Elantra’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration page, with 58 complaints out of 231 total. The main problem here is rusty control arms, an issue which generated a recall in 2009 but which has continued to generate complaints as recently as 2019.

Airbags take a close second place with 47 complaints on file. The recurring issue: The driver gets into an accident and the airbags fail to deploy. Drivers are also seeing the airbag warning light turn on and stay on without explanation. The airbag light was investigated in 2008, but there have been no recalls on the matter.

Powertrain issues are remarkably few, with just 9 complaints on file. Most of these complaints report powertrain issues stemming from the aforementioned control arm rust, rather than issues with the transmission itself. Engine complaints are likewise scarce.

In total, the 2003 Elantra has 5 recalls on file with the NHTSA. This number is remarkably low for a twenty year old compact.

How Long Will the 2003 Hyundai Elantra Last?

You should expect a 2003 Hyundai Elantra to reach somewhere in the area of 250,000 miles. If the previous owner took great care of the car you might even reach 300,000, but you can’t always be sure whether the last driver was skipping transmission fluid changes. Even on the low end drivers are reporting around 215,000 miles.

According to data from RepairPal, an Elantra should cost around $452 a year to maintain, with the most expensive common fix being a new battery cable starting at $444.

How Is the Technology?

Entertainment technology is basic, even by 2003 standards. A CD player with six speakers is about as fancy as it gets in the higher trim level. The entry level model has a tape deck and four speakers.

Safety features are adequate for 2003. The airbags have an occupant sensor system and you’ve got full front and side airbags in all models, but anti-lock brakes are only available as an add-on.

Is the 2003 Hyundai Elantra a Good Value?

The 2003 Hyundai Elantra is an excellent value. An entry-level GLS with just 140,000 miles on the odometer typically lists at around $2,818 in the Blue Book, while fair market pricing starts at just $1,705. For a comfortable, powerful compact that might have another 100,000 miles to go, that’s a steal.

A top-of-the-line GT typically lists at just a few hundred dollars more, averaging around $3,222, with the fair market range starting at $2,025. To be fair, the 2003 Elantra certainly feels its age. Don’t go looking for Bluetooth connectivity or rearview cameras. But the price is hard to beat for such a dependable car.

What are the Different Models of the 2003 Hyundai Elantra?

Hyundai kept it pretty simple for 2003, offering the Elantra in just two models, the entry-level GLS and the high-end GT.

The base GLS features:

• Cloth bucket seats
• Power windows and door locks
• Cassette player with four speakers
• Manual air conditioning
• 12v power outlet

With the more luxurious GT you’re adding:

• Remote keyless entry
• Fog lights
• Leather seating
• Cruise control
• CD player and two extra speakers

What Engines Come In the 2003 Hyundai Elantra?

• Whatever your trim level, whatever your options, the 2003 Elantra comes packed with a 2.0L inline-four producing 135 horsepower and 132 lb.-ft. of torque. The engine is paired to a 4-speed automatic transmission, with an optional 5-speed manual if you prefer a stick-shift. It’s configured in front wheel drive and averages 24/33 miles to the gallon, city/highway.

What Colors Does the 2003 Hyundai Elantra Come In?

How Comfortable Is the 2003 Hyundai Elantra?

There are few complaints regarding the car’s interior. The seating is comfortable, it’s spacious for a compact, and the ride is smooth. But, recurring suspension issues may have the car feeling a bit rickety after twenty years on the road.

Check the VIN to see if it was covered in the control arm recall, and test drive the car on some rough road to make sure the suspension is still solid. Most 2003 Elantras have held up pretty well, but you’ll never know until you hit a few bumps and see how it feels.

How Much Storage Space Does the 2003 Hyundai Elantra Have?

The 2003 Elantra starts out at a fairly underwhelming 11 cubic feet of storage space, which is enough for grocery trips, or maybe three suitcases, and not much else. But, you can fold the back seats down and expand the trunk to 28.3 cubic feet, which opens up a lot more options.

Expanded trunk space isn’t quite the same in a compact as it is in an SUV, but you’ll have space to lay out a few 2x4s for a construction project, or fit that big room fan in the back without having to grab the bungee cords. There’s only so much you can expect of a compact when it comes to cargo space, but the Elantra goes above and beyond in this regard.

What Are the Differences Between Years?

The 2003 Elantra was the fourth and final iteration of the pre-facelift 3rd Generation for the car, with Hyundai giving the compact a significant overhaul for 2004.

2000: Hyundai rang in the new millennium by dropping the station wagon model and introducing a five door “liftback,” a hatchback with a sloping roof.

2001: Full airbags, air conditioning, and power windows, locks, and steering all became standard for 2001.

2002: There’s a misconception that the GT trim level was new for 2002. It was actually introduced late in the 2001 model’s run, leaving Hyundai with no significant changes to make for the 2002 model.

2003: The GLS was limited to a sedan for 2003, while the GT got a hatchback option.

2004: The whole lineup got a refresh for 2004 with new headlights and grilles. The next generation for the Elantra was still a couple years away, but the 2004 represented a long-overdue modernization of the dated compact’s body design.

How Does the 2003 Hyundai Elantra Compare to the Competition?

The Honda Civic is king of the hill when it comes to dependable compacts, and it’s priced like the sellers know it, typically listing at around a thousand dollars more than a comparable Elantra. For most drivers, the Elantra vs. the Civic is a matter of preference. The Elantra is about 20 horsepower stronger, but the Civic is more generous with the features, with remote trunk release and fuel latches.

A typical 2003 Ford Focus is priced in the same range as the Elantra, it’s comparably powerful, ranging from 130 horsepower to 145 depending on your options, and it’s similarly reliable, with most drivers reporting around 250,000 miles before the transmission gives out. It’s a little more spacious, but it has way more complaints on file with the NHTSA.

2003 was a great year for compacts and you can’t go wrong with any of these three. The Civic is arguably the most likely to pass 250,000 miles, and some people just prefer the feel of a Honda. But ultimately it comes down to personal preference.

Do Owners Recommend the 2003 Hyundai Elantra?