2009 Hyundai Elantra

SENIOR WEB REPORTER GREG MIGLIORE: This is a decent little car. Very useful, with the hatch and solid fuel economy. Surprisingly good steering and interior. I guess when you creep into the $20,000 range, things should get a little nicer, but this car beat my expectations in overall packaging. Elegant wheels, good touch points inside and a radio whose face I can read easily--all smart things in my book.Acceleration was OK; I mean, it's a 2.0-liter four-banger. But it's a fairly lithe ride considering it's still a hatch. Hyundai has done a nice job of upgrading its product line from econoboxes to relatively classy rides.

Also, I liked the headlights and the styling. The shape isn't my cup of coffee, but the subtleties are well done. I didn't get much roll in corners or all that much wind resistance on the expressway. This is a solid effort overall, though not my preference for future wheels.

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