Hyundai Elantra 2001 Review

It was the full family disaster. We had to pack two kids, three overnight bags, four pillows, an Esky with the Christmas ham, two bottles of liquid cheer, six apple juice 'Poppers', two adults and a swag of Christmas presents into the new Hyundai Elantra. When they were laid out on the driveway waiting to be pulled and pushed to fit the available space - and the kids were screaming over whose turn it was to ride the scooter - a horrible thought occurred. It doesn't all fit, which bits do we leave behind?

"It'll fit," puffs the bloke as he wrestles with the fully laden Esky. It did, too. Easy. There was even room for the scooters, making us the best mum and dad in the world - for the following 10 minutes anyway.

Hyundai's latest is like that: surprising in many small ways.

You get plenty of equipment for the $21,990 price tag: driver's airbag, CD player, air-conditioning, front fog lamps, power windows and mirrors, and keyless remote central locking. But there's value beyond the standard equipment list.

The Elantra is really quite roomy. Not only do you buy a very large boot, but you get excellent interior space, too. Rear leg room is pentiful (but foot room isn't) and all but the tallest of passengers will find comfortable spot in the back for that annual journey to hell-at-the-relatives.

There's storage aplenty up front for all the odds and sods of a messy life. Crazy Bones (it's a kid thing, okay?) fit neatly into the top tray of the two tiered centre console, and there's even room left over for a couple of CDs. The glovebox is large and the door pockets are of useable size. The seats are softish but supportive, there's a fold-down armrest in the rear and a tilt-adjustable steering column.

But it ain't all roses. As you point the car in the direction of the mother-in-law's, memories of the Accent come flooding back. The Elantra's clutch is completely devoid of any feel - there isn't a clearly defined take-up point, just a dead pedal. Neighbours will reckon you've been sampling the bubbly a little too early in the morning as you kangaroo through the neighbourhood. The only alternative is to rev the engine so hard the EPA is bound to pay a visit.

If somehow you get the action of clutch and throttle synchronised, you'll find even more Accent. The gearchange quality is very rare, in that it's possible to crunch the shift in all five slots. The first-second and second-third shifts are worst, particularly if your trying to gently swap cogs. And the gap in revs between first and second gears is very large, which can be problematic. On a hot day with the air-conditioning working overtime and a load on board, the Elantra struggles to hold second on steeper inclines.

It isn't the engine's fault; the twin-cam 2.0 litre four is a willing powerplant. It gets a bit noisy when revved, but it's a mid-range engine anyway. Changing up at 4000rpm gives strong forward momentum, while delivering reasonable fuel consumption (we saw 10.3L/100km from around 1000 kays of mixed urban/freeway/backroads driving).

The Elantra's suspension carries a little of that trademark Hyundai softness, but it's a supple, controlled bodyroller rather than a nasty nosescraper. Bumps are absorbed quite gently, although the front suspension feels a little coarse. It's at home on the freeway, where the car tracks straight but wants for slightly more sophisticated aerodynamics.

The standard safety package is acceptable; driver's front airbag, five head restraints and height-adjustable front seatbelts with pre-tensioners. If you want more, you'll need the extra safety pack, which includes passenger airbag and ABS, for $1490. And we're pleased to say the centre-rear seat passenger also gets a lap/sash seatbelt.

The Elantra is a competent, capable vehicle. It isn't inspiring or exciting, but if you're after a spacious everyday car and can live with a few automotive indiscretions, you won't be disappointed.