Hyundai Elantra Sedan-2014

PREVIEW

Unless you know what to look for, you might not think much is different about the 2014 Hyundai Elantra, which appears to be the same sleekly styled sedan that has been out since 2011. But Hyundai has made a lot of little updates this year, and they bring about some noticeable improvements to an affordable compact sedan that was already worth your consideration.

In previous years, we found that the Elantra sedan wasn't as sporty to drive as some of its competitors. For 2014, however, there's a new Sport trim to remedy that. Fortunately, this trim doesn't amount to just a few extra body trim pieces and red interior stitching. No, the new Elantra Sport receives a more powerful engine and a sport-tuned suspension that may give it a level of driver engagement comparable to rivals.

Another point of contention we had with earlier Elantras was the higher than normal amount of road and engine noise that made its way into the cabin. This time around, Hyundai has packed more sound insulation into the car to deliver a quieter ride. You'll also find Hyundai's latest infotainment features inside the cabin, including new touchscreen displays. In addition, the Elantra still has all of its usual positive attributes, including a generous equipment list, a comfortable ride, an accommodating trunk, a long warranty and sharp styling -- all at a reasonable price. And if the sedan doesn't fit your taste, there's also a GT four-door hatchback and a coupe model, both of which are covered in separate reviews.

With the aforementioned improvements, the 2014 Hyundai Elantra sedan inches ever closer to the top spot among compact sedans. We heartily recommend checking one out alongside the venerable 2014 Ford Focus and fully redesigned 2014 Mazda 3. Even against the top-selling 2014 Honda Civic, the Elantra may very likely meet or exceed your expectations.

FEATURES

The 2014 Hyundai Elantra sedan is available in three trims: SE, Limited and Sport. Standard SE features include 15-inch alloy wheels, heated mirrors, full power accessories, air-conditioning, cruise control, a trip computer, a tilt-telescoping steering wheel, 60/40-split folding rear seats and a six-speaker sound system with a CD player, satellite radio and USB/iPod interface.

For the SE, Hyundai offers the optional Preferred package, which includes 16-inch wheels, automatic headlights, Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity, voice controls, a 4.3-inch touchscreen audio interface, a rearview camera, heated front seats and minor interior trim and detail upgrades.

The Limited comes with those options as standard and adds 17-inch wheels, foglights, LED accent and taillights, integrated turn signal repeaters on the mirrors, an automatic transmission, leather upholstery, a six-way power driver seat (with power lumbar), heated rear seats and Blue Link telematics.

Except for the automatic transmission, heated rear seats and Blue Link, the Sport includes all of the above along with a new 2.0-liter engine, a sunroof, a sport-tuned suspension and keyless ignition/entry.

Available on the Limited trim only is the Technology package, which includes keyless entry/ignition, a larger 7-inch touchscreen display, dual-zone automatic climate control, a navigation system and an upgraded audio system with a Pandora Internet radio interface.

INTERIOR

The 2014 Hyundai Elantra's interior features a modern organic approach to design, with a swooping center stack that integrates well with the numerous other curves throughout the cabin. While there are some hard plastic elements here and there, those elements are convincingly grained to look a bit more upscale. The Limited trim is understandably more luxury-leaning than the others, and adding the optional Technology package enhances that feel.

In general, the Elantra offers a lot more space than you'd expect from a compact car. Headroom up front is plentiful for 6-footers and the steering wheel is a bit smaller in diameter than usual, which enhances the sense of space in the first row. The backseat is fine for kids and even most adults, though taller passengers will find its abundant legroom and shortage of headroom a mixed blessing.

The Elantra sedan features a large trunk with 14.8 cubic feet of cargo room, a generous number for this segment. The 60/40-split pass-through is also quite large.

UNDER THE HOOD

Powering the 2014 Hyundai Elantra SE and Limited models is a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 145 horsepower and 130 pound-feet of torque. A six-speed manual transmission is standard on the SE, while a six-speed automatic is optional. The automatic is the only transmission offered on the Limited.

You can expect Hyundai Elantras with the base engine to accelerate to 60 mph in the mid-9-second range, which is a little slower than average for the segment. The EPA estimates fuel economy for the manual-transmission version at 31 mpg combined (27 city/37 highway) and 32 mpg combined (28/38) for the automatic. These are solid numbers, though a handful of rival compact sedans offer special, fuel-economy-themed models with even better fuel economy.

The Elantra Sport has a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that is good for 173 hp and 154 lb-ft of torque. The manual transmission is standard, and the automatic is optional. The EPA estimates fuel economy at 28 mpg combined (24/34) for the manual version. The automatic is also rated 28 combined but achieves 1 mpg less on the highway.