1st Place – 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT GLS
    2013 Hyundai Elantra GT GLS. Click image to enlarge |
As the famous saying goes, “the best laid plans go oft awry.” [Actually, they “gang aft agley”, but nobody’s much interested in arcane Scottish dialect these days, are they? –Ed.] We assembled a comparison test where fuel economy was a main focus, and the vehicle that achieved the lowest fuel economy ends up winning. How did that happen? Well, the new Elantra GT is just that good; but more on that latter. Let’s look deeper into the fuel economy issue.
This is our third comparison test involving a Hyundai vehicle and for the third straight time, we achieved dismal fuel economy. Although rated officially at 7.2 L/100 km in the city and 4.9 L/100 km on the highway, all we could achieve after our mostly city testing was a somewhat thirsty 8.8 L/100 km. This isn’t a dedicated efficiency model like the other two in this comparison test, but the NRCan ratings have the Elantra on par with the Cruze Eco and more efficient than the Mazda3 GS-Sky. It seems this car has been geared perfectly for the fuel mileage tests, where it becomes an overachiever. Part of the reason for the poor fuel economy result could be blamed on the highway cruising speeds of 2,400 rpm at 100 km/h and 2,850 rpm at 120 km/h. But then again, these are only 100 rpm higher than the Mazda3 GS-Sky.
But enough about efficiency; what earned the Elantra GT the win? Well, in short, everything else. The GT was stuffed with features not found in the other two cars, like a two-panel glass sunroof, adjustable effort steering control, fog lights, under floor rear hatch storage bins and a power driver’s seat. On top of that, nothing else was missing from the Elantra GT and it featured the usual power everything, Bluetooth connectivity, and telescopic steering. The front seats were comfortable and the interior featured a sharp design with a mix of soft and hard plastics.
On the road the Elantra GT felt planted and stable in all situations. It was not as engaging as the Mazda3 Sport, but felt easier to drive and more confidence-inspiring for novice drivers. All 2013 Hyundai Elanatra GTs get premium Sachs dampers front and rear compared and slightly revised suspension tuning compared to the Elantra sedan. This adds up to a much improved ride that has almost completely eliminated the sideways wiggle that offset bumps in the road induce in other Hyundai models. The suspension is not as soft as the Cruze’s, but not as firm as the Mazda3’s. There is a lot of audible suspension clump over bumps and there were a few surprising squeaks and rattles in the cabin. We think they were caused by the hard, rear cargo cover and the dual pane-glass roof.
The transmission was easy to use but lacked some of the precision of the other two gearboxes. The 1.8L 148-hp engine featured some good initial grunt off the line, but would then start to fall flat as the rpms rose. All in all though, they were both solid units. And that basically sums up this car. It is a solid offering that may not excel at any one aspect, but does everything very well. Add in a huge assortment of features and amenities at a price matching its rivals and it is a tough package to beat, as is proven by its first place finish. So for now, the Elantra GT can bask in the glory of being the Compact Car Champ and wait for the next challenge that should include the new Dodge Dart, the new Nissan Sentra, and maybe a surprise or two.
Pricing: 2012 Hyundai Elantra GT GLS
Base price: $21,349
Options: None
A/C tax: $100
Freight: $1,495
Price as tested: $22,944
