It's too late for South Korean auto manufacturer Hyundai to make a good first impression among U.S. car buyers. Most Americans know by now that the Hyundai Excel was a world-class underachiever when it came to this country in the 1980s and hadn't improved much when it exited in the 1990s.
But if you are one of those forgiving folks who believe that everyone deserves a second chance, you should give the all new 1996 Hyundai Elantra a close look.In an era when the average car now lists on the north side of $20,000, I was favorably impressed with the "Pale Violet Gray" (kind of a Popsicle purple) Elantra 4-door sedan I drove this past week.
Does that mean it's as good as the fancy-schmancy BMWs, Infinitis and other high-priced iron that I sport around during the course of a model year? Nope. But for a bottom line of $13,213, it compares quite favorably with cars costing thousands more.
First there's the styling. A big part of the buy/no-buy decision for most people is whether they like the cut of a car's jib . . . or the swoop of its fender.
At $13K and change, the compact Elantra does not go where auto styling has never gone before, but it's a nice, muscular design that I found myself admiring more than once during its tenure in the Knudson driveway. The grille-less front end, body-colored bumpers and beefy air dam give the Elantra a look that suggests it is more expensive that it is.
On the inside, there's no letdown: a plethora of tasteful fabrics and well-wrought plastics on the seats, doors and instrument panel. It all seems tight and well-made. The seats are particularly firm and supportive, as good or better than those in some "near luxury" cars I've driven recently. The driver's seat comes with adjustments for lumbar support and height.
Hyundai uses what it calls a "Sure-Bond" upholstery technique
that reduces the need for stitching along the center of the seat cushions and seat backs. The company claims it increases driver and passenger comfort and will reduce fabric wrinkling over the life of the car. I believe them.
The new Elantra also has considerably more room inside than its predecessor and matches or surpasses many of its competitors in leg, hip, shoulder and head room. Hyundai credits a narrower cylinder head and shorter crankcase for shrinking the engine compartment which, in turn, created more interior space.
Also, its wheelbase has been lengthened by some 2 inches, which makes for a smoother, more stable ride and improves handling.
As for the powerplant, the 1.8 liter, double overhead cam engine is smaller than its predecessor but delivers 13 percent more horsepower and easily outguns arch-rivals Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla and Ford Escort.
Although the engine would likely be at its best when matched with a 5-speed manual transmission, most people opt for the automatic, and I found no fault with the 4-speed automatic with dual mode selector (regular and a sport mode that delays the shift points) and lock-up torque converter in my test car.
Particularly useful is the little overdrive button on the side of the auto shifter. Although the OD position provides the best fuel mileage, just a click of the thumb takes it out of 4th gear, giving you just the oomph you need to pass another car or climb a grade; much easier than having to shift down.
Did someone ask about "fuel mileage?" Although it is EPA rated at 23 mpg city and 31 mpg highway, I got just a hair under 35 mpg (regular gas) in mostly highway driving. Not bad for a four-door sedan with auto tranny and AC on high most of the time.
Base price for my test Elantra was $11,699. That included the automatic transmission, dual air bags, intermittent wipers, remote fuel filler and trunk release . . . a whole raft of stuff.
An option package that included the air conditioner and AM/FM stereo cassette sound system was $1,320. A center console with storage unit was $130 and carpeted floor mats were $64. Bottom line: $13,213.
An upscale version, the Elantra GLS, comes with an array of luxury/convenience goodies, including power windows, door locks, tachometer, fancier carpeting and such, but the only option I really missed on the base test car was the central locking system. It's a hassle dealing with individual locks on a four-door sedan.
In Hyundai's scheme of things, Elantra fits between the subcompact Accent and its top-of-the-line Sonata midsize sedan. The Excel is history.
Overall, the new Hyundai E-lan-tra is fun to drive, has a lot of usable space for people and cargo, seems well screwed together and conveys a feeling of quality throughout. If it were entering the market without those two Excel strikes against it, people might be lining up outside Hyundai dealership doors.
Instead, Hyundai has to convince buyers that the dog days are behind them. Time will tell on that, but judging by the new Elantra, I believe the Hyundai renaissance is well under way.