"Unfortunately, I will never buy the exceedingly logical Hyundai Elantra Blue. Instead, I will talk myself into a worn-out Euro sedan with bad wiring and a pervasive antifreeze odor. What is wrong with me? Don’t listen to me. Buy the Hyundai Elantra Blue."
Wow Steve, I don't know if my thoughts have ever been summed up so perfectly.
Add an Elantra Touring rear sway bar and some good wheels and tires and the appliance is at least entertaining to drive. Trust me on that one.
These trim level names really have me scratching my head. That Elantra looks gray to me.
You're right, Matt. The name doesn't make sense to me, either!
When you want toast, you put bread in a toaster. When that bread pops up, you aren’t expecting anything more than toast. Having a better-looking or fancier toaster is not going to make that toast appreciably better. The point is that sometimes an appliance is simply a device used to get a job done efficiently and with little fuss. It’s not a statement.
And we pay the Hyundai Elantra high praise when we call it a stellar driving appliance.
Starting at under $15k (our loaded test car stickered under $18,000), the Elantra won't be on anyone’s short list of must-drive cars anytime soon. But by delivering over 30 mpg during our mixed driving stint, and by doing so with a minimal amount of fuss and a maximal amount of user-friendliness, the Elantra manages to elevate the status of driving appliance from something to be pitied to something to be admired.
Our tester came loaded with a decent stereo plus iPod and aux stereo jacks. Its five speed shifted smoothly except for a bit of a one-to-two crunch, indicating that whoever had the car before us got their money’s worth. The ultra-low-emission 2-liter produced 138 horsepower. While the Elantra probably won’t be your favorite track weapon, it packs more than enough power to handle the commute without having to shoot any gaps to maintain momentum.
Another plus is the fact that visibility to all corners is better than average for a modern car. The overall packaging and ergonomics of the car are excellent. A wide variety of drivers got comfortable in our tester and found every button, dial and switch they needed to go about the business of driving.
Look, the Elantra isn’t a sports sedan, but it isn’t trying to be. It’s a pure driving appliance, and we respect its honest, no-nonsense approach to that job. It makes delicious toast.
You'll need to log in to post.
