The journey was arduous and full of disappointment, but it seems that we finally achieved our goal. Welcome to The Golden Age of Motoring Compact. Gone are the days of cheap and often poorly executed C-segment entries. Ye Olde ‘E’ Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla and everyone else “mentality is finally history, too. All of a sudden, new car buyers can choose between a bumper crop of smart new engines, including the all-new Civic, the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze, the 2012 Ford Focus, the largest and most affordable 2011 Volkswagen Jetta and select Mazda3 always fun. It’s not all – there’s a new wild card in the compact segment, the Hyundai Elantra 2011.
While items such as the Cruze and Focus have gained much attention of the Elantra has quietly established itself as a worthy alternative in this segment suddenly competitive. The redesigned Hyundai caught our attention with its expressive design, a walk and improved 40 miles per gallon highway rating. Sounds like a winning game plan for us, but this revitalized Hyundai live up to his impressive stat sheet? We spent a week with an Elantra Limited to find out for themselves.
$ 22,110 is a very reasonable price for a top-trim compact these days – a bit ‘cheaper than a comparably equipped Focus ($ 23,680 for the SEL model with sunroof and navigation) or Civic ($ 25,754 for the EX model -L 17-inch wheels fitted).
Cab ergonomics are well thought out, with everything available to get the driver without the need for a lot. We especially liked the HVAC – it’s nice to heat or cool the cab without taking your eyes off the road to hunt down the right mouse button or setting. The Elantra also earned praise for a comfortable interior, had a conversation with the rear seat does. These are the kind of touch, a compact sedan feel less like an econobox and more like a plant to luxury.
We also tested the Hyundai Elantra Limited option package featuring technology, the sticker of $ 2,100. The Elantra Limited is already equipped with Bluetooth and USB connectivity and tools for a smart phone or an MP3 player, but the Tech Package adds a seven-inch LCD touch screen with navigation, rearview camera, 360-watt audio system and a button started. This is a lot of kit at a reasonable flat fee, and we found the technology easy to use and easy to understand.
While they usually have few complaints about the interior of the Elantra, we would be remiss if no mention of the picture off all around. If you park, say, a focus question in addition to paintings and limited Elantra and windows, clear services focusing luxury features. We would also like a few more inches of legroom for rear passengers of 33.1 inches is less than larger competitors. Finally, we were a bit ‘put out by the strange places made black accents on the doors. Does not match the gray of the dashboard and were hard on the elbows.
Rear legroom was probably the biggest problem we had with the Elantra car, but we are more interested in what happens behind the wheel. The story begins with a planned 1.8-liter four-cylinder with 148 horsepower and 131 pound-feet of torque. Buyers can choose between a six-speed manual (GLS model) or six-speed automatic, the trim is standard on the Limited specification. The combo 1.8-liter automatic and works well together, with smooth shifts and a lot of power to the front wheels of the 2877-pound sedan to spin.
If you think that almost £ 2,900 is a bit ‘heavy for a small car we do not agree, but the Elantra is actually one of the finer entries in its class. The good news is that the $ 14,995 base model GLS is lighter than 200 pounds. And then, even with the additional tonnage, the Elantra Limited still feel peppy from the line, with an estimated 00-60 times less than nine seconds. The number is not certain country-material world speed record, but it is pretty good for a compact low cost, and a quiet cabin makes it appear less rushed.
Some compact cameras have developed a reputation for sporty driving and handling, but during the Hyundai Elantra certainly looks the part, this is basically a cruiser rather than an expert carver comfortable angle. The front suspension consists of MacPherson struts with coil springs and the hardware back of a rear torsion beam with gas filled shock absorbers hydraulic pipe. Tend to return a sporty setup multi-link feature, but to go on the torsion beam axle Hyundai can keep prices low and still provide a friendly driving.
The Elantra is firmly enough to feel, but with little roll and a good grip. While we were with the less-than-sporty chassis can live, we can not so easily dismiss its steering feel and brakes (or lack thereof). In the latter case, we tried a lot of electronic control setup, but the Elantra helmet seems to lack a real connection with the road. The bike still needs a little ‘weight, but the weight feels artificial.
While there are many new and renewed competition in this segment, no one can boast EPA rating 40 miles per gallon in all its range of models. Hyundai hangs his hat on the fact that competitors have on special high-fuel or diesel models to the site of 4-0 large highway network, and have a positive memory to chew the bit because if you buy a manual or automatic, every Elantra has 29 mpg in city driving and 40 mpg on the highway. Which is awesome, but when the rubber met the road, we could just about 31 mpg during our week of mixed driving, with the family car. That is still rock solid, but a little ‘less than EPA estimated combined mpg of 33
