What follows will be, without a doubt, the longest review I've ever written and certainly the most exhaustive review of the Hyundai Elantra on this site, as well as a comprehensive case point in favor of the rapidly growing Korean automaker. With that said, continue at your discretion. :)

Hyundai debuted in the US in the late seventies with a small subcompact passenger vehicle built under another manufacturer's name and with the vehicle going by the name of the "Pony". Small, unassuming, and forgotten in the meld of Datsuns and Fords so prevalent during this gas-stricken period of the US auto history, the small car faded into oblivion but gave the company (also a heavy industry and global shipping firm) their first taste of the American market.
In the mid eighties the company launched their first slogan "Hyundai Rhymes with Sunday" and brought with it a car based largely on the Pony platform, called the "Excel".

It did anything but. It was underpowered, unreliable (Yugo was the only one on the market that was worse), and dog butt ugly. It was a car that billed itself as nothing more then a shy import, and for years Hyundai slowly raised the price of the vehicle from bargain basement to average, while seemingly neglecting to improve the car.

They paid for it, hard. The Excel was lamented as one of the worst vehicles in history, confined to shoppers that had no other choice and would gladly opt for a Tempo or a Corolla or a Civic if given half the chance. It was here that the vehicle's unreliability, coupled with a little bit of "anti-foreign" domestic sentiment, gave Hyundai in particular and Korean automakers in general a reputation as a poor man's cardboard box car.

Later models did little to stifle this impression. In the late eighties Hyundai's "Scoupe" was introduced (essentially an Excel with a spoiler). The Sonata was introduced a little later, but because all cars seemed to occupy the same niche in the automotive classifications American buyers paid little notice.

In the mid nineties, someone apparently became more then a little tired at Hyundai World Headquarters in Seoul, South Korea. Several radical new concept cars, dubbed the "HCD" series, were designed with the goal of incorporating these features into new models, which Hyundai needed to be successful.

The first phase of Hyundai's plan to turn its reputation around was the replacement of the Excel with a spunky, quirky little subcompact called the Accent. Soon after the Sonata underwent a major design change, making it larger, sleeker and more luxurious. But the real one-two pulled by Hyundai would appear when the company's best vehicle platform debuted in the early nineties: this platform was the Elantra.

The idea was simple but would prove difficult to perfect at first. Build a sharp-looking, powerful, reliable, and well handling compact car with which to take on the growing small car market with. The first Elantra debuted under wary eyes but soon won the begrudging appreciation of auto critics. The Elantra, along with it's sister vehicle (built off the same platform), the sport coupe "Tiburon" would prove to mark the turning point in Hyundai's design philosophy, quality, and brand loyalty.

That change is apparent today more then ever with the 2000 Hyundai Elantra. I recently purchased a dark green Elantra and have loved it- my experience with my brother's Tiburon is what sold me on a Hyundai. I had no idea before the fact that these cars are this incredible-and I can't believe I almost bought a Civic.

The vehicle is well designed from fore to aft, starting with an aggressive 140 HP engine that delivers 133 pounds of torque. This same 2.0 Litre DOHC engine is shared by the Tiburon. In standard engine mode the automatic transmission delivers a lusty note that is sure to carry it quickly past the Focus (the number three contender for beefiest compact), but not quite past the Cavalier, which is the only non R/T compact car with more raw capability. This is where you really have to appreciate and learn to respect both the engine's power and it's sometimes overeager transmission, which sometimes seems to be either overzealous or too restrained. Noise is perhaps overdone during acceleration but at around fifty and above the engine is so nonobtrusive you'll wonder if its still there. The secret to an absolutely beautiful launch from the line is to kick the overdrive off, then gun the engine. This is the point where the car's 14 inch tires and beefy engine really shine- it's a growling sprint to 121 mph, the Elantra's official top speed (governed, of course). I recommend keeping the overdrive off for all driving under 40 mph, then click it on for highway traveling. Try to punch it in overdrive at low speeds and you'll find the engine hunting for gears that aren't there and causing the car to experience a fit in the progress at about 4500 RPM.

Try to take the Elantra into a curve it doesn't love. I dare you. It's unexpectantly tight steering glides you effortlessly into and out of curves, a trait in this class I've seen beaten only by the Tiburon itself. Lotus tuned the suspension for the Tiburon -I'm wondering if maybe the same thing happened here. In any case the little car tenaciously holds its ground far better then any other compact I've ever driven. After a while with this vehicle you'll find yourself taking the curviest roads you can find, because doing it is, well, damn fun in this car. Some have mentioned that the Elantra demonstrates a little bit too much body roll (although it never drops the confidence of the rest of the vehicle), and I am inclined to agree with this point. It's just a little too wobbly in the short and sudden curves, but since the rest of the handling is this good I can certainly live with this acceptable flaw.

Visibility is excellent, with very few blindspots. The Elantra's large windows and tall stance grant a good view of the road without having to resort to the insipid tall boy approach of an Echo. It's effective, but completely unnoticable until you're inside the vehicle. Passengers remark that the ride is cushy but no isolating, comfortable but not numbing. It just feels like a sedan should. My one qualm with the suspension is that it lacks the ability to really take a bump well- you will feel it, but in this regard it takes them far better then say, the Corolla I've also ridden in.

Like features? Good, because the Elantra's sole trim level for 2000 is the plush GLS package, which even on the lowest model includes painted mirrors (yes this does matter), a complete power package, automatic transmission (manual is available of course), and cruise control. Upgrading through several packages steadily adds more features until you arrive at options package 6 (which I opted for). This gives you a tilt\slide sunroof, alloy wheels, an excellent 6-speaker 100 watt sound system (more on that in a moment) and a rear spoiler. The one annoyance of the package offers is that one must choose between a sunroof and ABS, as options package 6 doesn't include ABS but 5 does (minus the sunroof). I find the standard brakes to be good enough on my vehicle, but for someone looking for ABS this could be an issue.

Brake pedal feel is, as in some other Korean models, an issue. While tenacious, the brakes have a "oh now you want me to work?" feeling to them that needs fixing. Don't tailgate anyone in this car.
By the way, even loaded, the Elantra sits pretty at around $14,500 MSRP. If you're counting change then this is typically where other cars begin at base. Go to Honda's website and calculate the cost of a 2000 Honda Civic EX (with less grunt and with less features) and you'll find that the vehicle's price for a paltry (in my opinion) 127 HP engine with no sunroof or spoiler (but ABS) takes you to an MSRP of far above Hyundai's. Edmunds.com agreed with me, saying "Toyota and Honda seem to think that slapping their logo on the hood entitles a price hike". The Elantra, by the way, finished third on their comparison test of nine compact cars, beating out the Dodge Neon, Honda Civic, and Chevrolet Cavalier to name a few.

There's more too. I've had people turn around in their seats to see what it was I driving, and the day I drove it home everyone in my neighborhood was astonished and came over to take a look at my new car. Driving a Hyundai imparts near-celebrity status in some areas solely because the vehicles have what I call "stylish quirk"- they don't look quite like anything else out there on the road, but in a good way. I answer questions about my little car everywhere I go, and receive ample compliments for its smooth ride and agile poise. It's nice having a vehicle that so easily surpises people. And it must have surprised more then just me, because sales for the 1999 Elantra were up an astonishing 83% over the previous year.

Having spent some time with my Elantra and racked up over 7k miles already, I've noticed some interesting quirks about the vehicle. First, the paint is very nice but needs to be tougher- spider webs are almost too easy to make in these models. The air conditioning is dissapointing. The interior space is excellent including the trunk- I was able to fit a 19 inch monitor in my front passenger seat. Ergonomics could be a little better- the front power mirror controls require one to lean forward, adjust, then sit back up straight to gauge the mirror position. Standard lumbar controls consist of basically an "on off" lever, though the adjustable seat bottom is perfect. Interior lights are mounted perfectly. The rear windshield is an absolute horror to keep clean. The gas cap lacks a harness, meaning you can unscrew it and hope you have somewhere to sit it (I always put it in the crook between my spoiler and the trunk). Metal ding guards on the doors really make the vehicle look elegant. The front is just a wee bit too busy, though when viewed from slightly above everything comes together nicely.
Now for the big case. I know some of you would never consider a Hyundai so let me reply to the following statements I hear the most:


"I don't know about the reliability": This is the left-over myth left by the Excel. Everyone always says how horrible the Excel was, but ask yourself has not every automaker turned out a sub-standard product known for serious problems? Before my Elantra I drove a Tempo (see my experience with this), the earlier Neons were supposed to be one of the worst vehicle platforms in history; I have heard several horror stories about the Cavalier's tendency to drip oil and other fluids from every opening- and there's a surprising amount of Japanese models that have sordid histories. If you can recognize that all automakers produce troublesome brands, then why not recognize that Hyundai did too? One troublesome product doesn't render the entire line tainted.


"Resale value is low." It'll only get higher from this point, given Hyundai's resurgence into common consumer consideration. Keep in mind that some owners of used Hyundai vehicles will now enjoy a limited five year or 50,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty- instead of an "As-is".


"But everyone will wonder why I bought one." Don't worry- you'll understand why you did after only a day with your new vehicle. Say hi to the other Hyundai drivers too (odds are you'll get beeped or waved at by them), because we all know how good what we're driving is.


There's so much more to these little vehicles that the average person just won't understand until they buy one. This year Hyundai is aggressively targeting the US market with the introduction of two new vehicles- the Santa Fe SUV and the luxury XG300. Right now Hyundai is the tenth best-selling automaker in the country. If they keep making vehicles like my Elantra, they'll go nowhere but up.


This review is part one in a series, and starts at the 7000mile mark. See my next review at 30,000 miles!