2001 Hyundai Elantra Review (continued)
Add your own review or comments

Walkaround

Elantra widens its distinction from other small sedans with its new styling. It's a pleasant appearance, with rounded fenders, a sloping hood, a new grille and trapezoidal headlight assemblies. The changes add more than good looks. This redesign has lowered the Elantra's coefficient of drag to 0.333. The large greenhouse affords good outward visibility in all directions. The restyled trapezoidal headlamps improve the pattern of light that spreads across a wider field of vision of road ahead.

The Elantra's doors open wide for easy access to both front and rear seats, and its trunk provides 11 cubic feet of cargo space--above average in this class. Unfortunately, the trunk opening is rather small, making it difficult to load larger items that should easily fit.

Interior Features

Expanding the Elantra platform has provided more interior room translating to a more comfortable passenger compartment. Stretching the wheel base by 2.3 inches results in increased rear legroom as well as increased headroom and hip room for both front and rear passengers. Hyundai continues expanding a higher level of quality in Elantra's passenger cabin. This improvement isn't measured by bells and whistles, but by a clean, efficient design, that invokes a more pleasant interior. The instrument panel is more contemporary, presenting gauges in an easy to read manner.

The cloth-upholstered seats are larger than the previous version making way for more comfortable seating. The driver's seat has six-way adjustments and height adjustment. Front headrests and seatbelt anchors are also adjustable. Side airbags are now standard equipment in the Elantra making a much safer sedan, especially welcomed in a car of Elantra's price.

Remote trunk and fuel release and a carpeted cargo compartment are standard.

Heating, ventilation and air conditioning are now controlled with rotary switches, rather than the sliding type. They're much easier to locate and adjust while driving. Unfortunately, Hyundai didn't extend these improvements to the radio controls, and that's our primary gripe. The buttons are so small that adjusting them distracts from the task of driving.

No one is going to mistake the Elantra or any compact vehicle for a luxury car, but offering a lush cabin isn't what this car does best. This Hyundai was designed and built to provide the most economical transportation it can, while providing as much comfort as possible. Let's face it folks we aren't talking a luxurious limousine here. The Elantra is a compact sedan that will carry four adults, five in a pinch, just about anyplace they have reason to travel comfortably, economically and worry free.