It’s been about two months now since I “acquired the right to operate” a 2021 Elantra.

And I have Some Thoughts. So, in order to pad out my post count, I’m going to share them with you.

It’s a bigger car than I’m used to – a sedan rather than a coupe. I can maneuver it with no problems, I just can’t park it in my usual “Compact Cars Only” spot at work. The interior is more spacious, too. It’s harder to reach for things in the back seat, and the manuals and stuff slide around in the glove compartment. Took me a bit to realize that’s what the thumping was when I was turning.

I’ve gotten used to most of the electronic controls. The one that still annoys me is that the panel illumination dims automatically when the car thinks it should (night, driving in a parking garage, in a shaded area). The problem is that there’s a brief delay before the change takes effect, so I’m often out of the conditions that called for it when it takes effect.

I’m also not keen on the notice that shows up when I start the car. Something about “Drive Safely, and oh by the way, Hyundai may be monitoring your car because they can.” I’ve always tapped the “Confirm” option – I’m afraid that the car will shut down if I don’t. Why do they need to spy on me anyway? One good thing about outdated tech and software is that you can be reasonably certain it’s not watching you.

One of the problems with getting a used car? There’s always a little something that needs work. Apparently, this one sat around so long without being used that the wiper blades “rotted” a bit. They were streaky and inefficient. They were easy to replace – once I found the trick to get the blades in the position where you could do the replacement. Guys, wiper blades are one of the very, VERY few “user serviceable parts” left in cars these days. Don’t make it so people have to find the tricks to replacing them online, OK?

The most annoying difference from my old car? This one doesn’t have a rear window wiper. The rear window on the Elantra is slanted at so shallow an angle that heavy dew or light rain does NOT roll off on its own. Yes, the car has all sorts of collision sensors and a rear view camera – but it’s much safer to be able to just glance at the rear view mirror and see what’s behind you. Guess I’ll have to remember to clear the window when it’s necessary. Good thing I haven’t thrown out the old wiper blades yet! Might be able to rig up some sort of squeegie….