2008 Hyundai Elantra

JIL MCINTOSH FOR THE TORONTO STAR

The 2008 Hyundai Elantra Limited sedan has a nicely proportioned design with a comfortable interior.

Jil McIntosh

SPECIAL TO THE STAR

What with gasoline prices being what they are, shoppers at the Hyundai store will probably find their eyes and their gas cards drawn to the Accent, both for its fuel economy and for the chance to get one at a rock-bottom cash price.

But not every family can squeeze into a subcompact, which leads to the next step up on the South Korean automaker's ladder, to the Elantra.

For 2009, this model will also come in a "touring" hatchback edition that I think will do well for itself just on its attractive looks and practicality alone. But should you prefer a sedan, the 2008 model comes solely with a trunk and four doors.

Even so, the sedan's designers have turned out a nicely proportioned machine, with a relatively long nose and short deck, and a wavy body line that blends it all together. Unlike many Hyundai models, which follow the idea that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, it isn't a copy of anything else on the road; even the Spectra from sister company Kia doesn't look quite the same.

Available in five trim lines, from the base L to my range-topping Limited, the Elantra uses a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine. The L, GL and GLS Sport use a five-speed manual transmission that can be optioned to a four-speed automatic; the GLS and Limited come strictly with the autobox.

All models have air conditioning (it's an automatic system on the Limited), and power locks and windows (the rear-door glass cranks down manually on the base L), but the safety features aren't across the board: ABS, and a combination of side and curtain airbags are unavailable on the two bottom lines. You have to move up to the GLS or higher to get these items, which is a curious state of affairs.

Other goodies increase with each trim line, but the GLS with Sport package, at $20,995 (and an extra $1,200 if you want an automatic), seems like the best deal: it includes heated mirrors, leather-wrapped wheel, heated mirrors and a sunroof. Moving up to the Limited, still a fairly reasonable $23,195, adds only the automatic climate control, telescopic wheel and leather seats, should cowskin turn your crank.

The four-cylinder doesn't lose too much of its oomph when mounted to the autobox; it's fairly peppy, and while it's got an economy-car growl to it, it's still acceptable, and quiets down somewhat once you've reached your cruising altitude after you take off from a light.

I got into the Elantra straight out of the Accent, and that's when you really notice the steering. It's not as direct as the smaller Accent's feel, but it does exactly what it's supposed to do, it's nicely weighted, and steering wheel input is rewarded with accurate front-wheel output. On the highway, it feels particularly well-planted and confident, with no need for constant correction to maintain a straight line.

If my plan was for longer-distance travel on a regular basis, I'd probably take the Elantra over the Accent, the extra fuel aside, just for the way it feels when the majority of my trip is in the 100 km/h range.

The interior is comfortable, with fairly supportive chairs for the price, a good driving position, and a decent rear seat that only loses its legroom when the front seats are pushed back as far as they can go.

While Elantra's exterior looks like an original blueprint, the interior designers appear to have worked heavily off a Toyota Camry. The centre stack echoes that model's translucent controls with blue lights in behind; it looks good on the Japanese model, and it's equally nice here.

Backlighting isn't across the board, though: the window buttons, seat heaters and wheel-mounted controls are illuminated, but you're on your own for the power locks and mirror switch after dark.

Small-item storage is good, with plenty of cubbies.

The rear 60/40 seat folds and increases the trunk from a length of 90 cm to a not-quite-flat 175 cm, but the hinges are gooseneck style, which fold into the trunk; after loading the car, I had to rearrange my cargo because the hinges squeezed it flat.

That's a minor quibble, though. Overall, this is a nicely done machine at a reasonable price, and with a warranty that covers almost everything for five years or 100,000 km. Compact but not too small, this is a solid choice for family transportation.

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