mmarshall

http://www.thenewelantra.com/

The Elantra, granted, is not a car that is going to raise a lot of passion on CL but it is a good, solid piece of inexpensive transportation and would be a good choice for a college student or as a commuter car with a few niceties than the Accent.

MSMLexIS

Not the best looking hyundai ever but the interior is really nice and if hyundai quality has continued improving this could become a bst buy in the compact car maket.

videcormeum

The exterior styling is a little bland but the interior sure looks decent.

However, the 2.0L 4cyl they're using to power the new Elantra is essentially a carry-over from the previous model. This 2 liter, while fairly reliable, is a last-generation engine that won't be able to compete with other cars' powerplants in its class in fuel economy or performance measures.

But it'll most likely be priced much lower than the competition and will thus remain a solid value.

M.

spwolf

gazillion times better looking than before, inside or out. thats all it matters.

Of course, it looks a lot like evolution of Corolla, steering wheel is still Korean and it probably is still one step behind in technology, but it really doesnt matter... All that matters is that it is gazillion times better than before.

PhilipMSPT

iTrader: (5)

I wonder how this car will do considering that the next generation Corolla is coming next year? Isn't Toyota getting new 4-cylinder engines for their cars as well?

videcormeum

I wouldn't be surprised if Toyota steps up to a 5-speed auto option or CVT tranny for the Corolla. That's another thing - the Civic is available w/ a 5-spd auto now, as is the Fit - Toyota needs to play catch-up here.

M.

jrock65

Interior is a lot better, for sure.

I'm not totally sold on the exterior. Aggressive front, but the profile lines look a bit awkward. This will be a car that I'll have to see in person to really make a judgment.

What does it mean for the steering wheel to be "Korean"?

PhilipMSPT

iTrader: (5)

I don't know about that either, but then we can also say that Elantra's steering wheel is comparable to the IS and even the Solara...

foofighter

man the exterior is a mix of corolla and vw headlights....

spwolf

well, of course, you have to consider that main reason to buy an Hyundai would be the low price of the vehicle. As such, it compares a lot better to US offerings and other Koreans.

spwolf

heh steering wheel, I dont know how many Hyundai's you sat in, but they usually have these very cheap looking steering wheels that are very oval shaped. Me and my friends that work in our Hyundai dealership call it korean steering wheel, as it is very unattractive and many customers complain about it.

SirLS400

Damn, those Koreans can offer so much for the price. I'm sure this will be priced pretty cheap, but it comes with a lot of standard features. It even comes with "leather seating surfaces," whatever that means (probably just means cheap leather covering or something). Plus heated seats, steering wheel controls, airbags everywhere, 4 wheel disc ABS brakes, 175 watt stereo, power everything, trip computer, heated power mirrors, and 16" alloys.

Not bad at all really, and the engine doesn't seem that bad. It's 138 hp at 2.0L and the Civic is 1.8L 140 hp, that comparable. Although I bet the Civic is lighter and more efficient as it is smaller. They apparently classify this as a midsize and Hyundai is proud to point that out (just like they're proud the Sonata is a large sedan).

Still, the Civic is king right now and this won't change that. The Corolla better bring some serious game as noone can touch the Civic right now (although it's pricey).

spwolf

yeah, except that Corolla outsells Civic :-)

Och

iTrader: (3)

LOL, pwned!

tofu_house

iTrader: (2)

Wait, does it really?