We've had a nice run of high-end rides in recent weeks -- a BMW, a Volvo and a Mercedes, among others -- so it's time to take a look at something those of us in the less rarified tax brackets might think about buying.
As Exhibit "A" I offer the Hyundai Elantra, a compact four-door sedan from Korea that offers a lot of value for not a lot of money.Well, sure, you say, but it's a Hyundai, for pete's sake. Hyundais are cheap because they're . . . well, cheap.
Which just goes to show how hard it is to overcome a poor first impression. A lot of people lined up to buy Hyundai Excels when the Korean carmaker first entered the U.S. market back in 1986, lured by aggressive ads touting a new car for $5,000.
In reality, most people ended up paying closer to $7,000 for their Excels, but even that wouldn't have been so bad until they started having problems with them and found they didn't have enough power to go up Big Cottonwood Canyon at more than 10 mph.
The capper came when they learned that their vehicle's resale value was so lousy that they were "upside down" on their equity vs. value ratio from start to finish.
Translation: Try to trade in a Hyundai on a Honda and the salesman would look down at the ground, shuffle his feet and mumble he was really sorry but your Excel couldn't cut it as a down payment on a new Accord or Civic.
It's the kind of experience that creates more negative word-of-mouth than can be overcome by any television ad campaign ("Hyundai! Yes, Hyundai!") and some pundits predicted that Hyundais would go the way of the Yugo, at least in the United States.
As usual, some pundits were wrong. Hyundai has hung on despite a bad reputation in this country and all manner of political problems on the South Korean home front, emerging with not just a single, primitive econobox, such asthe Excel, but with a full line of cars that includes the Accent, the Elantra, the sporty Tiburon and the flagship Sonata.
They're all decent cars that offer a surprisingly high level of content and performance at a price well below their competitors.
For example, the Elantra comes with a variety of goodies for which you'll pay extra on many competitor cars. Air-conditioning and a four-speed automatic transmission, for example. As well as an AM/FM ETR cassette stereo. All for a base price of $12,249.
Amazingly, a "Best Value Options 1" package tosses in power windows,
power outside mirrors and power door locks, along with cruise control and a 60-40 split folding rear seat for only $300!
A console armrest on my tester added another $125, carpeted floor mats $70 and mud guards $60, bringing the bottom line to $12,804. For only $555 above base price, you get a car with virtually every option (other than CD player) available in a car of this class, even those priced in the low $20,000s range.
Fuel mileage is EPA-rated at 22 mpg in city driving and 31 mpg on the highway for an estimated annual fuel cost of $690. Try that in your Ford Excursion.
Perhaps to make up for its failings a decade ago, Hyundai now offers the best warranties in the business: 5-year or 60,000-mile bumper-to-bumper; 10-year or 100,000-mile power train and "anti-perforation" (rust holes) and 5-year, unlimited mileage roadside assistance. There is no deductible for any of those coverages.
If that insurance package doesn't convince you that Hyundai now stands behind its products and their build quality, nothing will. You think BMW and Mercedes-Benz cars are well-built? They are, but their manufacturers don't offer those kinds of warranties.
The 1999 Elantra, redesigned from 1998, is now powered by a 2.0 liter, DOHC, 16-valve 140 horsepower four-cylinder engine -- the same power plant used in the Tiburon sports car and the most powerful standard engine it its class. It replaces the 1.8-liter, 130-horsepower motor used in earlier Elantras.
This engine is more than up to the task of moving the Elantra briskly through traffic, and it has no trouble going up Big Cottonwood Canyon at legal (or even illegal) speeds. There is no trace of Excel in Elantra.
Also, the engine has been engineered for low maintenance and reduced ownership costs by using distributorless ignition and self-adjusting valves.
Ride and handling are good for a car in this class.
Most compact cars look pretty much alike and Elantra is no exception; you'd be hard-pressed to tell it from all the other Asian compacts out there. But it's the best-looking Elantra yet, with a restyled front end and a bold new grille. The front bumper is covered with TPO, a plastic material that provides improved impact resistance and is fully recyclable.
Similar changes have been made to the back end, including a sculpted spoiler that is more subtle than those elevated wings used by other manufacturers attempting to make their compact car emulate an Indy racer.
The inside is reasonably well-done and tasteful, although the Koreans' taste in upholstery materials is a bit garish for me. The driver's seat features a dual-height adjustment device and the same type of lumbar support mechanism found in luxury cars that costs thousands more.
All in all, it's a very nice package, especially for the money. With the company standing behind it with the best warranty in the business, no one should buy an economy car without checking out the new Hyundais. Yes, Hyundais.