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Tote-it-and-go transportation doesn’t have to be boring

2010 Hyundai Elantra Touring SE

Hyundai’s 2010 Elantra Touring SE is proof that a vehicle without a ton of bells and whistles doesn’t have to be boring. Although it is a hatchback, the 2-liter/4-cylinder/16-valve dual overhead cam engine Elantra comes with five-speed manual transmission and delivers a spirited, zippy ride. It reminded me just how much fun a manual transmission automobile can be.

Once at the wheel of the Elantra, I forgot that I was in a five-door hatchback, instead my focus was on the sporty, fun ride and the joy of driving a stick.

While the interior cabin is unglamorous, it is surprisingly roomy up front and in the back.

And those who are drawn to a hatchback for its versatility and its ability to tote cargo will have at their disposal 65 cubic feel of cargo space – more than several of its competitors, according to Hyundai’s Web site. Of course, the rear seats fold down for more space, and there’s a nice hidden storage space under the floor in the rear.

Now don’t get me wrong, the Elantra Touring SE isn’t some striped down automobile. It comes with an array of performance, safety and convenience features that make for a decent package.

This compact comes with sports-tuned suspension, electronic stability control as well as traction control, which makes it easier to negotiate challenging terrain such as a slippery hill. It’s also equipped with brake assist and six airbags.

Other nice touches include an overhead sunglass holder, heated side mirrors and a cooled glove box. It’s also impressive that all the features such as power tilt sunroof, six-speaker sound system, IPod/USB jacks, remote keyless entry, 17-inch wheels, antilock brakes and tire press monitoring are standard equipment.

The starting price for the Elantra Touring SE is $18,995 and the test vehicle I drove totaled $20,005 with only $95 for carpeted floor mats and $195 for the rear spoiler as optional equipment.

The Elantra Touring SE is reported to get 23 miles per gallon in the city and 31 on the highway.

This Elantra is a modest-priced hatchback that provides everything one would want in a tote-it-and-go vehicle without totally forgetting that driver and passengers deserve to enjoy the ride as well.


Comments (1)

Lawlerskates
Said this on 9/19/10 At 09:53 am
What an awful car. If they put a V-6 in there, I bet it would be slightly less of a hassle to drive this thing on the highway. Don't be a fool and go throw away your money on a car that is built to last a max of 10 years. I see so many hyundai's with car trouble, its astonishing. Crappy parts put in a crappy car = short car life and lots of engine problems. You wouldn't believe how many times I was asked to give a jump to a almost brand new hyundai, with my '97 BMW. If I were to spend thousands of dollars on something, I would want it to last me a long time. I spent 10 grand on my Bimmer 6 years ago and for some reason my car still runs better than most new cars these days. Huh I always seem to wonder that. Why is a older car outlasting these crappy hyundai's? Just think about what you are gonna buy and do your research instead of blindly going to a dealership and throwing money down on a car you know nothing about. I am obviously not a fan of Hyundai personally, but I do know that they don't check the quality of their cars as well as some other car companies do. Look at what happened to Toyota, they got big fast and now don't care about quality, only quantity. The toyota matrix just got recalled '03-'08 for engine temp problems which can be a very dangerous problem if your engine overheats.

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