2007 Hyundai Elantra

So many four-doors, but so little in the budget? That’s a problem longed served by Hyundai, offering quality choices, and benchmark warranties, at value prices. So for its latest pitch, they bring us a redesigned Elantra compact. But the world of competent bread-and-butter family sedans is more crowded than ever. So is just being a new Elantra enough to get the fickle buyer to notice?

The 2007 Hyundai Elantra marks the fourth generation of a series that has continually raised buyer expectations as to what to expect in features and price in a compact car, zeroing in on the priorities of small family car owners.

Fully redesigned, the now four-door sedan-only Elantra takes on a livelier, flowing, and far more upscale outward show. The bolder front is underscored by projector-beam headlights, a slotted chrome grille, and inset fog lamps that create a more assertive, and less econo-car front.

The fluid stance, with a full-length body-side character line establishes the Elantra’s new profile.  Standard body color door pulls and heated mirrors maintain the outer shell’s tight, premium look.

The silhouette flows back to a tall and cargo friendly tail. Donning sculpted tail lamps, the rear styling finishes an integrated and overall unified design.

The whole package sits atop either standard 15-inch steel wheels or our up level tester’s handsome 16-inch alloys.

Longer, wider and taller than its predecessor, the Elantra has class-leading total interior volume that surpasses Civic, Sentra and Corolla.

The downward sloping dash provides an immediate sense of spaciousness for the driver and front passenger.  The Honda-like two-tone color scheme, and the Toyota-style control layout, bring the upscale exterior feel, inside. Fit and finish, as well as materials are excellent.

That sense of quality is bolstered by power-windows and locks, tilt-wheel, and blue-lit gauges that include a tachometer, even on the base GLS.

Our mid-level SE adds air conditioning, steering-wheel controls, and a 6-speaker audio system with an auxiliary input.

Seats are a little flat, but the driver does have height adjustment. Heat is a rare option on cloth seats, and leather comes with Limited trim. There is more than ample small item storage too.

The rear seat is fit for a growing family of three or two adults. Head and leg room are better than most in its class. Plus, the 60/40 split folding feature enhances cargo versatility of the impressively large, 14.2 cubic foot trunk. That surpasses the Civic by almost 20%.

Elantra is also a front-runner in safety for its class with six standard airbags, including curtain airbags.

One of the few things not new is the carryover 2.0-liter twin-cam four-cylinder with Variable Valve Timing.  Output is rated at 138 horsepower and 136 pound-feet of torque.

Front-wheel drive transmissions are a 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic, and both have the same Government Fuel Economy ratings of 28 city/36 highway.  We managed a real world loop of 31 miles-per-gallon on regular grade gas. The Elantra has an excellent Energy Impact Score of 11.0 barrels of oil per year. 

Note, too, that Elantras sold in California and Northeast green states are certified as Partial Zero Emission Vehicles. 

But such clean efficiency showed it price at the track. Our Elantra automatic took 10 full seconds to get to 60 miles per hour, and huffed through the quarter-mile in a slow 17.5 seconds at 80 miles-per-hour.

Elantra’s new gas-charged suspension is similar to the best rivals, MacPherson struts up front and multi-links in the rear. 

Handling certainly gets the job done. Balance is good, and you feel safe and well-connected to the pavement. The new electric power steering responds well. With soft springs, you do notice the body roll and front cornering push, but it’s nothing unusual for this segment.

The Elantra sports standard 4-wheel disc brakes with ABS.  Halts were stable and measured 124 feet from 60 to 0, a good result.

On the street, most of our reservations about Elantra’s performance disappeared as it felt quite peppy, and very agile. The ride is comfortable and except for full-throttle engine noise, quite quiet.

Typical for Hyundai, buyers will also be comfortable with Elantra pricing. The base GLS starts at a thrifty $13,995.  Our mid-level SE at $16,495.  And the top tier Limited stickers at $17,495. Plus, Hyundai’s 10 year/100,000 powertrain warranty is the segment’s best.

The 2007 Elantra has all the attributes a compact car should have, and once again represents a significant jump in Hyundai quality and value. While it may not be an overall benchmark vehicle, it will keep the heat on compact family car competitors to constantly offer more for less.