DRIVER’S JOURNAL
Day 1: Struck by the appearance of the Elantra GT, as it’s Audi-esque. Stepping inside, the black interior was welcoming, with red stitching, red anodized accents on the dash, red seat belts, and a leather shift knob with a red top. The engine fires up, nothing too throaty for exhaust, and it settles down nicely. I made the mistake of turning on the stereo; I was surprised speakers could still sound this awful in 2017.
Day 2: We took Elaine and Malcolm to the zoo today. Elaine needed assistance getting the belt into the buckle, which is not normally an issue for her in our own daily driver. As we took off, the car doors locked themselves. When we got to the zoo, my wife and I exited the front doors, only to find that the rear doors had not unlocked automatically.
Day 3: I played with the menu on the gauge cluster and disabled the rear-door lockout, so now it is much easier to get the kids out! No squeaks or rattles. It is still a sport suspension, but the bumps are very nicely damped out. The nicely weighted steering keeps everything in line. The steering wheel is small, leather wrapped, and heated, and has a nice on-centre feel. The manual six-speed shifter is fun to snick up and down through the gears.
Day 4: Fall cleanup. With the parcel tray removed and rear seats folded down, I managed to haul away an old propane tank, a kid car seat, a metal coat stand, some crib parts and frame, crushed cardboard, and an old cooler. I think this car is really growing on me. I’m not sure if I am a fan of the electronically actuated e-brake.
Day 5: I took the Elantra for an evening cruise with a friend who is also a hot-hatch enthusiast. He was impressed with the fit and interior finishes. He tried out his Samsung phone on the Qi-enabled inductive charging unit inside the dash cubby. It fired up instantly and charged his phone. Overall, the car is quite roomy. The headlights are very good, with a sharp cut off and good illumination in the ditches.
Day 6: I got a chance to enjoy the car on the highway. The 3,500-5,500 r.p.m. range is a hoot in this car, and it has enough power to pass and merge. Launching it hard produces almost no torque steer, so all the power is quite manageable. I first thought that the seats were a bit flat and lacked padding, however, I actually had no issues going long distance.
Day 7: I did have two instances today where the electric emergency brake did not seem to want to release after being parked on a hill. Toggling the switch on and off resolved the issue. Overall, the car is not a head-turner in public. But anyone who I visited with during the week liked the styling and loved the interior.