A Sleek and Stylish Small Car Begging to be Driven

Gone are the Elantras of the past that seemed to be disposable and never have and really fun features inside. Instead Hyundai performed a full redesign recently and a simple upgrade for the 2014 model year which gives a car that offers massive and continuous curves all over the body, a long list of excellent features, and a wide array of safety additions without a price that breaks the piggy bank open.

Offering some of the best power and interior room the Elantra comes included with some impressive hardware from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) as a Top Safety Pick in the Small Car Class. All these additions allow the Elantra to take the leap from cheap to a model that retains resale value on par with the likes of the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla and Ford Focus. Offering one of the best powertrain warranties on the market at 10-years/100,000 miles this car offers the owner a fantastic peace of mind with both the warranty and safety features.

Included in the slight upgrade for this vehicle are a new 2.0-liter engine, revised wheels, an updated navigation, a radio with the Pandora app, Hill Start Assist and Driver Selectable Steering give the Elantra a few nice extras to choose from. Offering a much tighter suspension than in previous years according to Indianapolis Hyundai, the drive is smooth and very responsive even on the windiest of roads. This upgraded suspension soaks up road imperfections with ease that is usually reserved for much higher engineering and with the available quickness and agility the Elantra becomes a fun car to drive. Offering a large amount of insulation the cabin is very quiet which allows for an easy and smooth ride for both in town driving and long commutes.

Two engines make up the lineup for the Elantra with the 1.8-liter inline four-cylinder engine available for the base SE and Limited sedan models offering 148 horsepower and 130 lb.-ft. of torque, which is plenty to allow the car to zip through traffic and pass easily on the highway. When matched up with the six-speed manual transmission the fuel economy comes in at 27 city/37 hwy mpg and the six-speed automatic offers 28 city/38 hwy mpg for the SE model with the same transmission results in a 27 city/37 hwy mpg for the Limited model. This six-speed automatic transmission is equipped with a manual-shifting mode called Shiftronic to allow for manual shifting via a toggle switch when desired.

The larger engine for this car is the 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder made for the Coupe, Sport Sedan and GT models, offering 173 horsepower and 154 lb.-ft. of torque. Offering a significant increase in performance but without sacrificing a lot of the fuel economy the manual six-speed transmission allows for 24 city/34 hwy mpg for the sedan and GT models but is not available on the coupe model. The six-speed automatic transmission offers 24 city/35 hwy mpg for the Sedan, 24 city/34 hwy mpg for the Coupe, and 24 city/33 hwy for the GT allowing performance to be partnered with a still respectable fuel efficiency, making the Elantra a fun ride.

Amazing for a small car, the Elantra offers plenty of room on the inside to accommodate adults in the backseat comfortably. Soft materials are present throughout the interior allowing a very comfortable feel although the doors and dashboard are full of plastic on the switches and knobs which do look a tad on the cheap side. The trunk does offer plenty of room and with a folding rear seat offers the ability to carry larger cargo when necessary. The positioning of the knobs and controls across the dash is well thought out and easy to find allowing the driver to pay attention to the road ahead.

From the outside the Elantra appears to be very aerodynamic with a smooth transition from the hood to the windshield to the roof and carried all the way to the end of the trunk lid the lines and curves are impressively long and sleek. With exceptionally designed wheel flares and narrow-looking headlights the car is a picture of speed even in the sedan models. Offering a bit more to the overall look the coupe models offer a dual tailpipe look in the rear and with the prominent belt line across both sides the car is shouting to be driven and challenged. Sitting on ten-spoked wheels the look of wind resistant speed is completed with these nice 15-inch wheels that add even more flare and finish to the stylings.

Allowing the Elantra to shake the mantra of being a throw-away car the included standard features offer the driver air conditioning, 15-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, cruise control, a telescoping steering wheel, remote keyless entry, four-wheel disc brakes, Bluetooth connectivity, a six-speaker audio system that includes satellite radio and USB inputs, six airbags for the coupe and sedan models with a seventh added in the GT models. The Coupe and GT models offer heated front seats while the GT is the only one to offer a glove compartment that can be chilled to keep drinks cold up front. With this nice list of standard features the Elantra has found its way from the junkyard to the front of the pack.

To complement the standard features list is a list of options based on trim model that includes a power sunroof, leather upholstery, heated front and rear seats which will take the base sedan to the Limited model. The Coupe offers a sport-tuned suspension, power sunroof, leather upholstery, a seven-inch screen, a backup camera, a navigation system, and a 360-watt audio system with Hyundai’s Blue Link system as a great list of options to add to the car. For the GT the same options are available as the Coupe with the sun roof becoming one of a panoramic version. If a shopper were to opt for a fully loaded Elantra they would indeed find themselves in an outstanding car indeed.

Even though this car is in the small car class with all the added features a starting price around $25,000 might be expected, but the Elantra actually comes in at just over $18,000 to start for the base model SE sedan. Even the GT stays below the $20,000 range to start coming in at just over $19,500 while the Coupe doesn’t even head too much higher offering a starting value of $20,400. Going from the manual to the automatic transmission will fetch the standard $1,000 increase in price while fully loaded mode shows up at $27,000 which is really affordable for a car fully loaded with fantastic options to include a panoramic sunroof.

The 2014 Hyundai Elantra which comes in as a Top Safety Pick by IIHS for the Small Car Class offers any owner the benefits of great fuel efficiency, the stylings of a gorgeous and aerodynamically shaped car, as well as a long list of great features all at a very affordable price. It’s no wonder more and more of these cars are staying on the road much longer; this car certainly rates consideration for anyone looking for a great daily commuter or reasonably priced family car.