'07 Elantra is larger, more refined sedan

Don't be surprised if you mistake the new-generation Hyundai Elantra sedan for a Toyota.

It's easy to do, now that the Elantra is restyled with an upscale look and a back end, in particular, that seems to have come from a Toyota designer, not a stylist for South Korea's Hyundai.

The new-for-2007 Elantra also has an expanded interior with attractive blue illumination for gauges and controls, and there's a full complement of six standard air bags as well as whiplash-reducing, "active" front-seat head restraints.

Now classified officially as a midsize sedan, the larger-than-ever, front-wheel drive Elantra has a more refined ride than its predecessors.

And, as with all Hyundais, the Elantra comes with an industry-leading, comprehensive warranty that includes limited powertrain coverage for 100,000 miles or 10 years, whichever comes first.

In contrast, traditional Elantra competitors like the 2007 Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla have warranties that last for just three years/36,000 miles.

Starting manufacturer's suggested retail price, including destination charge, of $13,995 undercuts the starting prices of some major competitors. This price is for a base, 2007 Elantra GLS with five-speed, manual transmission, 138-horsepower, four-cylinder engine and no air conditioning. Air conditioning is an extra $900 on the base GLS, and an Elantra GLS with four-speed automatic transmission starts at $14,995.

Honda's Civic, which is the best-selling small car in America, starts at $15,605 for a base DX sedan with manual transmission, 140-horsepower, four-cylinder engine and no air conditioning.

Toyota's Corolla, another top-selling small sedan, starts at $14,825 for a CE model with manual transmission, 126-horsepower and four-cylinder engine. All Corollas have standard air conditioning.

Sold in GLS, SE and Limited trims, the 2007 Elantra is taller, wider and lighter in weight than its 2006 predecessor. The new Elantra also is taller than the Civic and wider than the Corolla.

I appreciated the Elantra's slightly taller height -- the roofline now stands at 4.86 feet. The higher roof and new interior mean seats are positioned higher so passengers don't drop down as much onto them during entry, and riders sit up a bit higher overall than in earlier models.

In essence, while Elantra drivers still can't see around minivans and pickup trucks in front of them, there's no overt feeling of riding low to the pavement here.

Front bucket seats, covered in fabric in the test car, provided good support, and I found the numerous storage spots, including a new, lidded one atop the dashboard, were handy.

The lack of air conditioning on the base Elantra notwithstanding, Hyundai officials deserve credit for including some standard features in all Elantras that sometimes are eliminated or optional in low-priced small cars. These include lighted glove box, two rear coat hanger hooks, tachometer, antilock brakes with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution and two-level center armrest between the front seats.

Overall, interior passenger space of 97.9 cubic feet inside the new Elantra is more than the 90.9 cubic feet in the Civic sedan and the 90.3 cubic feet in the Corolla.

The Elantra's trunk is bigger than the competitors', too, at 14.2 cubic feet. And the rear seatbacks split 60/40 and fold down to accommodate longer items in the trunk.

The only engine is a 2-liter, double overhead cam four-cylinder generating 138 horsepower with the help of continuously variable valve timing. Maximum torque is 136 foot-pounds at 4,600 rpm.

Installed in a car that weighs less than 2,900 pounds, the Elantra's powerplant conveyed a sprinting kind of performance in the test car with manual transmission. The car zipped ahead on highway entrance ramps, didn't dawdle in getting me up to speed as I merged in city traffic and had an eagerness that didn't feel raw and brutish.

The Elantra's fuel economy ratings aren't as high as those for the Corolla and Civic. It's 28 miles a gallon in city driving and 36 mpg on the highway for the test car.

The Elantra's engine can sound buzzy at upper highway speeds, and the suspension, even in the SE test model, felt like it's tuned more for comfort than for stick-to-the-pavement, sporty handling.

Actually, it's a more refined ride than I expected, and it did a fine job of keeping harsh bumps away from me and passengers.

Additionally, there wasn't a lot of road noise from the 16-inch tires.

Fit and finish inside and out of the Elantra tester were excellent, and even the plastic pieces inside the car had some soft-touch "give" to them that made them more pleasant to touch than hard plastic.

This new sedan earned a five-out-of-five-stars rating in federal government frontal crash testing and four out of five stars in side crash testing, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.