LAKE LOUISE, Alta: While the supply side economic theory promulgated by Ronald Reagen in the '80s has rightfully fallen into disrepute, the general principle it espoused is alive and well in the car business.
Put simply, the idea is that if you look after the concerns of the rich they will spend more money and that cash will make its way down to the regular folks. It was called the "trickle-down" effect.
Well, with cars you might call it "trickle-down engineering," since the reality is that a rising tide does indeed raise all cars. The 2001 Hyundai Elantra is proof of that.
All of the stuff that the car companies learned about designing and building more expensive vehicles has been flowing downhill and has moved into the least expensive segment in the market.
As a result, we get cars as well made and as competent as the new Elantra, which is now on the market with a price tag of $14,875 for a base GL with a 5-speed, or $15,875 for the same trim level with a 4-speed automatic. The big volume Elantra VE-with the automatic transmission, air, cruise and power windows and doors, among other features-will retail for $17,075.
For the money, you get an impressively roomy compact car that loves to run hard and long on any kind of road you can get it to. This I learned during a long drive from this impossibly beautiful place (top-5 views out of a hotel window, worldwide) along challenging roads into British Columbia and back.
Before we get to the facts about equipment levels and engineering decisions and driving impressions, a few words about the overall impression of the new Elantra. In general terms, it's exceedingly well done.
The bits that people come in contact with are made from fine materials and are carefully put together. This car puts to the sword any lingering thought that an inexpensive car, from Korea or anywhere else, has to look and feel cheap.
Low prices are easy if there's no equipment in a car, so in this segment it's important to outline what you're getting for your money.
In the GL, the standard equipment includes front and side airbags, tinted glass, an AM/FM/CD sound system, 15-inch tires and wheels, 60/40 rear folding seats, a digital clock, dual vanity mirrors, a power sunroof, tilt steering, a tachometer, a remote truck release, and quite a bit more.
Go up to the VE and you get all of the GL's equipment plus air conditioning, cruise control, the 4-speed automatic, and power windows, doors and heated outside mirrors.
Hyundai plans the VE to be the better bargain, and three-quarters of the people who buy Elantras are expected to see that by choosing that model.
Whichever trim level you choose, the standard and optional features come in a package that gets new exterior and interior styling, a longer wheelbase that provides more cabin room, and a re-engineered 2-litre inline-4.
Of the new Elantra's styling I can say little beyond the fact that it is not unpleasant. It just sort of is. The big plus for the new look is that it has a better aerodynamic shape, which means it should use less fuel and make less noise. Those improvements won't be huge or even big, but it all helps.
Pop open the four doors and you notice immediately that there's a lot of space in the back. By moving the wheels farther apart, Hyundai has created more living room for two real adults. The engineers also seem to have made an effort to keep the area under the front seats open, which allows for rear seat feet to rest more comfortably.
Up front, there is plenty of space for two large North Americans on the larger and more comfortable buckets. They are easily able to handle tall people, those new seats, since they have plenty of seat travel to accommodate long legs.
There isn't much for either of those two folks to complain about, ergonomics-wise, except for maybe the stereo system. It has what I believe (and indeed hope) are the tiniest control buttons on the market today. Combine that with its too low positioning on the centre console and you have an irritant that might be an issue with some people
Thanks to various engineering advances, the interior of the new Elantra is also a more pleasant space to be in general since it is quieter. While a quiet cabin may be highly appealing to some, others may appreciate that car noise will be a better place to listen to your own sounds, either the ones made by you in conversation or by the artists on the stereo.
As pointed out earlier, all of this space and quiet can be moved around in quite a brisk way if that is the driver's wish. The DOHC, 16-valve engine turns out 140 horsepower at 6000 rpm and 133 pound-feet of torque at 4800 rpm. These are respectable numbers in a small car, and they are easy to access even with the automatic. You have to be firm with the gas pedal and there's some extra engine noise, but the new Elantra will get up and go if you want it to.
Even better, if you're tossing it on some twisty road it behaves in a surprisingly strong way. It goes where you point it with no drama, even if you're doing supra-legal speeds. It was actually fun to drive.
Indeed, this ability to create fun on the road nicely mirrors the 2001 Elantra's ability to make you happy with its great price-value relationship. Now that's trickle-down economics many of us can vote for.
Put simply, the idea is that if you look after the concerns of the rich they will spend more money and that cash will make its way down to the regular folks. It was called the "trickle-down" effect.
Well, with cars you might call it "trickle-down engineering," since the reality is that a rising tide does indeed raise all cars. The 2001 Hyundai Elantra is proof of that.
All of the stuff that the car companies learned about designing and building more expensive vehicles has been flowing downhill and has moved into the least expensive segment in the market.
As a result, we get cars as well made and as competent as the new Elantra, which is now on the market with a price tag of $14,875 for a base GL with a 5-speed, or $15,875 for the same trim level with a 4-speed automatic. The big volume Elantra VE-with the automatic transmission, air, cruise and power windows and doors, among other features-will retail for $17,075.
For the money, you get an impressively roomy compact car that loves to run hard and long on any kind of road you can get it to. This I learned during a long drive from this impossibly beautiful place (top-5 views out of a hotel window, worldwide) along challenging roads into British Columbia and back.
Before we get to the facts about equipment levels and engineering decisions and driving impressions, a few words about the overall impression of the new Elantra. In general terms, it's exceedingly well done.
The bits that people come in contact with are made from fine materials and are carefully put together. This car puts to the sword any lingering thought that an inexpensive car, from Korea or anywhere else, has to look and feel cheap.
Low prices are easy if there's no equipment in a car, so in this segment it's important to outline what you're getting for your money.
In the GL, the standard equipment includes front and side airbags, tinted glass, an AM/FM/CD sound system, 15-inch tires and wheels, 60/40 rear folding seats, a digital clock, dual vanity mirrors, a power sunroof, tilt steering, a tachometer, a remote truck release, and quite a bit more.
Go up to the VE and you get all of the GL's equipment plus air conditioning, cruise control, the 4-speed automatic, and power windows, doors and heated outside mirrors.
Hyundai plans the VE to be the better bargain, and three-quarters of the people who buy Elantras are expected to see that by choosing that model.
Whichever trim level you choose, the standard and optional features come in a package that gets new exterior and interior styling, a longer wheelbase that provides more cabin room, and a re-engineered 2-litre inline-4.
Of the new Elantra's styling I can say little beyond the fact that it is not unpleasant. It just sort of is. The big plus for the new look is that it has a better aerodynamic shape, which means it should use less fuel and make less noise. Those improvements won't be huge or even big, but it all helps.
Pop open the four doors and you notice immediately that there's a lot of space in the back. By moving the wheels farther apart, Hyundai has created more living room for two real adults. The engineers also seem to have made an effort to keep the area under the front seats open, which allows for rear seat feet to rest more comfortably.
Up front, there is plenty of space for two large North Americans on the larger and more comfortable buckets. They are easily able to handle tall people, those new seats, since they have plenty of seat travel to accommodate long legs.
There isn't much for either of those two folks to complain about, ergonomics-wise, except for maybe the stereo system. It has what I believe (and indeed hope) are the tiniest control buttons on the market today. Combine that with its too low positioning on the centre console and you have an irritant that might be an issue with some people
Thanks to various engineering advances, the interior of the new Elantra is also a more pleasant space to be in general since it is quieter. While a quiet cabin may be highly appealing to some, others may appreciate that car noise will be a better place to listen to your own sounds, either the ones made by you in conversation or by the artists on the stereo.
As pointed out earlier, all of this space and quiet can be moved around in quite a brisk way if that is the driver's wish. The DOHC, 16-valve engine turns out 140 horsepower at 6000 rpm and 133 pound-feet of torque at 4800 rpm. These are respectable numbers in a small car, and they are easy to access even with the automatic. You have to be firm with the gas pedal and there's some extra engine noise, but the new Elantra will get up and go if you want it to.
Even better, if you're tossing it on some twisty road it behaves in a surprisingly strong way. It goes where you point it with no drama, even if you're doing supra-legal speeds. It was actually fun to drive.
Indeed, this ability to create fun on the road nicely mirrors the 2001 Elantra's ability to make you happy with its great price-value relationship. Now that's trickle-down economics many of us can vote for.