Rental car test: Hyundai Elantra

[AlphaMicra]

So I went to Las Vegas last week. I only had a week off, so I didn't have the time to drive the Micra there and back and do everything I wanted, so I opted for a flight and rental car. I was supposed to get a Chevrolet Spark for a rental car, and I was looking forward to seeing how it compared to the Micra. Unfortunately, they were fresh out of Sparks and cars in that class, so I got a free "Upgrade" to a Hyundai Elantra.



My first impression is that it reminded me of my old Grand Am GT, with the split gauge pod and ergonomic seating position. This in itself wasn't a bad thing, but it meant that I was expecting it to behave like that car. It didn't.

First, the good things: It has a button on the steering wheel to cycle the trip counter between fuel economy (unlike our cars which requires us to reach through the steering wheel), and shows the outside temperature. It's very roomy and ergonomic. The trunk is surprisingly large. The six speed automatic did its job well, and was well matched to the engine, which never felt terribly underpowered (about on par with the Micra). The engine revved at a low 2,000 RPM's on the highway. Generous storage bins and cup holders. USB power and aux in located in a bin in front of the shifter. The shifter's minimalist design was very welcome. I got a consistent 31 MPG mixed driving with the air conditioning running all the time in the desert heat.

Now, for the bad: It transferred quite a bit of road noise into the cabin. Probably about the same as the Micra, maybe not quite as bad, but certainly significantly more than the Grand Am GT it reminded me of. While the handling was pretty decent, it didn't like to be pushed too hard into corners and couldn't be tossed around as easily as either the Micra or the Grand Am GT. Over rough roads, the ride became bouncy. At highway speeds, the steering became numb and didn't feel as precise. The air conditioning smelled foul. The radio sounded tinny, especially when using the Sirrius XM radio feature. Outward visibility was extremely poor; when backing up, I had to open the door and look outside. This design also lead to some pretty extreme blind spots that I wasn't used to. This car would have benefited greatly from a backup camera and lane change sensors. The controls on the steering wheel and on the head unit are a mess and completely un-intuitive. Turning radius sucks compared to the Micra.

Verdict: Not a bad car for what it costs. As soon as I got back home, I got behind the wheel of my Micra, which is definitely more fun to drive. For zipping around and parking in Toronto, the Micra wins hands down. That said, the Elantra would definitely be more comfortable for a family on a long road trip, and would make a worthwhile daily highway commuter. It's definitely nice to sit in. I would consider it instead of a Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla as I believe it's just as good with a better price and features, and better fuel economy. The Koreans have done well, but it's not a Micra. I still wish I got the Spark, and I'll be driving my little high-revving 5 speed for some time yet.

For those of you interested, here's my photo album from our little trip: https://goo.gl/photos/RWucWAFR1Co11rRf9

[Grok]

Always great to read a comparison, thanks! You didn't miss out on much getting the Hyundai instead of the Spark. I would say you were fortunate!

[micrapolis]

and if im not mistaken, the spark is also made in Korea. essentially a rebadged daewoo....or so they tell me.

[MetroMPG]

My desire to test drive a Spark pretty much went away after I read grok's detailed impressions of one!

However, if I was in your situation (rental), I would have chosen one out of curiosity anyway.

To me what's more interesting about Hyundai right now is their base Accent is currently competing directly in the "$10k game" against the Micra / Spark / Mirage. Their web site shows ~$5k off the base Accent bringing it to just around $11k after mandatory fees, like the other 3 base cars.

What's even stranger is I have seen no advertising about it.