Hyundai Elantra, the sensible choice

In life you tend to go on a journey of vehicles at each stage. Your first car might be a small hatch, once you start making some money you might move to something sporty and as you put together a family you realise you need some extra space. We feel that this is where the Elantra from Hyundai fits in.

There is such a trend to search for an SUV as soon as you become pregnant or have your first child. There are benefits to an SUV but the trusty sedan most of us grew up in are still great family vehicles. This Elantra has room for four adults with ease, a family of five without a problem and a boot that would easily fit a pram and your shopping, or a set of golf clubs.

The exterior styling isn’t boring either, the front grill with LED lighting looks great on approach, the rear lights have amazing depth as you leave. With sporty alloys as standard the overall view when you walk around the Elantra has you repeating yourself “not bad… not bad… not bad at all”.

The inside of the car is interesting. The model we test drove has the two tone interior. This is the first sign that you aren’t 17 anymore. Two tone is a either loved or hated, it might be something that swings with age. In the drivers seat everything is within easy reach. Two cup holders, big centre console, easy to use steering wheel controls and then you notice the stereo unit.

The Hyundai Elantra is fitting with Apple CarPlay which turns the car stereo into the best interface on any car entertainment system within seconds. No need to pair your phone or type in a code, plug your phone into the USB slot and the whole display changes. Interestingly, Hyundai doesn’t offer the vehicle with SatNav or GPS onboard, this is because you’re expected to use your Apple CarPlay setup and GPS. Honestly, this is actually a blessing, Apple Maps is constantly up to date and works better than any SatNav in a car today.

The performance of the Elantra is not going to scare your passengers however it gets from A to B without any hesitation or complaints. It rides very smoothly and if your elderly parents were in the car they’d be proud to see how considerate you are of their comfort and enjoyment.

The Hyundai Elantra will suit a certain person at the right time of their life, a short test drive will tell you all you need to know however in our opinion it represents good value and more features than you’d expect.