2012 Hyundai Elantra

The 2012 Elantra has put the previous bestseller from a Japanese manufacturer to rethink what they offer to the public. The 2012 Hyundai Elantra is an example of an ideal and modern sedan. The 2012 Elantra rivals the likes of the 2012 Honda Civic, 2012 Kia Forte and 2012 Toyota Corolla.

The 2012 Hyundai Elantra is offered in two trim levels. The base trim is named GLS, while the second trim is named the Limited trim. Elantra comes at a base price of $15,345 and the Limited trim is priced at $20,595. The GLS trim comes with a choice of a manual or automatic transmission, while the Limited trim comes only with the automatic transmission.

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There is no lack of features in the standard trim of the Elantra, however, if you desire utmost comfort and luxury, then opting for the Limited trim would make more sense. A relaxed drive is available in both the trims, thanks to the automatic transmission but the GLS comes with a manual transmission as well that allows the driver to rev it to the redline and have more fun.

The engine on the 2012 Elantra has been downsized after the redesign. A 2.0-liter I-4 has now become a 1.8-liter I-4, producing 148 hp and 131 lb-ft of torque. The new engine offers acceptable performance, with no lack of power and an exceptionally high miles per gallon figure, something which makes the car more likable. It comes with a choice of either a six-speed manual or automatic transmission, and both the transmission do a pretty good job of providing a refined ride. 

The engine is made on the new ‘Nu’ concept which uses all-aluminum parts. It also uses a lot of lightweight materials which not only help in weight reduction but also improve gas mileage. It uses composite intake, a silent timing chain, and an electronic throttle instead of direct injection. A 0-60 mph sprint is done in 8.2 seconds. The overall ride quality is quite refined and compresses bumps and uneven road surfaces easily. 

The Honda Civic has the most power and also offers the most torque, yet it is slower to 60 mph than the Elantra while the Corolla is the slowest. Hyundai also has the highest top speed and is also the fastest in the quarter mile sprint. The Kia Forte comes with a slightly bigger engine and offers very similar performance to that of Elantra. 

The 2012 Hyundai Elantra is a very fuel efficient car and the EPA estimates state that the 2012 Elantra would return 28 mpg in the city and 38 mpg on the highway with a combined mpg rating of 32 miles per gallon. With a fuel tank capacity of 12.8 gallons, it can travel 358 miles in the city and 486 miles on the highway. 

The combined range of Elantra is about 409 miles. While real-world numbers may differ a little, there is not a big difference, thanks to the long gear ratios and a light body. However, there is a drawback to save weight Hyundai got rid of a spare tire which could prove to be inconvenient for buyers.

The smaller fuel tank of the Elantra proves to be a disadvantage in the day-to-day city drive. However, the exceptional mpg figure helps it provide an overall better range in mixed driving conditions and highway driving. The Kia Forte is equipped with the largest fuel tank of the lot but can’t beat the Elantra in the range battle. The Civic and Corolla are equipped with larger fuel tanks but lose out in the range battle owing to less fuel efficiency. 

The space inside the 2012 Hyundai Elantra is more than what one would think it offers to look at it from the outside. The front seats are comfortable and plush, but there is a catch. The seats can have some more bolstering and support added to them, with longer lower cushions which would make them just perfect. However, they prove to be quite comfortable even on longer trips. 

Even with the sunroof, the headroom upfront is more than enough for tall passengers, while the rear seat occupants would suffer a little with the available headroom. However, it is still at par with what the other cars of the segment have on offer. The seats fold flat offering more space to store longer items in the trunk, but the standard trunk itself is quite wide and big. 

The Elantra is a bit tight at the rear with less legroom in the second row, yet the sloping roofline does not hamper the headroom that much, as it stays at par with the segment rivals. It also has the biggest trunk which might be due to the smaller rear row. Toyota offers the best in class space but cuts off significant legroom. 

Some of the standout interior features are:

• 6-way power-adjustable driver seat
• Sunroof
• Automatic Climate control
• Leather upholstery
• Heated front and rear seats

How intuitive is the 2012 Hyundai Elantra’s infotainment unit?

The infotainment system inside the 2012 Elantra is placed in the middle of the dash and has a sort of waterfall design to it, with neatly placed climate control completing the overall design. While there is an optional display screen available which has one of the biggest screens in the segment for navigation, the standard system also has a lot of features which include satellite radio, bluetooth connectivity, six-speaker audio system and much more

Some of the standout infotainment features are:

• 6-speaker audio sound system
• Bluetooth connectivity
• SiriusXM satellite radio
• Voice recognition
• Built-in navigation

The redesigned 2012 Elantra is based on Hyundai’s new ‘Fluidic’ design language. This design concept makes the car look, well, more Fluidic almost like it is flowing through the air. The character lines and angles give the body a kinetic look even while it's stationary.

The headlights move just over till the center of the wheel and the windshield looks like one of the steepest to be fitted to any car in the segment while at the rear, the lines and curves turn into lifted shoulder design with smooth sheet metal used just behind the wheel wells. 

A higher ground clearance in the Honda Civic makes it slightly better to move over road undulations with ease. It is the lightest but fails to match the mpg figure provided by Elantra which weighs more than the Civic and offers better efficiency, showing how well engineered the Elantra is. However, the Elantra comes with the least ground clearance, with the Kia Forte and Toyota Corolla being marginally higher than it.

Some of the standout exterior features are:

• Fluidic design concept
• 16-inch wheels
• Heated side mirrors
• Rear Spoiler

The 2012 Hyundai Elantra received upgraded safety features, passing the new set of tests that the top institutions performed on the new Elantra. The NHTSA gave the 2012 Elantra four out of five stars for its overall safety rating, whereas IIHS gave it their ‘Top Safety Pick’ accolade as it managed to score the top rating of ‘Good’ in all the tests. The standard list of features includes airbags, tractions control, ABS, and stability control, a feature which is mostly seen as an option in cars of the segment

Some of the standout safety features are:

• Steering effort assist.
• Rearview camera with parking sensors.
• Tire pressure monitoring system.
• Brake assist.
• Vehicle stability management system.

The 2012 Elantra is one of the best compact sedans without any doubt. It is so good that its sales numbers have made Japanese best-sellers like Civic and Corolla look bad. The 2012 Elantra’s less price, more features, higher safety quotient, better sale figures are a testimony to how good the car is. Overall, the Elantra might quite possibly be the best choice for the segment.