For the past several years, I've touted various Hyundai offerings to friends and family. And an experience last winter added another example of the manufacturer's vast improvement.
I drove the 2007 Elantra SE from Ventura to San Francisco, including the long, notorious pass in the Tehachapi Mountains known as The Grapevine.
Negotiating the route South to North along Interstate 5 on a late February morning, weather conditions changed from scattered snow flurries to rain and dark overcast skies to bright sun.
And with an impressive amount of power, comfort, safety and general assuredness, I drove through the pass with ease during part of the 6 1/2-hour trip.
My test vehicle had a five-speed manual transmission and it gave the Elantra a good dose of sportiness. (A four-speed automatic transmission as a $1,000 option.)
More than a few cars, plenty of trucks, campers and transportation trucks struggled over the Grapevine. And yet, there I was in an entry level, 138-horsepower, 4-cylinder, four-door sedan scooting over a notorious mountain pass.
The 2007 Elantra has been resigned and offers 2.2 more inches of height, two more inches of width and raises the driver's seat 1.8 inches. I didn't drive the 2006 version, but the new model has surprising interior room. The total interior volume of 112.1 cubic feet is more than the Honda Civic, Nissan Sentra and the Acura TL.
The Elantra's standard features complement the new design: power windows, mirrors and remote locks, a leather-wrapped, tilting steering wheel and shift knob, 16-inch alloy wheels, steering wheel audio controls, air conditioning, cruise control, split-folding rear seatbacks, a cabin air filter and a 172-watt CD player with MP3 capability.
I'm sure a premium vehicle with a sticker price three times more than Elantra would have provided a more luxurious journey. But neither rain, snow, high winds or the ominous terrain of the infamous Grapevine caused any concern for the Elantra. Many other compacts and some much-higher priced vehicles wouldn't have fared as well.
Hyundai Elantra, 2007 Facts & Figures: Safety — Dual front, side and side curtain airbags; Fuel Mileage (estimates) – 28 mpg (city), 36 mpg (highway); Warranty — Bumper to bumper, 5 years/60,000 miles, Powertrain, 10 years/100,000 miles, Corrosion, 7 years/unlimited miles, (24-hour) roadside assistance program, 5 years/unlimited miles; Base Price — $15,695.00
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