Driving Impressions

The new 2007 Hyundai Elantra takes some solid strides toward spirited handling. We drove it like we stole it, pushing it harder than it was ever meant to be pushed over twisting bumpy roads, which is not something you would or necessarily should do with a compact car. The Elantra is surprisingly, pleasantly, game, however. When pushed beyond its limits, it didn't do anything unpredictable or dangerous. One thing it doesn't do, surprisingly, is plow the front tires when you stand on the gas in a slow corner. We're not suggesting you drive like that, but we do test like that, because such extremes reveal limits, in this case capabilities of the suspension. It's a rare front-wheel-drive compact car that can pass this test. The Elantra will spin the inside front wheel, but it keeps turning around the corner instead of sliding straight ahead. The suspension engineers have done something right, in the front end of the Elantra. The Elantra is softer all around than the sportier Nissan Sentra or Mazda3. The ride is good, although after a couple hours on a bad freeway, the sharp bumps will wear on you. Overall, it's a good fit for someone who just wants good transportation without attitude. It asks less involvement from the driver than those other two. The brakes are excellent. We really stood on them a few times, and they didn't allow the car to dart or weave while they sharply brought down the speed. The five-speed manual gearbox worked well. Out on the freeway, 80 miles per hour doesn't feel like 80, always a good sign, especially for a compact car. The tachometer shows 3500 rpm at that speed, and it's not in the least bit buzzy. It feels long-legged for such a small car. There's plenty of oomph in the four-cylinder engine, which makes 138 horsepower, nearly matching the Sentra. Our test model had the five-speed, and the engine revved right up to the redline of 6500 rpm, and liked it. It also accelerates away at low rpm in a higher gear, with 136 pound-feet of torque. The Elantra gets about 28 city and 36 miles per gallon. The mileage has been improved by small engine enhancements. It's been tuned to idle at low rpm, so low that sometimes you can't even hear it. But that might not save fuel, at least not with the manual transmission, because it requires a deft touch with the throttle foot to pull out from a standstill without giving it more gas than it needs.

Final Word

With each new model, Hyundai creeps up on the competition, led by the Japanese. The Elantra has at least two assets, interior size and standard safety equipment, that out-do other compact cars. The styling can now hold its own; it's very clean and doesn't try to draw attention to itself. The seats are comfortable, brakes excellent, and cornering good. The revised engine offers the latest four-cylinder technology; it can power the Elantra to 80 miles per hour without much effort, and can deliver 28 city and 36 highway miles per gallon when driven conservatively. With a price that's lower than most other compact cars, the Elantra is a worthy competitor in the class. NewCarTestDrive.com correspondent Sam Moses filed this report from the Columbia River Gorge on the Oregon-Washington border.