Hyundai Elantra Deals

2009 Hyundai Elantra Review

Not to be overlooked.

Ever since the Elantra came on the scene in 1992, Hyundai never gave much incentive to consider one beyond its low price. That philosophy, however, suddenly became invalid as of last year, when a ground-up redesign pushed the Elantra into the upper ranks of compact cars.

To be sure, the new Elantra doesn't drive much better than the old. Despite Hyundai's claims to have livened things up, it still has numb, somewhat abrupt steering and a body that leans too much. A floaty suspension means ride quality ain't so great, either, and the engine can get noisy when revved. Still, the Elantra's easy to drive, performs fine in all respects, and it now gets good gas mileage. Also, Hyundai's choice to fit the Elantra with all-disc brakes and a multilink suspension suggest it was held to a high standard of engineering.

What truly sets a standard is the new interior. In addition to having near-perfect ergonomics, everything feels expensive and looks downright stunning. The comfortable driver's seat fits anyone and everyone, and the Elantra takes the class crown for interior room, with a roomy, supportive back seat that's the equal of most mid-size sedans.

The really great thing is that Hyundai's competitive pricing (about K lower than competitors) is still part of the equation. So is its enticing 5-year warranty -- which, considering the Elantra's outstanding first-year repair record, you may never need. As you can see, the Elantra gives plenty of reasons to be chosen over the Japanese small car leaders.