2017 Hyundai Elantra
When we last left the Hyundai Elantra, its styling may have impressed us; but when it came to road manners, we thought it was more of a step back in time for this fastly progressing brand. Well, Hyundai certainly hasn’t gotten to where they are today by ending with a cliff hanger. Well, now there’s a new gen Elantra for ’17. So let’s tune in, and find out what happens next.
The Hyundai Elantra sedan has had its ups and downs since going on sale here in the early 90s. And despite our misgivings over the last generation, sales have skyrocketed of late to well over 200,000-units per year. Sounds like a lot, but that’s about 100,000 less than either the Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla. So needless to say, Hyundai is eager to boost their sales further with this 6th-generation 2017 4-door.
Styling is perhaps not as daring as last gen, but it’s still a compact looker and fully in line with larger 4-door stablemates, Sonata and Genesis. Especially up front, where it now shares their larger grille and available signature DRLs.
Same basic platform as before, but it’s had a complete onceover; with a stiffer structure, progressively more isolated suspension, and a modest increase in overall size.
It’s 1.0-inch wider; and just shy of an inch longer, though wheelbase remains the same. 17-inch alloy wheels come with Limited trim, base SEs are equipped with 15-inch “steelies”.
Most appreciably, things are a lot quieter inside, thanks to thicker glass and additional sound deadening materials.
Helping too is a new, standard 2.0-liter I4 that’s a bit more powerful than the previous gen’s 1.8-liter; at 147-horsepower and 132 lb-ft. of torque.
It’s smoother, quieter operation is readily apparent at cruising speeds. A 6-speed manual transmission is available, but only in base SE trim. A 6-speed automatic is fitted to our Limited tester.
A 128-horsepower 1.4-liter I4-powered Eco model is also available for maximum efficiency, up to 40-highway; though truth be told, the 2.0-liter is not bad in that regard either.
2.0 Government Fuel Economy Ratings are 28-City, 37-Highway, and 32-Combined. We averaged a very good 35.6 miles-per-gallon of Regular. Thus the Energy Impact Score is a good one at 10.3-barrels of oil used annually with C02 emissions of 4.7-tons.
Front seats are plenty wide and offer above average for its class comfort. Likewise in the rear, there’s adult-size room and adequate coziness.
Trunk space is fine at 14.4 cubic-ft., but it’s cheaply finished and the deck lid feels very flimsy. However, we liked the hand-free opening smart trunk.
Limited trim delivers a display audio system with 7-inch touchscreen and Apple CarPlay and Android auto. Adding the Tech package ups it to 8-inches and adds navigation and Infinity premium audio, as well as heated seats.
Gauges are clean and simple with a 4-inch color TFT info display. The interior has definitely moved upscale in appearance, with the Ultimate package adding seat memory plus the latest in safety including blind spot detection, cross traffic alert, and even emergency braking.
Useful room is up too, so like Civic and Corolla, the Elantra is now classified as midsize by the government.
But middling is how we found full-throttle acceleration, taking 9.3-seconds to hit 60 miles-per-hour with lots of 4-cylinder wail. But, acceleration does remain steady; thanks to minimal lag between shifts. So the Elantra feels faster than the numbers; which were 17.3 in the ¼ at 83 miles-per-hour.
Things certainly have improved in the handling department. There is plenty of grip at a moderate pace; and a playful amount of understeer when pushed harder. The car reacts quickly to steering inputs; and a nicely responsive throttle enabled us to easily keep it right on the edge, inspiring confidence as speeds increased.
Brakes were another pleasant surprise. Panic stops from 60 took a good 123–feet with minimal fade; along with a nicely firm, short travel pedal.
So with all of the improvements, the Elantra’s value proposition is also stronger than ever, as base SE pricing is actually reduced by 90-bucks to $17,985. Limited trim starts at $23,185.
Far more competent, more refined, and more consistent with Hyundai’s increasingly upscale ambitions; plus an outstanding warranty; all things that help make the 2017 Hyundai Elantra a vehicle worthy of your compact consideration. One that might finally be ready to give Corolla and Civic a real run for your money.
Specifications
- Engine: 2.0 liter I4
- Horsepower: 147
- Torque: 132 lb-ft.
- 0-60 mph: 9.3 seconds
- 1/4 mile: 17.3 seconds @ 83 mph
- EPA: 28 mpg city / 37 mpg highway
- Energy Impact: 10.3 barrels of oil/yr
- CO2 Emissions: 4.7 tons/yr
- Transmission: 6 spd auto
2025 Nissan Kicks
More Kicks To Kick Around In
Nissan began kicking around the idea of replacing their subcompact Juke with a much more modern crossover ute more than a decade ago. But it wasn’t until 2018 that the Kicks finally stepped onto our shores. Turned out it was a smart move, one that Nissan hopes to build upon with this all-new second generation kicks. So, let’s see if it kicks up more good things for Nissan.
SUVs, “small” utility vehicles in this case, remain the hottest wheels going, with carmakers putting a herculean effort into making them as appealing as possible to as wide of an audience as possible. That brings us to this 2025 Nissan Kicks.
What started out in 2018 as a more mainstream replacement for Nissan’s funky, entry-level ute Juke, has now evolved into a fine-looking SUV with impressive substance. While even the first Kicks looked way better than the Juke ever could, this one doubles down with some upscale Murano flavor, though the wide stance and exaggerated rear fenders do pay homage to the Juke. The unique patterns and textures around the lower body are designed to resemble high-end sneakers or “kicks”. Top SR makes the most of it with available 19-inch wheels, black accents, and full LED lighting.
This second gen is now bigger in every dimension, just under an inch taller, an inch and a half wider, and almost 3 inches longer; and even ground clearance gets a nice boost to a healthy 8.4 inches. There’s a new engine, too, staying naturally aspirated, but growing from 1.6 liters to 2.0 liters, and gaining 19 horsepower to 141. Torque gains are more impressive from 114 to 140 lb-ft. Bigger news is that all-wheel-drive is now available, as the original was front-drive only. And while we’re talking about that first gen, don’t get confused, as there is also a 2025 Nissan Kicks Play, which is actually a budget carryover of that first-gen Kicks.
Kicking off our track time, there’s a nice hit of initial spirit off the line, but then power delivery settles down and you take a slow CVT crawl down the track. It took us 10.7 seconds to hit 60 mph, a full second slower than the 2018 original. But it does seem to pick up the pace a bit further on, ending the quarter-mile at 18-flat and 78 mph. Engine noise is expectedly elevated, and even though there are simulated shifts happening in the CVT, it doesn’t really help the pace. Drive modes include Normal, Eco, Sport, and Snow, which comes only with all-wheel drive.
There was substantial grip and good balance, steering was light and it provided a respectable amount of feedback.
Now, it was a completely different experience on our handling course. Here, the Kicks kicked it up a nice notch for its class. There was substantial grip and good balance, steering was light and it provided a respectable amount of feedback. The suspension was firm and willing, with very little body roll and no notable understeer or oversteer. Overall, a quite pleasant cone trip.
All-wheel-drive models come with a suspension upgrade, replacing the rear’s simple twist beam setup with a multi-link arrangement, and adding a thicker stabilizer bar to the independent strut front. It was also quite commendable in braking with consistent, straight stops from 60 of only 106 feet.
Bigger dimensions allow for a nice upward movement in space inside the Kicks’ five-seat cabin. Plus, a tech upgrade has definitely taken place with all but base S trim getting wireless phone charging and a new 12.3-inch touchscreen. Top SR adds a 12.3-inch gauge display; and comes with a leather-wrapped steering wheel, simulated-leather trimmed seats, and surround-view camera. Nissan spreads the supportive Zero Gravity seats to both rows, so even back seat dwellers get well above average comfort for this price point. AWD hardware and suspension does necessitate a higher cargo floor and a bit less cargo capacity, 23.9 cu.-ft. instead of 29.2; max is 50.1 with seatbacks folded.
Government Fuel Economy Ratings with all-wheel-drive are 27 city, 34 highway, and 30 combined. Our average was right on at 30.4 mpg of regular. While the new Kicks is certainly better to look at, it remains exceptionally affordable, beginning at $23,220; top SR starts at $27,570. All-wheel drive is available with all trims for $1,500.
The original Nissan Kicks existed almost totally as a value leader. And while the value proposition of the 2025 Nissan Kicks remains very high, it has upped its own ante to be a far more interesting and appealing small SUV to see, to drive, and to be driven in. We think Nissan put this one straight through the uprights!
Specifications
As Tested
- Engine: NA 2.0-liter I-4
- Transmission: CVT
- Horsepower: 141
- Torque: 140 lb-ft.
- EPA: 27 City | 34 Highway | 30 Combined
- 0-60 mph: 10.7 seconds
- 1/4 Mile: 18.0 seconds at 78 mph
- Braking, 60-0 (avg.): 106 feet
- MW Fuel Economy: 30.4 mpg