2017 hyundai elantra is the best car foryou if you're ready for surprising refinement where you'd least expect to find it. this compact sedan has been fully redesigned,with toned-down styling but a tuned-up driving experience. the cabin is comfortable, fuel economy good, and prices start under eighteen-thousand dollars. of course, this loaded version of the top-linelimited model stickers for almost twenty-eight
2017 Toyota Corolla First Drive Review, grand. so it's not exactly a walk behind thevelvet rope on a shoestring budget. but hyundai is on to something here. i'm chuck giametta. join me for a carpreviewvideo review of the 2017 hyundai elantra. [music intro]
one of this south korean automaker's oldestnameplates, elantra debuted for 1992 and began a dull march through multiple redesigns untilhyundai shook things up with the startling 2011 model. curvaceous and expensive-looking, it generatedshowroom traffic and influenced competitors. this all-new sixth-generation is a littleless radical. the dimensions hardly change - they're almostidentical to those of rivals like the honda civic and toyota corolla -- but the real storyis beneath the skin. hyundai rebuilt the structure transforming how the car feels. the chassis is lighter yet significantly stiffer,fortified with high-strength steel and bonded
with enough aerospace-grade adhesive to drawa bead longer than a football field. it's packed with sound-deadening material, andthe result is a very quiet small sedan that keeps its composure even on rough roads. all three elantra models benefit from thissolid engineering and also from a new generation of hyundai engines. se and upscale limited versions share a four-cylinderwith a little more power and slightly better fuel economy than the one it replaces. butit's more responsive and runs much smoother, contributing to elantra's newfound sense oftranquility. seventy percent of buyers will choose these and while it comes with a manual transmission,
most will option it with the automatic that'sstandard with the limited. acceleration is more than adequate for everydaydriving. get aggressive, though, and you'll quickly discover this powertrain's limits.like the car, it's built for comfort, not for speed. the third model is the aptly named eco. witha tiny turbocharged four-cylinder and dual-clutch automatic transmission, its epa ratings matchthose of similar fuel-economy specials in the civic and ford focus lines. it'll accountfor just five percent of elantra sales, but should reflect what we experienced with these and limited. ride and handling are a revelation. bumpsare absorbed without pounding or wayward body motions and while road manners aren't mazda3 or volkswagen golf sporty, the elantra feels
tossable and just feels confident. that behavior is all the more remarkable becauseelantra doesn't have an independent rear suspension. rivals like the civic, mazda 3, focus andvw's golf and jetta do, but hyundai saved expense and weight by sticking with a lesssophisticated torsion-beam rear axle. it did a great job making it work with this nicelysorted new chassis, though. impressive as well is the upgraded cabin.its design is contemporary and the overall affect is calming. generously sized controls are clearly markedand, like the gearshift, move with a precision that helps this hyundai feel more expensivethan it is.
standard on the eco and part of the eight-hundred-dollarse popular equipment package is a seven-inch infotainment screen and a rearview camera.cruise control, heated mirrors, bluetooth connectivity, android auto and apple carplayare also included. also standard on the eco but a thirteen-hundred-dollar option on seswith the popular equipment package is the tech package. this adds blind-spot detection with rear cross-trafficalert, heated front seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, keyless entry with pushbuttonstart, and led daytime running lights. the limited has all that, replaces cloth upholsterywith leather, and is the only elantra available with onboard navigation. it uses an eight-inch-screenand is part of the twenty-five-hundred-dollar
tech package, which also brings a power moonroofand heated back seats. like the front seats, elantra's rear bench is comfortable and amongthe roomier in class. there's lots of interior storage space andall models get split-folding seatbacks. cargo volume is average, but if you own a limitedor tech-package se you needn't remove the keyfob from your purse or pocket to releasethe trunklid. it pops when you approach - after a short wait -- but because it isn't a powerlid, you'll have to finish the job yourself. there's a lot of safety technology, too - aslong as you spring for the limited, and then add $4,400 for the tech and ultimate packages. only limiteds with the tech package optionare eligible for the $1,900 ultimate package
and its safety features. they'll automatically stop the car to preventa frontal collision, automatically steer it back if you wander from your lane, and automaticallymaintain a set cruise-control distance from traffic ahead. you also get steering-linkedxenon headlights and memory for the driver's seat and mirrors. all limiteds have extra chrome trim and 17-inchalloy wheels instead of 15s or 16s. with the ultimate package, our test limited stickeredfor almost $28,000. that makes it among the more expensive models in the competitive set. of course, a fully loaded se lists for around$21,000. that's very reasonable -- if you
can live without the automatic braking andsuch - and without four-wheel disc brakes. only limiteds have those --- for now. comingin fall 2016 is the turbocharged elantra sport. it'll look a lot like this and have a handling-tunedall-independent suspension and other performance upgrades. it'll also reflect some of the flavorof the forte, elantra's sportier cousin from kia, hyundai's corporate partner. sales of cars in all classes are down as buyersflock to suv's. maybe one way to win over the dwindling number of people who haven't caught crossover fever is to pamper them at reasonable prices. elantra does that. we just wish its laudablesafety features weren't reserved for the privileged few who can afford a loaded limited.
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Sunday, April 16, 2017