Vehicle of the week: 2013 Hyundai Elantra

Continuing our blog series, the Vehicle of the week: 2013 Hyundai Elantra:

2013 Hyundai Elantra GLS Gainesville, FL

This 2013 Hyundai Elantra GLS gives new meaning to the mostly stereotyped fuel efficient compact car market. I would describe it as a compact car with a mid size feel, or conversely a mid size car with a bit of a compact feel. With its newer body style and sleek design inside and out that has been referred to as “Fluidic Sculpture” this GLS model Hyundai Elantra sports very attractive features such as:

– A sleek, smooth, modern design, look, and feel inside and out.

– A comfortable, spacious interior that easily has more than enough space for a family of four even on longer trips.

– ICE cold A/C that easily cools the entire vehicle down within minutes.

– Power locks, power windows, automatic transmission, and cruise control.

– Dual 12-volt power outlets, 60/40 split rear seats and a 172-watt, 6-speaker audio/stereo system with an auxiliary and USB port plus satellite radio capabilities.

– A 1.8 liter Nu engine that produces 148 horsepower – 10 horsepower more than the previous body style back in 2010.

– A soft enough suspension where you don’t feel every single bump in the road, but yet it also doesn’t compromise on the quality of the overall ride.

– Last but certainly not least, and one of my personal favorites: Excellent fuel economy and efficiency! With its subtly strong, smooth, and efficient engine this car averages an EPA estimated 28 mpg city and 38 mpg highway, and it only takes about 10 gallons of fuel to fill the tank! It averaged right around 33 mpg when I drove it for about a week.

As you get in to drive and get the seat, mirrors, and steering wheel adjusted to suit you one thing I noticed is that the driver seat ‘hugs’ you firmly, but yet it feels snug and comfortable as you cruise around. The transmission is very smooth as you get up to speed, and it has that extra “kick” should you need it to get up to speed a little faster. It drives very smooth like a hot knife through butter.

Interestingly enough these do not come from the factory equipped with a spare tire. Rather – the factory standard issue is a tire plug and an emergency air pump. It makes sense in a way, but if you have a tire that just completely goes out and falls apart on you a plug and an air pump isn’t going to help much. You can order a spare tire for them though as we did with our Elantra so that you have it just in case plus the tire plug and air pump. The only thing I would honestly knock this particular car for is the color. The dark grey color just doesn’t suit my taste, but everything else about this vehicle is simply awesome!

On a scale of one to ten with ten being the best rating I would give this vehicle a rating of a 9.5 out of 10. I would definitely recommend this car for anyone who is looking for a fuel efficient economy car that offers a little more space, but yet doesn’t quite get into a full ‘mid sized vehicle’ range. I would also recommend this vehicle to anyone who wants a vehicle that is newer.

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