Part 6 of an 11-part series.
The stretch of road that connects Northern and Southern California via Interstate 5 through a pass in the Tehachapi Mountains is mostly known as The Grapevine. It's not named because of its steep grade, ominous presence or legacy of high-speed accidents. Its name comes from the wild grapes that grow in the region.
Despite its less-than-stellar reputation, however, the Grapevine is also an ideal place to test drive a car, as I did recently with my weekly driver, the 2007 Hyundai Elantra. 
Negotiating the route North to South 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 the part of a 6 1/2-hour trip from Ventura to San Francisco.
More than a few cars, plenty of trucks, campers and transportation trucks struggled over the Grapevine. And yet, here I was in an entry level, 138-horsepower, 4-cylinder four-door sedan scooting over a notorious mountain pass.
My test was the SE version with a five-speed manual transmission. A four-speed automatic transmission is a $1,000 option, but the manual transmission gives the Elantra a good dose of sportiness.
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. It 112.1 cubic feet of interior room. That's more than the Honda Civic, Nissan Sentra, and the Acura TL.
The Elantra has an efficiently styled console and a simple and functional instrumentation panel. The Elantra's good supply of 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.
The cruise control system on the Elantra works with particular ease, and I utilized it for many miles on long, open stretches of Interstate 5, often at more than 75 mph.
The Elantra's only available options are the aforementioned automatic transmission and a premium package ($1,150) that features a sunroof and heated front seats. The Elantra also comes standard with six airbags, an optional feature on several other manufacturers' offerings class.
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.
Comment Preview