Note: Mid-July re-evaluation below!

My wife and I recently set out to buy our first car together and settled on the very pleasing Elantra Wagon. The wagon factor greatly narrowed the number of vehicles we had to choose from. Some of the major manufacturers do not even make them anymore. We wanted a wagon because we wanted to be able to fit plenty of "stuff" in without feeling like we were imposing on the car if we did. After all, we shelled out about $13,000 on our investment -- we didn't want to spend that much on something that didn't suite our needs. The extra space means we can fit my wife's musical equipment, including guitars, amps, stands, etc.
The Elantra Wagon features a cover for the rear section that is entirely removable from the vehicle, if desired. This is a fantastic safety bonus. We have been very pleased with the mileage, esp. as we live out of town a bit. We're averaging 32-3 mpg, with most of those been on the highway. I have a bit of a lead-foot, though, so it probably should be a little higher.
Which brings me to driving performance and pleasure. I like to drive fast, and this machine cruises at 80 with no real complaints, though 65-70 feels that bit more comfortable. We recently were driving and had to turn very quickly to avoid an accident. The Elantra handled it with ease. A lesser vehicle may have left us tangled.
I recommend this vehicle very highly. The after-sales-service is also exemplary, which is nice...

Re-evaluation:
I know the car much better now, after having added 11500 miles in about four months.
First thing I have to say is thank God for the long Warranty!
But beyond that:
* The car bunny-hops along the road in a very disconcerting manner when you run out of gas as I nearly did last night. My wife did that once, too, and she said it settled down a while after it did that and she cruised at 20mph for a mile or three 'till she found a gas station (she was driving past a number of Corporate offices for gas companies at the time!). A simple solution is to keep the gas tank full.
* One of the rear belt clips on the wall of the car snapped early on. The dealership fixed it but left a small drop of glue on the upholstery. I didn't have a caniption fit -- these things happen. The salesman we dealt with (John Betley -- Northtown Hyundai, Amherst NY) arranged a free oil change for us, which soothed the situation nicely. Four months down the track and he remembers my wife's name, which doesn't make the car run any better, but suggests he's either a genuinely good guy, or is just lucky with names -- I'll go with the former.
* Continues to run smoothly, though I get the feeling that once you start getting over 65mph the miles/gallon goes down significantly. I shouldn't be driving that fast anyway.
* We had a number of friends come into town recently and did a number of trips to the airport. never a problem fitting all the luggage in the back -- the wagon is still brilliant. My best friend who has an anti-wagon prejudice commented it is the best one he's seen and is stylish. He reads GQ, so I trust his opinion on the style factor.

All in all, I still love the car and recommend it as highly as I did four months ago. We're about to drive all the way to Nova Scotia and back -- and have no hesitation in doing so.