mmcartalk
Expert
- Messages
- 4,159
- Reactions
- 2,675
I got a request for a new Elantra review...so I thought I'd share it with you guys, though probably not a lot of you are interested in this car.
MM Full-Review: 2017 Hyundai Elantra
By request, a Review of the 2017 Hyundai Elantra
https://www.hyundaiusa.com/elantra/index.aspx
IN A NUTSHELL: Much more conventional styling for this latest-generation Elantra (and I prefer it myself).
CLOSEST AMERICAN-MARKET COMPETITORS: Kia Forte, Ford Focus, Chevrolet Cruze, Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, Nissan Sentra, Subaru Impreza, Dodge Dart (which may soon be discontinued), VW Jetta, Mazda3, and Jeep Compass (which is actually a redone FWD compact car)
;
;
;
;
;
;
;
;
OVERVIEW:
Like most other Hyundai and Kia products, the Elantra, which has proven to be quite popular in the American market, has come a long way from the days when Hyundais and Kias were the butt of jokes on the late-night TV shows......even with Jay Leno, himself a car enthusiast. These vehicles were promoted and sold mostly on the attractiveness of their low base prices, which allowed many potential buyers to drive home a brand-new, rather than used, vehicle. But, as was often the case back then (and with similar poorly-built vehicles of the era with American nameplates)....you generally got what you paid for. Hyundai and Kia buyers were saddled with inexpensive but unreliable vehicles, frequent breakdowns, and many trips to the dealer for more than just routine service. It got to the point where Hyundai (which bought out Kia and made it a division), under new management, finally got serious in the late 1990s and early 2000s about offering better products. Prices started going up some, but so did quality...big time (there's probably no free lunch in the auto business, but Hyundai did offer much better vehicles at only moderately increased prices....still considered a good value).
And, of course, the warranty vastly increased as well.....a Hyundai/Kia attempt to convince potential customers that the bad old days were gone (which, in fact, WERE gone, though some people are still mistakenly skeptical even today). The well-known 10/100 and 5/60 limited warranty is still one of the best in the auto business...though only the 5/60 part of it is transferable outside of your immediate family (parents, brother, sister, etc... if the vehicle is sold). The Elantra, reflecting the increased quality of the entire Hyundai/Kia line, became a credible competitor to the always-popular Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic. Over the years, and for five model-generations, Elantras were offered (even in the American market) in numerous body styles, including coupes, sedans, hatchbacks, and wagons. Some versions, of course (mainly the sedans and hatchbacks) sold better than the coupes and wagons, so, for the latest models, that is essentially what remains.
For 2017, in the American-market (the subject of this review), the latest 6th-generation Elantra four-door sedan is offered in two basic trim levels....the SE ($17,150), and Limited ($22,350). The 5-door hatchback, using much of the last-generation platform and interior, is carried on as a 2016 model, but using a similar grille. to the new sedan. The sedan (which I will stick to in this review), offers a non-turbo 2.0L inline four of 147 HP and 132 ft-lbs. of torque. SE models come with a choice of 6-speed manual or 6-speed Shift-tronic automatic transmissions.......Limited models have the automatic standard. Both versions are FWD only...no AWD is offered, Hyundai and Kia are not very good about offering AWD in regular passenger cars...they generally limit it to SUVs.
As usual during a review, I sat in and examined several different SE and Limited interiors, both in monotone and two-tone, but, for the actual test-drive, chose a bright blue, lightly-optioned SE automatic, as I figured that is the way the majority of them would probably be sold. It listed for just a hair over 20K. The Limited version has a little nicer trim inside and out (more chrome outside, leather seats and steering wheel rim inside, etc.....), and some more standard equipment, but I'm not sure if it's worth the extra $5-6K on the asking price...you, of course, as a shopper, will have to decide that for yourself. A conventional 3-pedal manual transmission, of course, is available on SE models, but my guess is that there will be relatively few takers in the American market......so I didn't bother with it.
I was able to visit a brand-new Hyundai shop today (and huge one at that)...that had just opened in the middle of a group of about 15 or so large and impressive dealerships in a huge and I mean enormous) auto-sales-park where I often do other reviews and/or shop with people. Like all the other dealerships there, this Hyundai shop was not only enormous in size, but physically very impressive as well. The Northern Virginia D.C. suburbs have a lot of money and car sales (arguably second only to Los Angeles)....and the auto manufacturers know it, and open a lot of major franchises here....and across the river in suburban Maryland.
MODEL REVIEWED: 2017 Elantra SE Automatic
BASE PRICE: $18,150
OPTIONS:
Popular Equipment Package: $800
Carpeted Mats: $125
Cargo Tray: $100
Rear Bumper Protector: $70
DESTINATION/FREIGHT: $835 (slightly high, but not too bad for a vehicle this size)
LIST PRICE AS REVIEWED: $20,080
DRIVETRAIN: FWD, transversely-mounted in line, non-turbo 2.0L four, 147 HP @ 6200 RPM, Torque 132 Ft-lbs. @ 4500 RPM, 6-speed Shift-Tronic automatic transmission.
EPA MILEAGE RATING: 29 City, 38 Highway, 33 Combined (1 MPG less with the Pop-Tech package, which my test-car had)
EXTERIOR COLOR: Electric Blue
INTERIOR: Gray Cloth
PLUSSES:
Superb warranty...but only the 5/60 part is transferable outside the family.
Reasonably peppy engine despite low power-ratings.
ECO/NORMAL/SPORT driving-mode selector unusual in this class of vehicle.
Smooth, seamless automatic transmission.
Fairly well-placed brake pedal for large feet/shoes.
Generally good steering response.
Relatively nice underhood layout for DIY'ers.
(Mostly) durable-feeling interior materials and hardware...but not very plush-looking.
Well-designed, easy-to-use control/button layout.
Adequate head/legroom in the front seat for tall persons.
Remote rear-seat pulls and available First-Aid-Kit not often found in this class.
Easy-to-decipher buttons/tabs on the steering-wheel spokes.
Generally nice paint-color options.
Generally solid body sheet-metal.
Reasonably solid-closing doors.
Strong trunk-lid springs probably won't wear out quickly.
MINUSES:
Significant road noise, even on brand-new tires.
Moderate body roll.
Adequate but so-so paint job by today's standards.
Cheaply-finished cargo area.
Tight rear-seat headroom and entry/exit for tall persons.
No body-side moldings for parking-lot ding-protection.
Heavy steel hood needs some physical strength to raise and lower with the manual prop-rod.
Unimpressive front seat comfort for large adults.
Interior finish could be nicer.
Intermittent-wiper-control somewhat awkward to operate.
EXTERIOR:
Outside, there's no doubt that the front end of this latest Elantra is a major redesign. Gone is the radical Space-Age look of the previous car. In front, the former slit-grille and sharply swept-back cat's-eye headlights on the old model have been replaced with a substantially more conventional looking front end with a hexagonal trapezoid-grille and headlights somewhat similar to that on the new big-brother Sonata (also more conservatively-styled this time). The Elantra, though, unlike the Sonata, has large L-shaped inlets on the side of the grille instead of smaller horizontal ones. In back, the rear end has not been reworked quite as much...there are strong similarities to the old design, but with only some minor changes in the rear lights/bumper and trunk lid. The body sheet metal itself is pretty well-done, and seems to be of a reasonably solid and strong grade, though the heavy hood can be rather cumbersome to lift....more on that below. The twin body-side mirrors come in two versions...on the SE with small convex sub-mirrors built into them for wider-vision, like those standard on many Ford products), and on the Limited, with electronic blind-spot indicators......I like both of those features myself. The mirrors themselves swing/snap and lock fairly slickly and crisply, though not as slick as on some past Elantras. The paint jobs were probably adequate for the price, but I wasn't terribly impressed with them by today's standards....they were smoothly done, but without a whole lot in the way of gloss or shine. Compensating for that, though, is a fairly nice array of eight different paint colors, including electric blue, a slightly darker blue, and bright red. And, all eight colors are available on both the SE and Limited trims.....some automakers purposely restrict certain colors to certain trim lines, which IMO is ridiculous. Unfortunately, like many other new vehicles today, there is no body-side moulding to protect the paint from parking-lot dings, though some vehicles are starting to bring that feature back, if not standard, than as an option or accessory (I guess I wasn't the only one complaining about their absence). And, opening and closing the doors, although not like the bank-vaults on a Mercedes G-Wagon, gives one a reasonably pleasant and solid thunk.
UNDERHOOD:
Raise the rather heavy steel hood (it requires some effort, especially with the manual prop-rod). Underneath the hood is a nice insulation pad. Once up and propped, the underhood layout is relatively good for Do-it-Yourselfers. The transversely-mounted 2.0L four (made simpler by the lack of a turbo) fits in quite well, with a fair amount of room to reach engine-components around the sides of the block, though the large plastic engine cover blocks a lot of top-engine access. The battery is located to the right, uncovered, with open and free access to the battery itself and negative terminal though a snap-cover needs to be removed to reach the positive terminal. All of the dipsticks, filler-caps, and fluid-reservoirs are easily visible and easy to reach.
INTERIOR:
Inside, like the outside, there are a lot of changes between the last version and this latest one. And, like with the exterior, the changes have done away with the former Space-Age look inside and gone back to a sharply more conservative design. Gone are the wild swoops on the dash/console and tunnel-gauges. Indeed, the new design reminds me of many interiors and dashes from the 1990s. (I'm not complaining, though.....I happen to like the conservative look myself).
With a couple of exceptions, Hyundai has also used what feels like are pretty durable materials inside, too, though they tend to IMO at least), have a somewhat dull and drab look...you definitely won't mistake this interior for a Jaguar XJ or Audi A8. But, the only really cheap-feeling things I could find inside, even on the base SE model, were the fairly small and somewhat wobbly knobs on the center-dash and the somewhat flimsy, awkward-operating slide-tab for the stalk for the intermittent wiper-controls. Virtually of the plastics may have looked cheap (like on the sun visors), but actually felt quite strong and solid. Somewhat soft-feeling material is used to line the upper-dash and some parts of door panels, while relatively hard plastic is used on other surfaces. Unfortunately, there is no wood-tone trim, even on the two-tone beige interior.....you have dull grayish strips instead. There are no chrome surfaces either......the inside door handles are a dull painted-silver. I liked the way the steering-wheel controls were integrated into the spokes...easy to see and use at a glance, where some automakers use confusing symbols and patterns. The primary gauges no longer perch deep down in asymmetrical tunnels, and are easy to read at a glance. An optional $1300 Tech package for the SE interior perks it up a little in both the looks and equipment departments, and makes it look a little more like the Limited inside, but neither one really is what I would consider plush. And I wasn't terribly impressed with the front seats in either version. Both the SE fabric seats and the Limited perforated-leather seats had the typical Hyundai/Kia firmness in the cushions (Subaru seats also tend to be quite firm)......a little too firm for my tastes, as I tend to like soft cushy seats). And, on both versions, the cushions and bolsters were just slightly too narrow for my big frame, though they were not sharply-bolstered, and the seats are clearly not sport-oriented. Headroom and legroom in the front seats were fine for taller persons my size (I'm 6' 2"), though, on the SE, you have to pump a hand-lever up and down manually to adjust the height. Limited models, of course, come with power seats. In the rear, the droop-down rear roofline, as with many other sedans today, impacts on headroom and ease of entry/exit for tall persons. Rear legroom, on the average, is about what out usually expect on sedans this size....fine for smaller adults, but a little tight for people my size.
(I apologize for forgetting to check the stereo sound quality and tuning like I usually do...I didn't remember it until after I had left the Hyundai shop and was grabbing lunch in a nice Mongolian Stir-Fry place I like. I decided not to go back and bother the Hyundai people to grab the key again just for that. Most compact sedans in this size and price range, however, have decent but not killer stereos.......as have some previous Elantras I've sampled)
CARGO COMPARTMENT/TRUNK:
Like with most of today's sedans, the sharply-raked rear window and roofline impacts on the size of the trunk-lid, making it somewhat smaller than it would otherwise be. But there is still adequate room to stuff in all but the largest packages/boxes/bags through the opening. The pull-up lever for the trunk lid, under the drivers' seat on the floor, and the strong trunk-springs work very effectively...the lid snaps open and up to attention like a military recruit with a drill instructor. The actual size of the trunk itself is about average for a car this size....but, IMO it is poorly-finished, even for a car of this low price, with cheaply-lined floor and walls*. Under the floor are the jacking tools and the usual temporary spare tire. One nice compensation, though, for the poorly-finished trunk, is a remote handle-pull for the split-rear seats, so that you can do it from the rear bumper (and expand the cargo space) while standing up, and not have to stoop your back and reach far forward into the trunk to do so. That's a feature not often found on cars in this class. A First-Aid-Kit for the trunk (a $30 option) is also available...something else not often found in cars of this class.
*(I'll also add that, while the basic trunk itself was poorly finished/carpeted, my test car came with an optional $100 "Cargo-Tray", which was not a solid tray per se (or a rubber cargo-bed-cover like in Subarus and some SUVs)...but actually a nicely-carpeted floor rug with ELANTRA letters sewn into it).
ON THE ROAD:
One starts up the normally-aspirated 2.0L in-line four with a conventional ignition key and side-column switch....Limited and some package-option SE models have a button instead. The engine starts up and idles with a decent amount of refinement by in-line-four standards. On the road, the engine still shows a decent amount of refinement for this class, and, despite its low power rating (only 132 ft-lbs. of torque) manages to get out of its own way, even in the ECO and NORMAL drive-setting modes. In SPORT mode, the low-speed throttle response is noticeably stronger...it even manages to feel like a small V6. Not only that, but having a drive-mode select like that, of course, is unusual in the first place for a run-of-the-mill compact sedan in this class.
The 6-speed Shift-Tronic transmission is quiet, and shifts with Lexus or Buick smoothness and refinement, whether in automatic or auto-manual mode...though, of course, with a brand-new engine, I didn't push it too hard. Steering response from the rather numb-feel electric power steering was moderately quick, but also, with sharp inputs, produced noticeable body roll. Wind noise was well-controlled, but road noise was quite noticeable, especially on grainy/porous pavement, even with the brand-new tires (like some other small-car manufacturers, Hyundai may be skimping a little in wheel-well insulation). Ride comfort, with the tires set at the recommended 35 PSI front/rear, was a little firm despite the body roll.....but not what I would consider harsh or uncomfortable by any means. The brakes were generally effective, and the brake pedal, unlike with some other vehicles, was placed in a position that allowed my big Men's-size-15 circus-clown shoes a fairly easy shift from the gas pedal to the brake without brushing or getting hung up on the brake-pedal rim.
THE VERDICT:
Styling, of course is subjective...one person's eyesore may be another person's object of beauty. In my personal opinion, though, Hyundai has done a noticeably better styling job, inside and out, on this latest Elantra than was the case with its over-swoopy and sharply-angled predecessor. Similar tone-down features on the styling also seem to be coming into play on the latest versions of other Hyundai sedans, such as the Sonata and Accent. Inside, generally nice (though plain-looking) materials are used, though IMO seat comfort could be improved a little for large persons. On the road, there's a nice combination of engine/transmission refinement, and adequate power even with the low rating, though this is not the most expertly-designed chassis/suspension I have ever driven. The paint gloss, while OK by today's standards, could also be improved a little.
Overall, though, it must be remembered that this is an affordable (even cheap by today's standards) car, not intended to be a rolling living-room or a sharp-handing sports-sedan. It delivers well (or at least decently) for the price. It is an ideal starter-car for, say, a college student or someone else on a low budget (as is Hyundai's own Accent, the Elantra's smaller brother). And, yes, this latest Elantra, like the past several versions, remains a credible competitor to the big-selling Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic...and solidly trumping both of them with its basic warranty. For $20,000 on this Elantra SE, I'd say it's money that could have spent in a lot of worse ways.
And, as always......Happy car-shopping.
MM
MM Full-Review: 2017 Hyundai Elantra
By request, a Review of the 2017 Hyundai Elantra
https://www.hyundaiusa.com/elantra/index.aspx
IN A NUTSHELL: Much more conventional styling for this latest-generation Elantra (and I prefer it myself).
CLOSEST AMERICAN-MARKET COMPETITORS: Kia Forte, Ford Focus, Chevrolet Cruze, Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, Nissan Sentra, Subaru Impreza, Dodge Dart (which may soon be discontinued), VW Jetta, Mazda3, and Jeep Compass (which is actually a redone FWD compact car)
;
;
;
;
;
;
;
;
OVERVIEW:
Like most other Hyundai and Kia products, the Elantra, which has proven to be quite popular in the American market, has come a long way from the days when Hyundais and Kias were the butt of jokes on the late-night TV shows......even with Jay Leno, himself a car enthusiast. These vehicles were promoted and sold mostly on the attractiveness of their low base prices, which allowed many potential buyers to drive home a brand-new, rather than used, vehicle. But, as was often the case back then (and with similar poorly-built vehicles of the era with American nameplates)....you generally got what you paid for. Hyundai and Kia buyers were saddled with inexpensive but unreliable vehicles, frequent breakdowns, and many trips to the dealer for more than just routine service. It got to the point where Hyundai (which bought out Kia and made it a division), under new management, finally got serious in the late 1990s and early 2000s about offering better products. Prices started going up some, but so did quality...big time (there's probably no free lunch in the auto business, but Hyundai did offer much better vehicles at only moderately increased prices....still considered a good value).
And, of course, the warranty vastly increased as well.....a Hyundai/Kia attempt to convince potential customers that the bad old days were gone (which, in fact, WERE gone, though some people are still mistakenly skeptical even today). The well-known 10/100 and 5/60 limited warranty is still one of the best in the auto business...though only the 5/60 part of it is transferable outside of your immediate family (parents, brother, sister, etc... if the vehicle is sold). The Elantra, reflecting the increased quality of the entire Hyundai/Kia line, became a credible competitor to the always-popular Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic. Over the years, and for five model-generations, Elantras were offered (even in the American market) in numerous body styles, including coupes, sedans, hatchbacks, and wagons. Some versions, of course (mainly the sedans and hatchbacks) sold better than the coupes and wagons, so, for the latest models, that is essentially what remains.
For 2017, in the American-market (the subject of this review), the latest 6th-generation Elantra four-door sedan is offered in two basic trim levels....the SE ($17,150), and Limited ($22,350). The 5-door hatchback, using much of the last-generation platform and interior, is carried on as a 2016 model, but using a similar grille. to the new sedan. The sedan (which I will stick to in this review), offers a non-turbo 2.0L inline four of 147 HP and 132 ft-lbs. of torque. SE models come with a choice of 6-speed manual or 6-speed Shift-tronic automatic transmissions.......Limited models have the automatic standard. Both versions are FWD only...no AWD is offered, Hyundai and Kia are not very good about offering AWD in regular passenger cars...they generally limit it to SUVs.
As usual during a review, I sat in and examined several different SE and Limited interiors, both in monotone and two-tone, but, for the actual test-drive, chose a bright blue, lightly-optioned SE automatic, as I figured that is the way the majority of them would probably be sold. It listed for just a hair over 20K. The Limited version has a little nicer trim inside and out (more chrome outside, leather seats and steering wheel rim inside, etc.....), and some more standard equipment, but I'm not sure if it's worth the extra $5-6K on the asking price...you, of course, as a shopper, will have to decide that for yourself. A conventional 3-pedal manual transmission, of course, is available on SE models, but my guess is that there will be relatively few takers in the American market......so I didn't bother with it.
I was able to visit a brand-new Hyundai shop today (and huge one at that)...that had just opened in the middle of a group of about 15 or so large and impressive dealerships in a huge and I mean enormous) auto-sales-park where I often do other reviews and/or shop with people. Like all the other dealerships there, this Hyundai shop was not only enormous in size, but physically very impressive as well. The Northern Virginia D.C. suburbs have a lot of money and car sales (arguably second only to Los Angeles)....and the auto manufacturers know it, and open a lot of major franchises here....and across the river in suburban Maryland.
MODEL REVIEWED: 2017 Elantra SE Automatic
BASE PRICE: $18,150
OPTIONS:
Popular Equipment Package: $800
Carpeted Mats: $125
Cargo Tray: $100
Rear Bumper Protector: $70
DESTINATION/FREIGHT: $835 (slightly high, but not too bad for a vehicle this size)
LIST PRICE AS REVIEWED: $20,080
DRIVETRAIN: FWD, transversely-mounted in line, non-turbo 2.0L four, 147 HP @ 6200 RPM, Torque 132 Ft-lbs. @ 4500 RPM, 6-speed Shift-Tronic automatic transmission.
EPA MILEAGE RATING: 29 City, 38 Highway, 33 Combined (1 MPG less with the Pop-Tech package, which my test-car had)
EXTERIOR COLOR: Electric Blue
INTERIOR: Gray Cloth
PLUSSES:
Superb warranty...but only the 5/60 part is transferable outside the family.
Reasonably peppy engine despite low power-ratings.
ECO/NORMAL/SPORT driving-mode selector unusual in this class of vehicle.
Smooth, seamless automatic transmission.
Fairly well-placed brake pedal for large feet/shoes.
Generally good steering response.
Relatively nice underhood layout for DIY'ers.
(Mostly) durable-feeling interior materials and hardware...but not very plush-looking.
Well-designed, easy-to-use control/button layout.
Adequate head/legroom in the front seat for tall persons.
Remote rear-seat pulls and available First-Aid-Kit not often found in this class.
Easy-to-decipher buttons/tabs on the steering-wheel spokes.
Generally nice paint-color options.
Generally solid body sheet-metal.
Reasonably solid-closing doors.
Strong trunk-lid springs probably won't wear out quickly.
MINUSES:
Significant road noise, even on brand-new tires.
Moderate body roll.
Adequate but so-so paint job by today's standards.
Cheaply-finished cargo area.
Tight rear-seat headroom and entry/exit for tall persons.
No body-side moldings for parking-lot ding-protection.
Heavy steel hood needs some physical strength to raise and lower with the manual prop-rod.
Unimpressive front seat comfort for large adults.
Interior finish could be nicer.
Intermittent-wiper-control somewhat awkward to operate.
EXTERIOR:
Outside, there's no doubt that the front end of this latest Elantra is a major redesign. Gone is the radical Space-Age look of the previous car. In front, the former slit-grille and sharply swept-back cat's-eye headlights on the old model have been replaced with a substantially more conventional looking front end with a hexagonal trapezoid-grille and headlights somewhat similar to that on the new big-brother Sonata (also more conservatively-styled this time). The Elantra, though, unlike the Sonata, has large L-shaped inlets on the side of the grille instead of smaller horizontal ones. In back, the rear end has not been reworked quite as much...there are strong similarities to the old design, but with only some minor changes in the rear lights/bumper and trunk lid. The body sheet metal itself is pretty well-done, and seems to be of a reasonably solid and strong grade, though the heavy hood can be rather cumbersome to lift....more on that below. The twin body-side mirrors come in two versions...on the SE with small convex sub-mirrors built into them for wider-vision, like those standard on many Ford products), and on the Limited, with electronic blind-spot indicators......I like both of those features myself. The mirrors themselves swing/snap and lock fairly slickly and crisply, though not as slick as on some past Elantras. The paint jobs were probably adequate for the price, but I wasn't terribly impressed with them by today's standards....they were smoothly done, but without a whole lot in the way of gloss or shine. Compensating for that, though, is a fairly nice array of eight different paint colors, including electric blue, a slightly darker blue, and bright red. And, all eight colors are available on both the SE and Limited trims.....some automakers purposely restrict certain colors to certain trim lines, which IMO is ridiculous. Unfortunately, like many other new vehicles today, there is no body-side moulding to protect the paint from parking-lot dings, though some vehicles are starting to bring that feature back, if not standard, than as an option or accessory (I guess I wasn't the only one complaining about their absence). And, opening and closing the doors, although not like the bank-vaults on a Mercedes G-Wagon, gives one a reasonably pleasant and solid thunk.
UNDERHOOD:
Raise the rather heavy steel hood (it requires some effort, especially with the manual prop-rod). Underneath the hood is a nice insulation pad. Once up and propped, the underhood layout is relatively good for Do-it-Yourselfers. The transversely-mounted 2.0L four (made simpler by the lack of a turbo) fits in quite well, with a fair amount of room to reach engine-components around the sides of the block, though the large plastic engine cover blocks a lot of top-engine access. The battery is located to the right, uncovered, with open and free access to the battery itself and negative terminal though a snap-cover needs to be removed to reach the positive terminal. All of the dipsticks, filler-caps, and fluid-reservoirs are easily visible and easy to reach.
INTERIOR:
Inside, like the outside, there are a lot of changes between the last version and this latest one. And, like with the exterior, the changes have done away with the former Space-Age look inside and gone back to a sharply more conservative design. Gone are the wild swoops on the dash/console and tunnel-gauges. Indeed, the new design reminds me of many interiors and dashes from the 1990s. (I'm not complaining, though.....I happen to like the conservative look myself).
With a couple of exceptions, Hyundai has also used what feels like are pretty durable materials inside, too, though they tend to IMO at least), have a somewhat dull and drab look...you definitely won't mistake this interior for a Jaguar XJ or Audi A8. But, the only really cheap-feeling things I could find inside, even on the base SE model, were the fairly small and somewhat wobbly knobs on the center-dash and the somewhat flimsy, awkward-operating slide-tab for the stalk for the intermittent wiper-controls. Virtually of the plastics may have looked cheap (like on the sun visors), but actually felt quite strong and solid. Somewhat soft-feeling material is used to line the upper-dash and some parts of door panels, while relatively hard plastic is used on other surfaces. Unfortunately, there is no wood-tone trim, even on the two-tone beige interior.....you have dull grayish strips instead. There are no chrome surfaces either......the inside door handles are a dull painted-silver. I liked the way the steering-wheel controls were integrated into the spokes...easy to see and use at a glance, where some automakers use confusing symbols and patterns. The primary gauges no longer perch deep down in asymmetrical tunnels, and are easy to read at a glance. An optional $1300 Tech package for the SE interior perks it up a little in both the looks and equipment departments, and makes it look a little more like the Limited inside, but neither one really is what I would consider plush. And I wasn't terribly impressed with the front seats in either version. Both the SE fabric seats and the Limited perforated-leather seats had the typical Hyundai/Kia firmness in the cushions (Subaru seats also tend to be quite firm)......a little too firm for my tastes, as I tend to like soft cushy seats). And, on both versions, the cushions and bolsters were just slightly too narrow for my big frame, though they were not sharply-bolstered, and the seats are clearly not sport-oriented. Headroom and legroom in the front seats were fine for taller persons my size (I'm 6' 2"), though, on the SE, you have to pump a hand-lever up and down manually to adjust the height. Limited models, of course, come with power seats. In the rear, the droop-down rear roofline, as with many other sedans today, impacts on headroom and ease of entry/exit for tall persons. Rear legroom, on the average, is about what out usually expect on sedans this size....fine for smaller adults, but a little tight for people my size.
(I apologize for forgetting to check the stereo sound quality and tuning like I usually do...I didn't remember it until after I had left the Hyundai shop and was grabbing lunch in a nice Mongolian Stir-Fry place I like. I decided not to go back and bother the Hyundai people to grab the key again just for that. Most compact sedans in this size and price range, however, have decent but not killer stereos.......as have some previous Elantras I've sampled)
CARGO COMPARTMENT/TRUNK:
Like with most of today's sedans, the sharply-raked rear window and roofline impacts on the size of the trunk-lid, making it somewhat smaller than it would otherwise be. But there is still adequate room to stuff in all but the largest packages/boxes/bags through the opening. The pull-up lever for the trunk lid, under the drivers' seat on the floor, and the strong trunk-springs work very effectively...the lid snaps open and up to attention like a military recruit with a drill instructor. The actual size of the trunk itself is about average for a car this size....but, IMO it is poorly-finished, even for a car of this low price, with cheaply-lined floor and walls*. Under the floor are the jacking tools and the usual temporary spare tire. One nice compensation, though, for the poorly-finished trunk, is a remote handle-pull for the split-rear seats, so that you can do it from the rear bumper (and expand the cargo space) while standing up, and not have to stoop your back and reach far forward into the trunk to do so. That's a feature not often found on cars in this class. A First-Aid-Kit for the trunk (a $30 option) is also available...something else not often found in cars of this class.
*(I'll also add that, while the basic trunk itself was poorly finished/carpeted, my test car came with an optional $100 "Cargo-Tray", which was not a solid tray per se (or a rubber cargo-bed-cover like in Subarus and some SUVs)...but actually a nicely-carpeted floor rug with ELANTRA letters sewn into it).
ON THE ROAD:
One starts up the normally-aspirated 2.0L in-line four with a conventional ignition key and side-column switch....Limited and some package-option SE models have a button instead. The engine starts up and idles with a decent amount of refinement by in-line-four standards. On the road, the engine still shows a decent amount of refinement for this class, and, despite its low power rating (only 132 ft-lbs. of torque) manages to get out of its own way, even in the ECO and NORMAL drive-setting modes. In SPORT mode, the low-speed throttle response is noticeably stronger...it even manages to feel like a small V6. Not only that, but having a drive-mode select like that, of course, is unusual in the first place for a run-of-the-mill compact sedan in this class.
The 6-speed Shift-Tronic transmission is quiet, and shifts with Lexus or Buick smoothness and refinement, whether in automatic or auto-manual mode...though, of course, with a brand-new engine, I didn't push it too hard. Steering response from the rather numb-feel electric power steering was moderately quick, but also, with sharp inputs, produced noticeable body roll. Wind noise was well-controlled, but road noise was quite noticeable, especially on grainy/porous pavement, even with the brand-new tires (like some other small-car manufacturers, Hyundai may be skimping a little in wheel-well insulation). Ride comfort, with the tires set at the recommended 35 PSI front/rear, was a little firm despite the body roll.....but not what I would consider harsh or uncomfortable by any means. The brakes were generally effective, and the brake pedal, unlike with some other vehicles, was placed in a position that allowed my big Men's-size-15 circus-clown shoes a fairly easy shift from the gas pedal to the brake without brushing or getting hung up on the brake-pedal rim.
THE VERDICT:
Styling, of course is subjective...one person's eyesore may be another person's object of beauty. In my personal opinion, though, Hyundai has done a noticeably better styling job, inside and out, on this latest Elantra than was the case with its over-swoopy and sharply-angled predecessor. Similar tone-down features on the styling also seem to be coming into play on the latest versions of other Hyundai sedans, such as the Sonata and Accent. Inside, generally nice (though plain-looking) materials are used, though IMO seat comfort could be improved a little for large persons. On the road, there's a nice combination of engine/transmission refinement, and adequate power even with the low rating, though this is not the most expertly-designed chassis/suspension I have ever driven. The paint gloss, while OK by today's standards, could also be improved a little.
Overall, though, it must be remembered that this is an affordable (even cheap by today's standards) car, not intended to be a rolling living-room or a sharp-handing sports-sedan. It delivers well (or at least decently) for the price. It is an ideal starter-car for, say, a college student or someone else on a low budget (as is Hyundai's own Accent, the Elantra's smaller brother). And, yes, this latest Elantra, like the past several versions, remains a credible competitor to the big-selling Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic...and solidly trumping both of them with its basic warranty. For $20,000 on this Elantra SE, I'd say it's money that could have spent in a lot of worse ways.
And, as always......Happy car-shopping.
MM