Road Test
Full Test: 2007 Hyundai Elantra
It's not about the warranty
We have a bulletin about the 2007 Hyundai Elantra: It's not all about the warranty anymore.
Sure, it's hard to complain about Hyundai's 100,000-mile warranty, but the all-new 2007 Hyundai Elantra is so good, it can stand on its own merits. This all-new redesign of Hyundai's compact sedan is more spacious, better built, more fuel-efficient and even more responsive to drive.
Yes, the 100,000-mile warranty adds a dimension to the 2007 Hyundai Elantra that other small sedans don't have, but you'll care more about this front-wheel-drive Hyundai's practical, enthusiastic personality on the road than the paperwork in the glovebox.
Would you believe it's midsize?
Thanks to its comprehensive makeover, the 2007 Hyundai Elantra sedan's overall interior volume has ballooned to 112.1 cubic feet, which makes it one of the most spacious small sedans on the market. Compared to the previous platform, the new Elantra's wheelbase has been stretched 1.5 inches, while its body is 2 inches wider and 2.2 inches taller.
Although the new Nissan Sentra is larger on the outside, the Elantra has more interior volume than the Sentra, and the Hyundai's front-seat legroom is more generous than anything in its class. This all-new Elantra has also been engineered to a high standard. Its chassis is 49-percent more rigid than before (9-percent stiffer than even that of the Toyota Corolla), and this translates to a quieter ride and better handling.
Just as important, the new Elantra reflects Hyundai's continuing emphasis on a long list of safety features as standard equipment. This includes disc brakes on all four wheels and antilock brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution, not to mention front seatbelt pre-tensioners, front airbags, front-seat side airbags and curtain-type head protection airbags for front- and rear-seat passengers.
Choose your trim level
The Elantra's model lineup is slightly different this year. The $13,995 GLS makes up the vast majority of the model mix, but a few key features like air-conditioning and an audio system are optional in order to create an artificially low price.
A $16,295 SE model includes all the interior niceties you expect, including air-conditioning, a six-speaker 172-watt audio system with a six-disc CD changer and an input jack for an MP3 player (plus standard XM satellite-ready radio), a full complement of power accessories, and even cruise control.
At the top of the line, there's the $17,295 Limited model with leather upholstery and heated seats. We tested an Elantra SE, and its $16,380 sticker price included floor mats as an $85 option.
Diet for a speedy small sedan
Hyundai's aging 2.0-liter DOHC inline-4 engine with its heavy iron block is under the hood, but the Korean engineers have coaxed some pretty strong performance out of it, as it makes 138 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 136 pound-feet of torque at 4,600 rpm. Engine response low in the rpm range is particularly good thanks to variable valve timing, and we got a chirp out of the SE's model's standard 205/55HR16 Kumho tires.
The Elantra isn't exactly meant to be a performance sedan, though, as the clutch take-up for the five-speed manual transmission is numb at best and grabs as it engages — not the kind of behavior you want in commute-hour traffic. And as smooth and enthusiastic as the engine might be at civilized speeds, the power delivery gets noisy above 3,500 rpm. If you restrain yourself at highway speed, the Elantra is actually fractionally quieter than a Honda Civic.
So it's noisy, but the Elantra's engine also delivers impressive acceleration. During our testing, the Elantra reached 60 mph in just 8.4 seconds, and it went through the quarter-mile in 16.4 seconds at 83 mph. These are numbers that put the Hyundai right in the middle of a pack that includes the Ford Focus, Honda Civic and Nissan Sentra.
Controlled consumption
When you look at fuel economy, the Hyundai Elantra is even more impressive. The Korean engineers tinkered with lots of details, including engine friction, transmission efficiency and tire rolling resistance, and all these little things added up to some big numbers. When equipped with the four-speed automatic transmission, the Elantra's fuel economy has improved no less than 4 mpg, to 28 mpg city/36 mpg highway. An Elantra with a manual transmission also improves to 28 mpg city/36 mpg highway.
We tested the 2007 Hyundai Elantra's fuel economy on a 170-mile loop, holding our top speed to 70 mph and generally driving as if Mom were riding shotgun. We were rewarded with an average of 34.5 mpg — better than any tank recorded during our '01 Elantra long-term test. For the complete 675 miles of testing, our Elantra SE with its five-speed manual transmission returned 26.7 mpg. In this class, only the Honda Civic (30 mpg city/38 mpg highway) and Toyota Corolla (32 mpg city/41 mpg highway) have significantly higher EPA mileage ratings.
Un-Hyundai handling
One of the Elantra's high-tech features that improve fuel economy is the incorporation of electronic power-assist steering, which adds 0.7 mpg to its mileage rating. Sometimes electronic-assist produces steering efforts that seem to vary unexpectedly, but the Elantra SE's electronic steering always felt right to us.
The Hyundai Elantra really surprised us on the back roads of the Santa Monica Mountains. The suspension delivers lots of comfort with plenty of wheel travel, yet the cornering limits are surprisingly high. The gas-charged suspension dampers help control body motions, and there's not too much roll in the corners. The Elantra SE's wide 205/55HR16 tires help the car track through the corners.
As a measure of its handling precision and cornering grip, the 2007 Hyundai Elantra averaged 65.3 mph through our slalom test. In this class of small sedans, only the Mazda 3's rating of 69 mph is faster. On the skid pad, the Elantra achieved 0.80g, on par with an '06 Civic EX equipped with the same tires.
As we mentioned, four-wheel disc brakes and ABS are standard, although the benefits lie in fade resistance and emergency maneuvering rather than sheer stopping power. In any case, our test vehicle stopped from 60 mph in 128 feet, a fraction shorter than the Honda's 130 feet but not quite to the standard set by the Mazda 3's 118 feet.
Furnished to a high standard
In keeping with its more sophisticated road manners, the 2007 Hyundai Elantra has a cabin with a surprising combination of good design and good materials. A soft shade of blue light now illuminates all the gauges at night, just like a Volkswagen.
Part of the secret of the Elantra's new spaciousness is a wider and taller body, yet the driving position doesn't feel unnaturally tall. Not that it really matters, as a tilt-telescoping steering wheel and a height-adjustable driver seat ensure that almost anyone can get comfortable behind the wheel. The field of view is expansive, which makes you feel safe and at ease in traffic. We liked the seats during our long drives, although the anti-whiplash head restraints for the seats aren't ponytail-friendly.
The Elantra's reconfigured interior also offers a surprisingly spacious rear seat, as the bench is high enough to let you find a comfortable position for your legs.
Lay down your warranty
Hyundai hasn't got the image Honda has in the U.S., but once you take a test-drive, you'll realize that the Korean company is trying hard to deliver the same spirit of practicality and fun that you find in every Honda Civic.
This is also the kind of car that makes a strong case with those who have sharp pencils in hand and are figuring the dollars and cents of a car purchase. Consider that the '07 Elantra SE is:
Sure, it's hard to complain about Hyundai's 100,000-mile warranty, but the all-new 2007 Hyundai Elantra is so good, it can stand on its own merits. This all-new redesign of Hyundai's compact sedan is more spacious, better built, more fuel-efficient and even more responsive to drive.
Yes, the 100,000-mile warranty adds a dimension to the 2007 Hyundai Elantra that other small sedans don't have, but you'll care more about this front-wheel-drive Hyundai's practical, enthusiastic personality on the road than the paperwork in the glovebox.
Would you believe it's midsize?
Thanks to its comprehensive makeover, the 2007 Hyundai Elantra sedan's overall interior volume has ballooned to 112.1 cubic feet, which makes it one of the most spacious small sedans on the market. Compared to the previous platform, the new Elantra's wheelbase has been stretched 1.5 inches, while its body is 2 inches wider and 2.2 inches taller.
Although the new Nissan Sentra is larger on the outside, the Elantra has more interior volume than the Sentra, and the Hyundai's front-seat legroom is more generous than anything in its class. This all-new Elantra has also been engineered to a high standard. Its chassis is 49-percent more rigid than before (9-percent stiffer than even that of the Toyota Corolla), and this translates to a quieter ride and better handling.
Just as important, the new Elantra reflects Hyundai's continuing emphasis on a long list of safety features as standard equipment. This includes disc brakes on all four wheels and antilock brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution, not to mention front seatbelt pre-tensioners, front airbags, front-seat side airbags and curtain-type head protection airbags for front- and rear-seat passengers.
Choose your trim level
The Elantra's model lineup is slightly different this year. The $13,995 GLS makes up the vast majority of the model mix, but a few key features like air-conditioning and an audio system are optional in order to create an artificially low price.
A $16,295 SE model includes all the interior niceties you expect, including air-conditioning, a six-speaker 172-watt audio system with a six-disc CD changer and an input jack for an MP3 player (plus standard XM satellite-ready radio), a full complement of power accessories, and even cruise control.
At the top of the line, there's the $17,295 Limited model with leather upholstery and heated seats. We tested an Elantra SE, and its $16,380 sticker price included floor mats as an $85 option.
Diet for a speedy small sedan
Hyundai's aging 2.0-liter DOHC inline-4 engine with its heavy iron block is under the hood, but the Korean engineers have coaxed some pretty strong performance out of it, as it makes 138 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 136 pound-feet of torque at 4,600 rpm. Engine response low in the rpm range is particularly good thanks to variable valve timing, and we got a chirp out of the SE's model's standard 205/55HR16 Kumho tires.
The Elantra isn't exactly meant to be a performance sedan, though, as the clutch take-up for the five-speed manual transmission is numb at best and grabs as it engages — not the kind of behavior you want in commute-hour traffic. And as smooth and enthusiastic as the engine might be at civilized speeds, the power delivery gets noisy above 3,500 rpm. If you restrain yourself at highway speed, the Elantra is actually fractionally quieter than a Honda Civic.
So it's noisy, but the Elantra's engine also delivers impressive acceleration. During our testing, the Elantra reached 60 mph in just 8.4 seconds, and it went through the quarter-mile in 16.4 seconds at 83 mph. These are numbers that put the Hyundai right in the middle of a pack that includes the Ford Focus, Honda Civic and Nissan Sentra.
Controlled consumption
When you look at fuel economy, the Hyundai Elantra is even more impressive. The Korean engineers tinkered with lots of details, including engine friction, transmission efficiency and tire rolling resistance, and all these little things added up to some big numbers. When equipped with the four-speed automatic transmission, the Elantra's fuel economy has improved no less than 4 mpg, to 28 mpg city/36 mpg highway. An Elantra with a manual transmission also improves to 28 mpg city/36 mpg highway.
We tested the 2007 Hyundai Elantra's fuel economy on a 170-mile loop, holding our top speed to 70 mph and generally driving as if Mom were riding shotgun. We were rewarded with an average of 34.5 mpg — better than any tank recorded during our '01 Elantra long-term test. For the complete 675 miles of testing, our Elantra SE with its five-speed manual transmission returned 26.7 mpg. In this class, only the Honda Civic (30 mpg city/38 mpg highway) and Toyota Corolla (32 mpg city/41 mpg highway) have significantly higher EPA mileage ratings.
Un-Hyundai handling
One of the Elantra's high-tech features that improve fuel economy is the incorporation of electronic power-assist steering, which adds 0.7 mpg to its mileage rating. Sometimes electronic-assist produces steering efforts that seem to vary unexpectedly, but the Elantra SE's electronic steering always felt right to us.
The Hyundai Elantra really surprised us on the back roads of the Santa Monica Mountains. The suspension delivers lots of comfort with plenty of wheel travel, yet the cornering limits are surprisingly high. The gas-charged suspension dampers help control body motions, and there's not too much roll in the corners. The Elantra SE's wide 205/55HR16 tires help the car track through the corners.
As a measure of its handling precision and cornering grip, the 2007 Hyundai Elantra averaged 65.3 mph through our slalom test. In this class of small sedans, only the Mazda 3's rating of 69 mph is faster. On the skid pad, the Elantra achieved 0.80g, on par with an '06 Civic EX equipped with the same tires.
As we mentioned, four-wheel disc brakes and ABS are standard, although the benefits lie in fade resistance and emergency maneuvering rather than sheer stopping power. In any case, our test vehicle stopped from 60 mph in 128 feet, a fraction shorter than the Honda's 130 feet but not quite to the standard set by the Mazda 3's 118 feet.
Furnished to a high standard
In keeping with its more sophisticated road manners, the 2007 Hyundai Elantra has a cabin with a surprising combination of good design and good materials. A soft shade of blue light now illuminates all the gauges at night, just like a Volkswagen.
Part of the secret of the Elantra's new spaciousness is a wider and taller body, yet the driving position doesn't feel unnaturally tall. Not that it really matters, as a tilt-telescoping steering wheel and a height-adjustable driver seat ensure that almost anyone can get comfortable behind the wheel. The field of view is expansive, which makes you feel safe and at ease in traffic. We liked the seats during our long drives, although the anti-whiplash head restraints for the seats aren't ponytail-friendly.
The Elantra's reconfigured interior also offers a surprisingly spacious rear seat, as the bench is high enough to let you find a comfortable position for your legs.
Lay down your warranty
Hyundai hasn't got the image Honda has in the U.S., but once you take a test-drive, you'll realize that the Korean company is trying hard to deliver the same spirit of practicality and fun that you find in every Honda Civic.
This is also the kind of car that makes a strong case with those who have sharp pencils in hand and are figuring the dollars and cents of a car purchase. Consider that the '07 Elantra SE is:
- $580 cheaper than a comparably equipped Civic LX ($16,960)
- $645 cheaper than a comparably equipped Sentra S ($17,025)
- $790 cheaper than a comparably equipped Mazda 3 i Touring ($17,170)
- $1,635 cheaper than a comparably equipped Corolla S ($18,015)
Great. Now we're patting Hyundai again on the back for its affordable pricing. Really, it's not the warranty, it's not the price — it's the car.
The manufacturer provided Edmunds this vehicle for the purposes of evaluation.
Add A Comment »
dugsbunny says:
09:57 PM, 11/04/2009
I bought my 07 Elantra in Dec 2007 with 1,600 miles; it's loaded with all the good stuff. From the beginning, the car outperformed all other econoboxes I've had, including an Olds Delta 88. Since the Dec 07 purchase, I've put 59,000 miles on the odometer (now Nov 2009) without doing anything but oil changes, one transmission flush, and a change of tires; it's due for the 60,000 mile service now. The brakes are still original (never been serviced yet), and I love the 4-wheel disc brake stopping power. After 2 years, I'm still in love with the car, it still looks very attractive, and it runs like nothing I've had before, and I'm very pleased with the car. I plan on keeping this car until I can pay all cash for an electric car--there's no hurry.