Road Tests: Long-Term Test

Easy. That's the word that kept coming to the mind of Consumer Advice Editor Philip Reed during his month in our 2001 Hyundai Elantra GLS. It's easy to steer, easy to shift, easy to drive. And besides being easy, it's occasionally fun.

Phil bought the Elantra for the long-term program back in March of 2001, but hasn't had much seat time in the economy sedan since then. Consequently, he was curious to see if his purchase was worth the money. The verdict was a definite yes. Writing in his log book, he noted: "If I needed good, reliable transportation, and I didn't have a lot of dough, I would probably buy this car and have it set up just like this one."

While much of Phil's time is spent in traffic, often moving slower than the brain of Homer Simpson, the stick shift wasn't an annoyance. "It's so easy to shift," Phil wrote, "that it somehow feels like an automatic. Compared to our long-term Toyota Celica GT-S, where every shift is an adventure, the Elantra is a no-brainer. It glides smoothly from gear to gear, and the rubbery ball shift knob feels good in the palm of your hand."

The steering felt a little too easy to Phil. "Each time I switched cars, then came back to the Elantra, the steering seemed over-boosted. It reminded me of the big cars of the '70s where you could stick a finger in the spoke and spin the wheel. But, frankly, the steering was appreciated when parallel parking and pulling into tight spaces."

Despite the light steering, Phil felt there was adequate road feel and very sound handling. "The impression I got was that this car was light on its feet — the Michelins gripped well in the corners, and the body didn't lean excessively. All in all, it felt very maneuverable." He also noted that the Elantra passed his so-called "Terraine St. Test," a test that has the car making a U-turn on the street where Phil lives. The only other cars in the fleet that have passed have been the VW Passat and the Honda Insight.

This month was hard on our Elantra, however. When Phil took over, the windshield already had a crack in it. Then, while en route to pick up a 2002 Ford Thunderbird test car, with Road Test Coordinator Neil Chirico, a pea-sized pebble struck the windshield with a frightening snap! Now with two cracks in the glass, we felt it was time to go shopping for a new windshield.

Phil called three glass stores for the best price for a new windshield, one of which was a mobile service that would replace it here at our editorial offices. The quotes ranged from $225 to $280. The mobile service offered to repair it at our offices for $269. Given that security at our office building is very restrictive, and that another price was so much lower, we took the Elantra to the lowest bidder's shop and had them do the windshield replacement there. After we picked it up, we found ourselves humming the line from the old Beatles tune "I Can See Clearly Now."

Only a day later, another piece of flying debris struck the Elantra in the headlight, the hood and then the A-pillar. It made a loud impact sound. But upon inspection, Phil discovered it must have been an orange cone, since it left rubber scuff marks. It did, however, break the paint on the hood, leaving a very small ding.

One aspect of the car that really pleased Phil was the visibility the small sedan offers the driver. "It might be that I'm comparing the Elantra to recent cars I've driven, such as the Toyota Celica and the Honda Insight, which are low to the ground, restricting rear visibility. However, the visibility in the Dodge Grand Caravan and the VW Passat is also obstructed by large headrests. The visibility in the Hyundai gives me a feeling of confidence when I'm changing lanes or merging. And this is a very good feeling for a commuter."

While the Elantra has often been referred to as an "econobox" by the less sensitive members of the staff, it doesn't drive like one. However, Phil noted that there were a few features that were lacking. It doesn't come with keyless remote entry or cruise control — both of which were missed. The universal door lock switch does not have a separate button, and it took Phil a month's time and a look in the service manual to find the solution: The driver-side lock operates all door locks. Furthermore, many cars have a one-wipe feature on the wiper stalk; by bumping the wiper stick up once, it takes one swipe at the windshield. This feature is quite handy and is missing in the Elantra.

As far as reliability is concerned, the Elantra has scored very high marks. The only thing Phil noted in a month of daily use was one small point. Several times, the engine cranked without catching easily. It was enough to make him wonder if a problem was developing. But recently, it hasn't repeated this idiosyncrasy.

Phil is not looking forward to "switch day" when he will have to give up the keys to the Elantra. For him, it has been an easy month.

Current Odometer: 12,275
Best Fuel Economy: 30.1 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 26.9 mpg
Average Fuel Economy (over the life of the vehicle): 27.2 mpg
Body Repair Costs: $225 (replacement of windshield)
Maintenance Costs: None
Problems: None