Don’t have one? Review your bike/bus/train/shoes!
I’ll start.
2008 Hyundai Elantra GLS
List price: $13,625
List price as tested: $16,500
Average price paid by buyers as tested (according to Edmunds/TMV): $15,100
Engine/transmission: 2.0L inline 4-cylinder, DOHC; 132hp @ 3,400 rpm
Options fitted to test car: 4-speed automatic transmission;“Popular Options” package, highlights of which are a six-speaker XM/AM/FM/CD stereo, power windows, remote door locks, alarm, immobilizer, air conditioning (thank god) and an in-window FM antenna.
Configuration: 4-door sedan
Size: Bit tricky, this one. It’s the same basic dimensions as the Focus/Civic/Corolla/3/Golf/Astra with which it’s supposed to compete, but the EPA classifies it as a “midsize” vehicle based on its (humongous) interior volume.
Performance: 0-60 8.8 seconds, 129mph top speed (manual)
Fuel economy (EPA): 25 city, 33 highway
Now that we’ve got the specs out of the way, down to the nitty-gritty…
I am uniquely qualified to test the new-for-2007-and-slightly-redesigned-for-2008 Elantra. Why, you ask? Well, (1) I’ve just bought one, and (2) I’ve spent the last six years (almost to the day) driving its dad, the 2001-2006 3rd generation Elantra. I also tested nearly all of its competitors over the last three weeks.
First thoughts on the exterior: Oooh! It’s actually sort of pretty, as bland econoboxes go. The overall shape is a bit odd- you can tell it was designed to maximize interior space rather than look-at-me-ness - but the details make it work very well. It looks better, at least to my taste, than nearly any of its rivals, although the current Civic is definitely better looking if you’re going for a sporty look, but you’d have to spend at least $3000 more to get one with alloy wheels, and the Civic’s stock steel wheels/covers are fugly. The Elantra only comes with alloys if you go for the range-topping SE, but the standard wheel covers are quite nice. The nicest touch, looks-wise, is that the sides of the car are extremely sleek, with unobtrusive door handles and no side moldings at all. This shows off the pronounced wavy “waistline” that runs the length of the car to good effect. Of course, the lack of moldings also means you’re going to have a couple dings from the idiots who open their doors too far.
Let’s look in the trunk before we get in. Golly. It’s massive. The outgoing model had a good-sized space, enough for two Samsonite-style (hardside) suitcases, plus all your ancillary carryon stuff. This one looks like it will take three. The only problem here is that it’s pretty deep, ie. I can’t touch the seatback without putting my knee on the trunk floor, and not very wide.
Okay, into the car. Electronic trunk release button is mounted on the driver’s door, rather than the usual pull-handle next to the seat. Nice touch. The fuel filler cap is accessed by a conventional seat-side pull tab. The interior is nice. Not very nice, but nice. None of that all-digital nonsense from the Civic, which feels like the set used for the bridge of the starship Enterprise, and is about as functional. The quality isn’t going to send Volkswagen (unquestioned king of small-car interior quality) back to the drawing board, but it’s a rather agreeable place to be nonetheless. It certainly doesn’t feel like it should be $2000 cheaper than the competition. One really nice touch is blue backlighting for everything- instrument panel, center console switches, door switches (power mirror adjuster, power windows, power locks), keyhole, and even the cigarette lighter. I’ve seen a couple of cars with blue backlighting for the instruments, but green or yellow for the center console. This looks about a million times better.
The stereo is confusing as heck. The radio/CD bits are simple enough; it’s the XM part I’m having to come to grips with. I’ll put this down to my complete lack of experience with XM for now. It sounds pretty good, at least, which is an improvement from the old model. The XM is a premium bonus that neither the Corolla or Civic offer as standard. I didn’t particularly want it, but it’s probably one of those things that I won’t be able to live without in a month.
It comes with six airbags. None of its competitors come with more than two as standard. It isn’t a big selling point for me, but I’m sure there’s a legion of parents and worry-worts out there who will love that.
Heated door mirrors (operated by the rear window defogger button) are a carryover from the old model. I don’t know why Hyundai has a hard-on for heating mirrors, but it was occasionally a handy feature. Probably more handy to non-Floridians.
The dashboard has heaps of stowage spage. In addition to the smallish glovebox, there’s a cubby with a lid on top of the dash which is perfect for a prepaid toll transponder. There’s also two good sized cubbies above and below the A/C controls, and two compartments in the center console. There’s also a decent-sized sunglass holder that flips down from the headliner. The cupholders have spring-mounted tabs that presumably keep undersized cups/bottles from wobbling.
I don’t have much to say about the seats yet, since I’ve only done about 50 miles in it. The driver gets eight-way adjustment, which is nice.
Probably my favorite thing about the interior is the gear selector lever on the automatic model. It has a stepped gate, like a Mercedes or Jag, instead of a detent button - very swish.
My only gripes are with the extra-fat steering wheel, which obscures the view of the instrument cluster no matter what height it’s at (but feels nice and chunky), and requires uber-long thumbs to comfortably use the cruise control buttons. There’s also a sort of diamond-plate-looking plastic finish on the bottom of the cupholders, which experience tells me will absorb dirt and sticky residue like a… sticky thing.
Here’s a good picture of the dashboard: http://image.motortrend.com/f/auto_shows/coverage/new_york/8257505/112_06nyas_02z+2007_2007_hyundai_elantra+interior_view.jpg
Now - on to the drive!
It rides nicely. Not too soft that your butt goes numb, but softly enough to muffle all but the biggest bumps and holes.
Handling is pretty much what you’d expect- not that much feel from the steering wheel, but communicative enough to let you know when the front end lets go. Enter a corner too quickly and you’ll get enough understeer to let you know you shouldn’t try anything like that again soon. I haven’t really pushed it to the limit yet, but experience with the old one tells me that Hyundai’s suspension engineers shoot for predictable understeer all the way into the nearest ditch. If you’re not a boy-racer you’ll have absolutely no complaints with the chassis and suspension.
Performance is more of the same. Not going to win any races, is the Elantra, but it has more than enough get up and go for any driving situation, including big hills. It’s certainly quicker than its rivals, except the Mazda 3. It’s also remarkably quiet for a car this size - not nearly as buzzy as the 1.6 and 1.8 liter alternatives, and not as rough at low revs as larger 4-cylinders. I’m not a big fan of the gearbox, which takes slightly longer to kick down than I’d like, and holds second for too long if you aren’t stepping on the gas. I’m told that the transmission control module is adaptive and will improve after a couple thousand miles. We’ll see.
I do not likey the brakes. They work fine, but the pedal travel is just wayyy too short. It feels like a go-kart - any pedal pressure at all and the car slows so fast you get the impression it wants to submarine under the road surface. It’s more like an on/off switch than a brake control. Hopefully this will improve, or I’ll adapt. Right now, it’s really hard work applying just enough pressure to slow the car without bringing it to a screeching halt. It does come with 4-wheel ABS as standard, which is handy, since otherwise I’d probably be locking the brakes every 100 feet.
So, there you have my review. Overall, I’d rate the car (on its own merits) as good for most needs, but so-so for mine. Taking price into account, though, it really has to be considered outstanding.
