2003 Hyundai Elantra Review (continued)
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Walkaround

Hyundai last re-styled the Elantra for 2001, and it hasn't changed it much since then. It's an aerodynamically efficient design, boosting fuel economy and reducing wind noise.

From the front doors forward the sedan and hatchback are identical, featuring a distinctive chrome-lipped grille and prominent twin trapezoid headlamps angled back in a black background. The lamps were designed to cast a broad pattern of light.

From the door pillar on back, the hatchback is distinct from the sedan. The hatchback boasts a more expansive glass area, and its roof trails back into the rear hatch, fastback style, rather than dropping suddenly toward the trunk. The hatch ends with the small spoiler lip above the taillights and rear bumper. It reminds us of the previous-generation Saab 9-3 hatchback.

Compared to the previous-generation (pre-2001) Elantra, the current model stretches 2.3 inches longer in wheelbase, providing more leg room inside. Headroom is also better both front and rear. Just as significantly, the engine is mounted with hydraulic attachments in a new front subframe, greatly reducing the amount of drivetrain vibration that reaches the cabin.

Interior Features

Often, inexpensive cars try to make up for their economy ambience with strange and/or garish interior design. But the Hyundai Elantra interior is subdued, clean and efficient. The interior in our test car was finished in dark gray and basic black, and we found it surprisingly appealing. There's very little hard plastic in the Elantra, and the soft stuff has a richer feel than we've been conditioned to expect in cars of this ilk. Even the center armrest is padded and covered with cloth; most cars in this class use a hard plastic center armrest.

The front seats are terrific, offering precise adjustments. They are large and neither too soft nor too hard, providing adequate support without inflicting pain. The driver's seat adjusts for height both front and rear, and both front seats have adjustable lumbar support. The front shoulder belts are also height adjustable (a feature shorter people will appreciate).

The rear seats in the Elantra sedans are roomier and more comfortable than those in the Honda Civic, Nissan Sentra, Mazda Protege, and Ford Focus sedans. Hyundai provides a combination lap/shoulder belt in the center position, whereas the class standard remains a lap belt only. Certainly, your outboard rear passengers will be happier if the center spot is empty, but that's true in all compacts and in some far more expensive cars, such as the BMW 3 Series and Audi A4.

The gauge binnacle and control panel sweep in front of the driver and down toward the center console. The gauges themselves are backlit with a purplish light on GT models. The purple glow adds interest, and the speedometer and standard tach are quite legible at night or in full mid-afternoon sunshine.

Heating, ventilation and air conditioning are adjusted with rotary controls, rather than the cheaper, more difficult sliding type; and the dials are set in the preferred location, that is, below, rather than above, the stereo. The stereo buttons are on the small side (we've rarely found buttons that are too big), but they are as large and easy to operate as those in some more expensive cars (the Volkswagen Jetta, for example). Switches for the headlights, wipers, and cruise control are mounted on stalks. A remote trunk/hatch and fuel-door release are standard.

Hyundai will probably emphasize the new GT sedan in its promotion and advertising, but in our view, the more desirable Elantra is the GT hatchback. The five-door design makes particularly good sense for young families that own only one car and must use it for multiple tasks. After a week of running errands in hatchback Elantra, we can't understand why Americans have saddled this body style with such a negative connotation. With the rear seat up, there's room enough in the cargo compartment for beach gear or all the sundry stuff that kids on a day trip seem to require. With the seat folded, the rear side doors make access to cargo much easier.

It's remarkable what you can squeeze into the Elantra five-door's cargo bay. We fit a dozen 10-foot pieces of wood molding and a couple of two-by-fours entirely inside the car, with the hatch closed. Then we did it again with plywood sheets cut to 40 X 70 inches, including the remnants. With the hatch tied partway open, the possibilities include full sheets of plywood or a 27-inch TV in its carton.