FUN AND FRUGAL ELANTRA
Spry, frugal and fun sum up the 2017 Hyundai Elantra ECO.
This neat little compact — with its penny-pinching 128-hp turbo-charged 1.4liter four-cylinder powerplant mated to a smoothshifting dual clutch sevenautomatic — is well-made and loaded to the gills with features.
Hyundai easily competes in this very popular commuter category that is littered with household names such as the Volkswagen Golf, Mazda3, Chevrolet Cruze, Ford Focus and Subaru Impreza. Although they all offer excellent gas mileage — the Elantra ECO returns 32/40 mpg — the Korean auto giant’s nearly loaded entry checks in with a nifty MSRP of $21,485.
The ECO’s quiet cabin affords the driver a very
comfortable commute and though the steering doesn’t have the crisp feel of the VW or Mazda, the Elantra is responsive and handles nicely. Pop it into “Sport” mode and the suspension and shift points tighten up and provide a snappier driving experience.
Acceleration in the ECO, one of four trims available, is quick and the engine answers your demand without hesitation. Although I wouldn’t call the car fast, you’ll be able to travel the highway confidently while scooting along with traffic. The spacious interior provides four adults with plenty of room to stretch out and there are well-placed cubbies in all the doors and center console. The trunk also had ample room for weekend luggage and my photo gear.
The infotainment system runs off a 7-inch touch screen and the steering wheel controls are among the easiest and most intuitive I’ve ever used. It features Hyundai’s branded Bluelink, that mates your smartphone to several apps such as Pandora. Also standard is Apple Carplay and Android Auto.
The leather-wrapped steering wheel accents the easy-on-the-eyes soft touch two-toned plastics and cloth surfaces. The contrasting fabric seats are supportive and comfortable and although the car has power windows and mirrors, the seats in the tester were fitted with traditional manual adjusters.
Sight lines are excellent and our tester offered blind-spot monitoring for added safety.
I like the body lines of the Elantra. It shares some of its sculpting with larger models like the Sonata and cuts a nice figure at the curb.
Well-placed creases, the flared trunk lid and a slightly wider stance give the compact a solid look while the cat’s eye headlamp assembly frames the stylish vertical LED fog lamps and chrome grille.