Hyundai Excel

Economical Car – From late 2006 to late 2014 I was driving a 1995 Hyundai Excel, acquired as a used car from a previous single owner who lived in Queensland and kept it as a second car.. The odometer reading was 120K when acquired. The car was driven from Queensland and made at least one trip to Queensland subsequently. The car was removed from my address in a… Read more

Melbourne suburb in 2015 to a Bairnsdale address. I did not keep a record of the odometer reading at that time.

While at my address it was used as a suburban runabout and for country trips. Fuel economy was good, typically better than 12km/L for suburban use [never as low as 11km/L] and better than 13km/L [up to 14km/L] for country trips. The automatic transmission had five forward speeds - pulled well in top at 80km/hr and over on Melbourne's Eastern Freeway which has moderate hills - & perhaps this accounts for the good fuel economy. I do not understand why so many auto-transmissions on small present-day cars do not have the fifth gear.

Repairs there certainly were, the water pump was replaced twice during the eight-year period and there were other minor repairs that cropped up every time the car was serviced but maintenance per annum was cheaper than for the 1997 Ford Laser that I am driving now for well over twice the kilometres driven per annum. As for the fuel economy - the difference arouses feelings of anger . .

The Excel is still on the road and has made multiple trips to Melbourne from Bairnsdale since 2015.

Best pile of cr@p ever – So cheap. You can pick these up for beer money. I've owned my 1996 excel for 18 months. It cost me AU$500 with rego and it had been thrashed! But it just keeps going. 285000km on it's original clutch! I had to swap out a front wheel bearing but other than that and standard servicing (I do myself) It's cost me nothing. I even tow a little… Read more

boat with it.

Great on fuel, handles well. Just does it's job day in day out.

Yes it's cheap. The dash is cracking. Its a small, dated budget car so not exactly the safest in a crash, if I crash it they'll probably have to clean up what's left of me with a mop.

Its low compared to more modern hatch backs and gets to the knees on getting in and out. It doesn't have cup holders etc...

Parts that will fit in a toolbox are free from the wreckers (not condoning this) And at 20+ years old expect to replace plastic bits (door handles etc)

But if you're handy on the tools these X3's are a piece of crap to work on. Simple and cheap.

As far as it goes as a pile of old crap to get you from A to B. You can't go wrong.

Never Again – We bought a 1997 Excel sprint 3dr auto for our daughter back in 2010 with 130,000ish km's on the clock, that first year was fine until a taxi stopped suddenly while driving (wet day at about 30km/h) the car slid straight under it (the taxi was fine though). So a new bonnet, headlights and some D.I.Y panelwork later we sent it off to our oldest son… Read more

in the city, wouldn't you know it that the auto transmission goes (delayed change to 2nd, no overdrive and no reverse), we brought it back home (200km trip and no overdrive, it was still going 110km/h in third!) and got a 2nd hand trans put in.

It handled horribly in the wet weather and would slide sideways if you him the tram lines while turning a corner in the city, fuel economy was horrible, if it rained the spare tyre space would fill up with water, hills were it's worst enemy. The car only lasted 2 years until someone hit it and it was written off, never buy this car unless you like spending money for nothing. Cheap to buy. Unsafe, bad brakes, air con was horrible, bad fuel economy, son called it a girls car, constantly breaking down, cheap plastics, heater was stuck on in 40 degree heat.

300,000ks and still running – I bought a 1995 X3 5sp for my son's first car for $1000(believe me she was neglected) replaced the water pump,timing belt,oil/filter, coolant, radiator,top/bottom radiator hoses,reverse light sensor, windshield, window regulator,and the list goes on...... the more things I replaced the more things I found broken but I do love driving it it's like… Read more

a go cart no power steering no air conditioning but who needs that,blows no smoke runs great so far,has a full body kit with bonnet scoop and the looks it gets are funny, incredibly easy to work on and I'm no mechanic,most parts have to be ordered,can't complain about its quirks it's 28yo, only drives 3000ks a year so hopefully it's around for a while yet.BEWARE owning an excel though the Hyundai Excel Racing is exhausting a lot of the parts.SAD TIMES SHE DIED at 308,961ks on the 16-2-26 from a blown head gasket I still don't regret anything I said about it.

great little get about car – Very great little car, basic transport and very handy. Hyundais engines are very reliable and good on fuel. The only time I have seen people have problems they neglected basic maintenance. If you are in need of a basic get around car this is a great choice for the budget concious.  Show details

Excellent small car – Super cheap to run, $40 to fill up the tank. Has enough power to navigate around town, overtake safely etc. Never had any reliability problems and is at 220k km. Used to carry heavy loads, flat tow cars and never complained. Won't find another car as capable or as reliable at the price these are being offered.  Show details

Cheap, sure. Mighty expensive to fix though, and mine needed fixing often – I moved to Toyota Corollas about 8 years back now but I still haven't forgotten my first car. Such a petrol waster for the size and measly power - I could barely get up a hill if I had to go 80kph+. The parts are really expensive because they need to be imported so as soon as it got a few years old it cost a fortune to service because there was… Read more

always something that needed fixing! It is a good first car I guess. I would buy a second-hand cheapie and just run it into the ground. No way i'd pay factory price for anything like that car. Good for learner drivers too ;)

Great little car and inexpensive – Bought one that had 200,000km on the clock and out of the 6 years I had it, was timing belt once, waterpump, alternator and one CV joint. Just changed the oil every 10,000km and was good as gold. Sadly her life ended recently as a writeoff from someone reversing into her in a car park and hitting the main body ie a cut and weld job, so would of… Read more

written off, but she still had life into her at 291000 with original gearbox, engine and clutch. Guy who hit me replaced me with another one with 11,000km less on it so we will see how this one will go but seems like it was looked after the way it runs. The new one (99) has a A1 dashboard though my 98 writeoff had a very bad dash as in cracks. AS long as you change the oil every 10000km you shouldn't have too many issues. Both have been manuals also.

Solid little beast and cheap as chips – I have had excellent service out of manual excel -purchased 8 years ago and it ticks along just fine. It has never had but the minimum of servicing and apart from a dodgy window mechanism -driver's side- has never failed. Plenty of power from a gutsy little motor and lots of boot space.  Show details

great car at a great price – I have a 1995 excel x3 it has done 330000 kilometers with original motor still going strong the handling is great it has a pokie motor, cheap on fuel and insurance i would recommend one to anyone, fantastic car, i would buy another one in a heart beat, they are great learner cars easy to drive quick little motors, i chipped mine and added induction and exhaust upgraded combined with 98 octane and it keeps up with a vtec all day  Show details

Cheap and reliable – Bought it when it had 30,000 (1998) now has 400,000. I still love it- easy to drive has never let me down. Many interstate trips and some off roading as well. Up until about 300, 000 i hadn't replaced a part. The last 100,000 i have replaced both CV driveshafts, clutch slave cylinder, ball joints and front struts, rear muffler, alternator, valve… Read more

stem oil seals, water pump and radiator. As a mechanic i only paid for parts about $1200 all up. Easy car to work on didnt take much more than 10 hrs for the lot. In servicing for its life i have replaced filters and oil irregularly and spark plugs when the engine misfires (around 100,000). The clear coat has peeled and the paint under fades, so what I like driving it as a form of reverse snobbery- seem to attract attention from cops for "random breath testing" these days- i'll keep it till something major stops it.

I had my 1996 Hyundai Excel for 17 years – When I traded my X3 Excel in it had done 220,000 Km. It still had the original exhaust, water pump, and rear brakes. The air con was still working. Apart from replacing the window washer, and the drivers door handle, the rest was just ordinary servicing. (e,g, timing belt, engine oil, top hose, tyres, disc pads.) I serviced it myself and it was… Read more

pretty easy to work on. I only traded it in because the heater sprung a leak and I felt like I deserved a new car. Last time I checked it was still registered and on the road at 19 years old! It did nothing really badly, though I'm a big guy and the seats were uncomfortable for me for long distance driving. Obviously I was happy with it to keep it for 17 years! Great durable car!

I just thought I'd add (February 2018) that my old Hyundai is still being registered and so is still on the road and is now heading to 22 years old!

ive got the 95 exel 5 door – The only problems ive had are normal ware and tare have the auto it generally runs awesome never had problems with gearbox hard to work on for home mechanic but generally a greay little car yes the window regulator stuffs up but simple to fix the door latches break but 30 buks get new one outside ones but hey its an old car they run well cheep on… Read more

gas spare parts are regularly avaliable but check ive buying one check cv joints they dam expencive

Excellent – Excellent first car. I'd had my excel for 2 years before I actually got my license. It sat in the driveway never being moved only had the engine turned on roughly once a month. Was still perfectly fine when I started driving it every day. It's a fantastic car never had any major problems only had a broken piece of my break which cost only $4 so I… Read more

wasn't worried. Back seat is just large enough for a baby seat. Therefore lots of room and a large boot. Perfect first car. Reliable.

cannot complain:) – i absolutely adore my excel:) i have a 1999 excel twin cam sprint , manual drive:) it is very economical e.g $50 to fill my tank with Premium 98 octane fuel. parts aren't very expensive, very very reliable, iv had mine for 4 years and (fingers crossed) has not left me stranded, its got a very zippy engine and quite quick for a small… Read more

engine:) especially taking off at the lights,

a fantastic first time car, very easy to learn in, would recommend it to anyone and everyone :) easy drive, non expensive, quick for a small car

Very good car – About 3.5 years ago I purchased my 95 Excel for $550.00 of Ebay, it had 165000K,s on the speedo it now is coming up to 300,000K,s as I drive 100ks to work and back everyday and see family on weekends in Sydney. This has been a good car on fuel economy about 850Ks to the tank I have not had any thing majorly wrong go with it, only the window… Read more

regulator on the drivers door keeps braking and also the paint has faded and peeled on the roof and bumpers I have seen other Hyundai with the same paint problem ,so it must be the protective seal they put on the paint when they spray it when it was made . Other than that I am happy for the price that I paid for it and hope I can keep it for another 20000oKs. Good fuel ecomony and powerful Paint is fainted and chipped also window regulator keeps braking

Keep on stalling while driving – My daughter bought her first car Hyundai Excel Sprint about 8 mths ago and since about 5 mths ago, its started to stall while you driving, at traffic light etc. Waited for about 15 mins to start again, changed crank sensor, coil pack and still having problem. We are at our wits end. She had enough of it and bought new Suzuki Swift. easy to park keeping on stalling, breaking down, things fall apart Show details

Great car – I've had my 2000 model Excel Twin Cam for only 6 months but i have to say its been one of the easiest fun to drive cars i have ever owned, Sure the paint work isn't the best ( But I've learnt its not how it looks, but how it goes that's important! but it loves to go! It had 189xxx k on it at the time i bought it, and i replaced all belts at… Read more ·  1

194xxx, It has never given me any trouble,

It can handle most big hills with the air con on and boy is that air con cold!

It is very good on fuel, half a tank to the nearest capital city 3 hours away and back, and so easy to park.

All in all a fun car and one i'm planning on holding on to for a while yet. Fuel economy, easy to drive With the 3 door hatch, access to the backseat can be tricky for putting kids in car seats etc. Can be a bit slippery to handle on wet roads

Small and reliable but does have a life span – Ive had my excel since i was 16, im now 28. I learnt to drive in it. It has done me well up until the past few months. Since november i had had the left front wheel bearing replaced 4 times. And my transmission went a year before that. Unfortunately cars are not built to last forever but Hyundais were known to have wheel bearing issues espescially… Read more ·  5

the 95-98 models when they first came out. My car is now heading to the wreckers as im now having trouble with the motor and other bearing and considering age and how many kms its done it has been a great car. fuel efficient, reliable, wheel bearings,

Fantastic Little Car!! – I've had my hyundai since my Ls at 16 so have had it for 4 years now, only other owners was my Dad and my Auntie. Absolute fantastic car, can get to Perth and back (from Albany to Perth WA is 450km so just over 800ks per tank) on one tank, never broken down but its not the best on long trips, especially when having to overtake. I have recently… Read more

been going up to perth once a month for tafe and it has only now started having engine problems and i am NOT a lead foot and it has been serviced regularly so don't know why.

Either way I recommend it greatly for anyone who wants an easy to park car that goes great in the city. I will miss my excel very much as I am selling it to upgrade :( Pros: Cheap, Fuel Efficient, Zippy, lots of room front + back, and very easy to drive. Cons: only 2 doors, Window Regulator continually breaks + slips out the rubber as well as air con uses to much power and cant get up hills without high revs when its on, and again the revers gear issue.

OK – Overall i purchased this car about 3 months ago and it costs me approximately $50 to fill the tank with 540km approx, that's pretty cheap considering fuel is not hitting the $1.60 mark the car is cheap to run, mechanically reliable, great value for money, easy to zip around in. Plenty of boot space if you fold back the rear seats. They still… Read more

look great for there age, i highly rate this car for people on a cheap budget who need a reliable and economical small car. Ideal first car for light driving. The Hyundai Excel i have to say is the most economical car i have ever driven especially with todays fuel prices very small and everything looks cheap yet simple

Excellent – I have had my 3dr Sprint for 8yrs and even though sometimes I think of getting a new car with more mod cons like power steering, AC etc, I really can find no reason for trading in the best car I have ever owned. I have hardly had to do any repairs and those I did were not expensive. I keep it regularly serviced and it repays me by being reliable… Read more

and cost efficient. It has great guts going up hills and overtaking Sunday drivers. I would recommend this car to anyone that wants a reliable car for travel, not as a status symbol. Reliable, economical, speedy, great on corners and lots of leg room with a HUGE boot. Would prefer a 4dr to a 3dr

Small and Cheap – Small tinny little car with a cheap crappy interior. The handles often break and the mirrors go from Black to white. The paint fades and the rattles and clunks begin. When I sold my 1995 4 door Excel back in 2007 it was in quite a state and to be honest Im glad it's gone! No leg head or boot space winders fall off and exterior door handles snap off. Was a reliable car for the first few years Falls to bits, melts from exposure to sun! Show details

Great little car – Love driving it around town. Good gear box ,poky engine, light steering though in wet weather is a little loose and slippy for my liking. Very fuel efficient, great first car, though safety specs a little outdated now. Reliable, cheap, fuel efficient Low safety specs for 2012, light weight Show details

OK – with the suspension mags exhaust and air intake upgraded it goes very well then with a new fuel regulater and vs commodore injecters it holds the topend revs better and its even better on fuel 1998 twincam is fast and zippy its good on fuel and reliable and easy to work on interior cracks easy faded and chorky Show details

Has been a very reliable and economic car – We purchased a 1997 Hyundai car with 40,000 km on the clock and it is now up to 211,676 km. It still handles ok and is reliable considering the age and mileage. I would definitely buy the same again. The gear box has always been a bit strange for reverse. If the car has been off, you cannot start it and then put it straight into reverse. You… Read more

have to put it into 1st gear (even if you do not move) and then go to reverse.

We had some problems with corrosion in the engine on the tubes near the water heater/manifold caused by using two different brands of coolant. We didn't know you shouldn't mix n match brands.

In the past few months there are some visible emmissions from the exhaust and it has started to use more oil - used to need very little oil. Besides a Holden Rodeo we had years ago it has been the most reliable little car we have ever owned. Good fuel consuption, easy to park, very reliable. A bit small when you have men in it. Good for women and kids. Reverse gear a little dodgey.

Excellent – I have now owned 2 excels 1 was a 95 1.5litre 2 door single cam manual sprint which I sold due to extremely bad hail damage it had 690000 which is really high kms, other one is a 98 twin cam manual sprint which I have owned for 6 years aswell. These card never miss a beat I contansty travel between melb & Sydney and never any problems or… Read more

sluggishness, over the years nothing has stopped me from driving the cars even when the clutch goes or slave cylinder they still want to drive. I strongly recommend d buying one I prefer the 98 twin cam 1.6 as it was way more gutsy. These cars will look after you for the price u pay a small thing may breK that's it people need to realize the difference it's wear and tear. Also they go even when u neglect them, but if u do regular services the engine will never die I always changed my oil every month if not 5000kms never had issues. I have owned Alot of cars including Barinas and festivas and the excel is 1000 times better and faster, I drove my excel how I drove my commie constant redlining there's no lack in power !!! Cheap, speedy, better than it's conponets (barina, frestiva) extremely reliable, never lacks power, will never die no matter who drives it even v8 drivers still have fun. If you are buying one the twin cams have more grunt Nothing at all, but some people don't like wet weather handling being front wheel drive

Excellent – I bought the exel auto 1997 and it already had 230,000km on the clock with original engine and transmission, since then I have clicked over 340,000km on the little car and she is still running like a treat. Well worth the expense of the occasional door handle. I give the car a rough life and it still keeps on going. I love the mileage I get the most. Cheap to run, reliable, easy to manuver door handles that break. Show details

OK – I think that this small hatchback is a great first car for someone who is looking for one. It is easy to manouvre it into confined spaces and just great to drive. I learned to drive in this car and it has served me well, I would recommend it to people who are looking for a cheap first car, or something small to get from one place to another. Small… Read more

and compact, extremely economical, great first car or a learner's car.Acceleration isn't too bad, but going up hills isn't great. Too low, the front always scrapes the ground

Good – Bought this second hand - never had any issues with it. It's never broken down. It's cheap to service. Good size car and boot. Economical, easy to drive, reliable. Not really ideal for long drives - seat can be uncomfortable after a few hours at the wheel. Show details

Excellent – I bought my Hyundai Excel GX back at the start of 2007. I bought the car with 200,000 km on the clock and with the intention of it lasting me to at least 300,000. So far this car has been a dream to down. For a car of its size and price its easy to drive, smooth, predictable and reliable. Since buying it i've added another 40,000 to the clock and… Read more

am nothing but impressed with the car. The Transmission is smooth and gears are easy to changed, starts up first go everytime and really has been great owning. I was rear ended by a truck at the start of the year and can honestly say the Excel did do well. Damage was minimal and is back on the road again. Although the car is light, it is safe enough to drive. Drive safely and the Excel is even safer! It gets the job done without any nonsense! Powerful motor for a car of its size, Although a very basic car, it is built to last. Reliablity is excellent.

Good – I bought a second hand Hyundai Excel GS LC 2000 model 5 gear manual hatchback for my first car and it has done well, but has had its issues. The car runs well and I can get from point A to point B with an average of 10-12km per litre on unleaded. It's too bad the car is only a 1.5L and a little too weak at times. I would find myself struggling… Read more

to go up on those hilly roads in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne at times, requiring me to shift to a lower gear and using high revs.

Only once has it broke down on my; something to do with the clutch. It was just within warranty where I purchased it from and I was able to have it fixed free; though the dealer tried to rip me off it seems from various opinions.

If you take good care of it, it'll last you, but if you're looking for the cheapest way of getting around, there are better options and combinations available.

With static, whenever I finish driving and step out of the car. When I go to close the door, static shocks my hand. Must be my shoes and floor; need to resolve that one day.

Other than that, I brought my car into a Hyundai Dealership for maintenance and not only was it expensive, as usual, but I believe they ripped me off. They damaged the car and then listed all sorts of problems I had to fix and the price to fix them was insane. Took it to a nearby mechanic and got the major ones done, barely costing me a thing. I also paid to have my lights replaced; expensive and they didn't replace them properly. My suggestion is to find a real mechanic who will do the job right. Small, light, decent fuel mileage Weak, static, pricey compared to other comparable brands and models

Bad – STAY AWAY FROM EXCELS! I had a 1995 Hyundai Excel for my first car and although it is a great first car it is nothing better than that! Given that I purchased my vehicle in 2007 obviously quite used - I was only the second owner of the car in as many years and the amount of problems cost me so much more than that car was ever worth! In the year,… Read more

yes, year I owned the car I had to replace the exhaust, ticks and clangs. The cars heating and aircon would consistently fail even after Hyundai service CONSTANTLY fixed it. Within the year I had two services where both of which I had to have the door handles seen to as apparently the handles springs snapping was a consistent thing with excels... :s The rubber lining on the windows would also slip (apparently another consistent problem with excels as stated by the Hyundai employees). Overall, the car was a nightmare so my advice - STAY AWAY! Great first car! Terrible quality vehicle...