Better than ever and a value proposition that cannot be beat.Wayne Gerdes -
CleanMPG - Jan. 1, 2015
2015 Hyundai Elantra Sport in Death Valley – $22,535 to start incl. mats, D&H and offering a 24/34 mpgUS city/highway rating with the 6-speed MT and 2.0L I4.
Today's ride is courtesy of Hyundai in the form of the 2015 Hyundai Elantra Sport.
Late in 2010, the 5th Generation Elantra was revealed to the world and arrived pushing the standard C-segment stalwarts aside like a freight train. With its futuristic fluidic sculpture exterior, at the time best-in-class size, by far the best value, and even the latest infotainment solutions that no other car in the ultra-competitive C-segment could match, it was guaranteed to be a success. Now in its fifth year, those same attributes continue to offer class leading attributes albeit a number of OEMs have caught up in many areas. Enough to take down the Elantra as the best compact in the segment? Let’s go for a rider and find out.
Unlike the previous 11, 12 and 13 Elantra sedans, coupes and hatch (GT) with the 148 HP 1.8L we have driven in the past, this girl came with the 173 HP Direct Injected 2.0L. With the power tradeoff comes an EPA hit from 28/38 for the 1.8L to 24/35 for the 2.0L when both Elantra's are equipped with the 6-speed AT – as driven – or 24/34 with the 6-speed MT.
A look back at a few of the 2011 – 2014 Elantra highlights:
From our previous drives and the first 50 miles I have placed on this one, Hyundai continues to own the segment with its comfort focus. Only the Focus and Cruze are on older platforms yet the domestics and Asians all lack what the Elantra offers in terms of hitting the road for days on end. Namely an ergonomically correct driving position for taller drivers. Meaning the lower seat cushion is just long enough for lower thigh support, the seat is not to heavily bolstered, the aft seat adjustment goes back far enough for those with 34 to 36" inseams, the wheel telescopes out at least 6", and there is still ample rear seat leg room.
Its 95.6 cu.-ft. of passenger volume is simply packaged better than the rest while its 14.8 cu.-ft. trunk is well proportioned for most loads a family would consider. Not perfect but better than most.
2015 Hyundai Elantra Sport
Large and usable cargo volume.
When it comes to styling, the Elantra is aging better than its peers. As I topped the Elantra off at a Shell in La Verne, Calif., a 6 or 7 year old girl came out if the store with her mom. She pointed at the Elantra and said,
I have been fan if Fluidic Sculpture since its release on the Tucson and Sonata back in 2010 and especially the Elantra for the 2011 MY. So much so that at the LAAS Hyundai party on the night prior to its reveal, I was taking notes within the this beauty while Jeff Bridges, Hyundai's former spokesperson, was on stage with his band along with a few hundred journalists. Kind of weird to be the only guy looking at a secret preview vehicle and nobody else was in the area.
In short, the Elantra made an impression that continues to this day just weeks to months prior to the next generation reveal.
Our 2015 Elantra Sport ($21,600) arrived w/ attractive 17" alloys, chrome beltline, LED front accents and taillamps, chrome sill plates, thicker front stabilizer, tighter steering, stiffer dampers front and rear, proximity key, leather interior, power sunroof and a high end 360W sound system.
Added was the 6-speed AT ($1,000), Tech pkg. with the 7" high res touchscreen display, Navi, and Blue Link ($1,200), and mats ($125). An $810 D&H brings this Sport as driven to $23,535.
With current discounts, you can pick up this fully loaded Elantra for under $20k not incl. TTL.
2015 Hyundai Elantra Sport First DriveSince I was picking up a Hyundai Elantra, may as well honor the U.S. HQ in Fountain Valley as I passed by.
So that 90 mile jaunt took over 3 hours but that was not the worst of it.
From STI in Torrance I drove to the Santa Monica Pier - close to Route 66 terminus in the fog - before heading back out to Needles and all points east.
It was ugly out there!
Maybe 40 to 45 miles from Torrance to Santa Monica and back to the 10/110 junction took another 3.5 hours! It was if all of LA decided it was time to escape LA at the same time!
2015 Hyundai Elantra Sport First Fill
Topped off at a Shell in La Verne, Calif.
She's ready for the calibration drive while I point her toward the Cajon Pass at over 4,000' ASL and then onto Needles and possibly Death Valley with the Elantra.
She may not be as efficient as the 1.8L equipped Elantra's but she's definitely got a little more punch under the hood.
If you look at the route map, I kind of screwed up as I decided to take a little Route 66 in the middle of the night to catch the star packed sky. Lost 2,300' over 11 miles to get to RT 66 and traveled another 5 miles on it to "Chambles???" where the road was blocked off due to flooding from well over a week ago.
In any case, 2,300' climb and back to the same point I started from 32+ miles later. Lost 1 mpg and an hour for the boondoggle but wow was the moonless star filled sky stunning! So worth it!!! Hope everyone can find a location with little in the way of light pollution to see that sometime.
2015 Hyundai Elantra arrives in Needles, California
Stopped at a Shell in Needles, California to complete the calibration fill. She consumed 5.242 gal over an indicated 250.1 miles - 259.0 miles actual[/url] - for a 259.0/5.242 gallons = 49.4 mpg actual vs 51.0 mpg displayed result. This drive included the climb over the Cajon Pass on I-15 at 4,200’ ASL! When she passed over the Cajon Pass, the aFCD was showing 35.2 mpg (34.1 mpg) which is pretty darn good considering the 3,000’ climb for the 35 mpg highway rated Elantra Sport.
A few more sights with the 15 Hyundai Elantra Sport before departing Needles, CA. Great to do this now with temps in the high 60s vs the summer months when it is always in the 100 to 120 degree F range here!
What is that rule about never having things jut out of your pictures centerpiece? That AZ border sign just jumped up on top of the Elantra's hood. I tried to stop it but it was too fast. The Colorado River still has water in it too!
2015 Hyundai Elantra Sport visits downtown Needles, Calif,, Colorado River, AZ border and Rt. 66.
AZ, CA and NV all within the course of an hour. Not quite the same as the 4 Corners where you can drive around the venue and visit UT, AZ, NM and CO within a minute but good enough for this drive. :)
2015 Hyundai Elantra Sport on the CA-NV border.
As I continued driving northwards, I came upon Las Vegas. Despite it being a flyby, I saw new home construction and even a larger Resort complex going up. It is not 2006 all over again but there is more signs of U.S.’ economic life.
2015 Hyundai Elantra Sport
Just miles outside Death Valley National Park.
Coming up and then entering Death Valley National Park with this sharp looking Sport Cou... I mean Hyundai Elantra Sport Sedan. ;)
Death Valley National Park consists of 3,373,063 acres. It was originally established as a National Monument in Feb. of 1933 and becoming the Naitonal Park that is known as today in late October of 1994.
Much of the park is located below-sea-level with steady drought and record summer heats. Yet the Park is known for its diverse geography and plant life. In winter, surrounding peaks can be covered with snow while rare rainstorms bring vast fields of wildflowers.
Death Valley National Park is the largest national park in the lower 48 states and has been declared an International Biosphere Reserve. It is by far the hottest and driest of the national parks in the United States. It is also includes the second-lowest point in the Western Hemisphere in Badwater Basin, which is 282 feet below sea level.
Why is Death Valley so hot? According to the National Park Service, the depth and shape of Death Valley influences its summer temperatures. The valley is a long, low elevation narrow basin walled by high, Steep Mountain Ranges. The clear, dry air and sparse plant cover allow sunlight to heat the desert surface. Heat radiates back from the rocks and soil, then becomes trapped in the valley's depths. Summer nights provide little relief as overnight lows may only drop into the 90°F range.
2015 Hyundai Elantra Sport Visits Death Valley and its 3.4 million acres
While at Death Valley National Park, something everyone needs to add to their bucket list.
Head out to an extremely desolate location on a moonless night and look up to see the wonder spread before you.
While parked at the Mesquite Sand Dunes in Death Valley National Park, I snapped the first pic - garbage smartphone pic, I know - of the new moon that set about an hour and a half after the sun did.
Setting new moon from Death Valley National Park.
Once it set the sky exploded with stars. Saw 4 satellites and 5 meteors over the course of 45 minutes after the new moon set.
Next up was Towne Pass at 4,956' ASL after climbing from below sea level less than 25 miles prior.
Leaving the Park I took a road called Trona-Wildrose road. It is the worst road in America. 40 miles of beat to hell cracked asphalt, cobblestone, pea gravel, washboard gravel, multi-layer patched roadway and broken everything else. Better question is why did I take this road?
The good news was about 30 miles down, nobody else had passed or was behind so I stopped at a turn, shut down the Elantra and its lights. It was so dark I could not see my hands but the sky was even more spectacular!!! I did not move for another 15 minutes to enjoy the splendor before hitting this bad road for another 10 miles.
I arrived home after 900+ miles in less than 36 hours incl. the two 7 hour traffic jams in LA.
The 2015 Hyundai Elantra Sport continues to provide great looks, size, comfort, and even with the big engine, decent FE too.
Past the witching hour in Southern California and time to complete the steady states...
Or so I thought.
Almost 01:30 AM on a Tuesday morning and the SB 5 is a stop and crawl from a mile south of Basilone to the NB Border Patrol stop 3 to 4 miles ahead?
This can only happen in Southern California, right? So much for the 15 Elantra Sports steady states. :(
Said goodbye to the beautiful 2015 Hyundai Elantra Sport with the more powerful 2.0L I4.
Despite being a 4 year old design, it is still one of the best looking C-segments in the business. With the next gen redesign reveal coming sometime next year, let us hope the design managers do not take away its shark like modern lines and flow both inside and out...
Highs
- Aforementioned Fluidic Sculpture design language inside and out
- Elantra chrome sill plates on the Sport
- Large and comfortable cabin for front and back seat passengers
- Decent FE even with the 173 HP motor
- Large trunk
- Value with a capital V! 2015 SE's with the AT can be picked up for just $16k + TTL brand new!
Lows
- Could use Android Auto or Apple CarPlay infotainment (coming)
- Needs some chrome and thinner grille, and flow into the front headlamp lenses
- Sun visors on sliders vs the visors with extenders
- Needs a complete fully chrome trimmed Day light opening (DLO) to remain competitive
- Could use a cloth textured internal A-pillar cover
- Needs chrome trimmed vent rollers or remove them altogether
- Hyundai Safety Connect buttons on rearview are too close to the dim toggle
All in, this is the compact - SE with Android Auto and 7" screen - I would own if in the market for a sharp looking C-segment.
