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2007 Hyundai Elantra SE Road Test

Another Hit from Hyundai

The all-new 2007 Hyundai Elantra marks the completion of Hyundais 24/7 program - an initiative that comprised 7 new vehicles in 24 months. And what a way to end it. Not only has the Korean auto manufacturer been able to enhance and introduce some pretty spectacular all-new vehicles to the automotive market, such as the Azera, Entourage, Accent, Sonata, Santa Fe and Tucson, but it has maintained its excellent quality and safety standards in the process... not to mention its unique value proposition.

Now in its fourth generation, the Elantra is even better than before. Its sleek new design from headlights to taillights, taking many aerodynamic styling cues from the new Santa Fe, plus its  added safety features and generous interior room make it a leader in the compact segment. The new body style is immediately recognizable with

One after another, Hyundai has churned out new models at an amazing pace. (Photo: Alexandra Straub, American Auto Press)

its curvier façade and sophisticated chrome-accented grille. On the inside, six standard airbags can be found: two advanced front airbags, two front seat-mounted side-impact airbags and two side curtain airbags, protecting front- and rear-seat outboard passengers.

The Elantra has grown up, literally. It has increased 2.2 inches in height and the drivers seating position has also risen by 1.8 inches, enabling a clearer, less obstructed view of the road. Not to mention it opens up more space in the cabin for passengers and cargo. Furthermore, its width has

The Elantra has grown in all directions, but the biggest gain is interior volume, which is amongst the most in class. (Photo: Alexandra Straub, American Auto Press)

also increased by 2 inches, resulting in more front and rear shoulder room. Adding up its 97.9 cu-ft of passenger room and 14.2 cu-ft of trunk space makes the Elantra the largest and roomiest sedan in its class. In fact, its so roomy that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) classifies it as a midsize sedan rather than a compact. The Elantras total interior volume of 112.1 cu-ft exceeds the 2006 Civic sedan at 102.9 cu-ft, 2006 Corolla at 103.8 cu-ft, and even the premium-brand 2006 Acura TL at 110.4 cu-ft. Elantra trunk capacity also bests Civic and Corolla. Its 18 percent roomier than Civic and 5 percent more spacious than Corolla.

Dashboard and console layout are not complicated. (Photo: Alexandra Straub, American Auto Press)

My roommate, or I guess I should say former roommate, got married during the weekend that I had the Elantra. Her wedding was in Seattle, which gave me the opportunity to 1) take the 4-door, midsize sedan on a mini road trip and 2) put all this room to the test. I had three additional adults in the car, a trunk full of gear and, true to the EPAs classification, everyone reported that they were extremely comfortable. They were impressed by how much leg and headroom there was which made for a pain-free drive, despite more than three hours there and the three-plus hour return drive. And as the one behind the wheel, I felt good the whole way down and throughout the week due to its plush but nevertheless

Features such as heated seats and steering-wheel mounted controls are great to have. (Photo: Alexandra Straub, American Auto Press)

firm seats, relatively quiet cabin (even at highway speeds) and its compliant four-wheel independent suspension.

Adding to my comfort, the SE trim of my tester came with optional heated front seats, despite being a cloth-upholstered cabin, which were perfect for the chilly weather. There were also standard steering-wheel mounted audio controls, which enabled me to adjust radio stations and the volume depending on my passengers preferences, and a glass sunroof (part of the option package that included the heated seats) was also included to let the sunshine in when it finally poked through the clouds. Other features that added to the Elantras upscale ambience included keyless entry, power door locks, windows and mirrors, fog lights, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, tilt and power steering, an AM/FM/CD/MP3 player, and heated

The Elantra offers acres of legroom. Four people to carry? No problem at all. (Photo: Alexandra Straub, American Auto Press)

mirrors.
One of the benefits of my mini road trip was the ability to test out the fuel economy of the Elantra, fully laden. Its estimated fuel consumption is 28 mpg in the city and 36 on the highway, but of course by EPA standards this would be a car with only a driver on board and no cargo, not to mention any hills or curves on the chosen course, for that matter. All I know is that I filled up before we left and then made the round trip of over 400 miles, and in the end still had a quarter tank of gas left. Eventually, the gas gauge got pretty low but I ended up with almost 500 miles to a single tank. So it seems, the Elantras 2.0L, 16-valve, DOHC four-cylinder is a modest fuel consumer despite its robust 138 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 136 lb-ft of torque at 4,600; enough power to get where I needed to go promptly. My test model came equipped with the optional 4-speed automatic transmission (a 5-speed manual transmission is standard),

Not particularly sporty, but definitely refined. (Photo: Alexandra Straub, American Auto Press)

which I liked quite a bit. It makes city driving effortless and highway driving equally trouble-free. And with the addition of the steering-wheel mounted cruise control buttons, life gets even better when on the open road. It should be mentioned that some in this class get continuously variable transmissions (CVT), a technology that normally allows for better performance and reduced fuel economy, while the Honda Civic offers a 5-speed transmission; the only compact to do so. Theres nothing wrong with the 4-speed, as mentioned, its just that its one gear shy of being a market segment leader.

Just the same, my week with the Elantra was full of positive experiences. For another example, the untypical mid-autumn weather took the West Coast by storm... snowstorm that is. While I had every confidence in the front-wheel drive sedan to help me brave through the powdered white fluff scattered throughout the city, I cant begin to say how impressed I was when push came to shovel! OK, just kidding about the shovel. One particular example

Good traction from wide tires; keeping it in "L" helps. (Photo: Alexandra Straub, American Auto Press)

comes to mind. As I was going to my temporary home -- I was babysitting for duration of my test drive -- in an area called the North Shore (for those unfamiliar with this region, its filled with steep hills, windy roads and a great deal of the snow that hits the city), there is one particular hill that takes me down and up to the house where I was staying. Now, the snow was falling pretty heavily on top of the already icy roads (the ice thanks to a previous dump of snow), therefore the roads were extra slick. As I put the automatic transmission into the lowest gear (L), I let the engine take charge of the braking, although I assisted by lightly braking as well. Not once did the Elantra skid from side to side, lose traction or make me feel in the least bit uncomfortable. I was astounded. In my rearview mirror I glanced at the four-wheel drive truck behind me struggling to stay on a straight course. I would like to hand credit for the excellently-executed snow navigating to the driver (ahem), but it was a collaborative effort of the P205/55HR16 all season tires which gripped the covered road so well, the engines 136 lb-ft of torque that allowed for engine

There are very few faults to find in the new Elantra. Its going to make a lot of buyers very happy. (Photo: Alexandra Straub, American Auto Press)

braking, the front ventilated disc brakes and rear drums with four-wheel ABS and electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD), plus the overall excellent engineering of this fine sedan.

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