Our view: 2002 Hyundai Elantra

Hyundai’s new ad campaign talks about the power of persuasion, something about driving a Hyundai will make you believe in one.

We suggest something simpler: floor mats and mud guards. For a whopping $138 you can add both on the 2002 Elantra GT, thereby exhausting nearly the entire options list on Hyundai’s new four-door hatchback and maxing out the unbelievable.

Twenty-seven other items are standard – yes, we’re also including the engine, a sprightly little 2.0-liter, 16-valve four cylinder – and, yes, we’re talking about things like leather seating, 15-inch wheels, air conditioning, keyless entry, power locks, windows and mirrors, and every other item you wouldn’t normally associate with a car that sells for a buck less than $14,000.

But this car does.

Add the floor mats and mud guards, and you’re really cruising.

Here’s a statement perfect for belt-tightening times: Nothing you will drive this year will be a better value. (Now there’s an advertising campaign worth honking your horn about.)

Hyundai didn’t have to mess with its compact sedan/hatchback. The competent and cost-cutting Elantra got a complete overhaul last year only to emerge from the makeup chair a better sedan. Interior space was adjusted to accommodate more than just your average golden Lab, exterior size was modified to give it a boost of morale. Throw in the standard equipment, throw out the option of a price jump, and Hyundai had a winner on its hands.

But, lately, Hyundai’s hardly been content staying put.

The South Korean automaker has been on a roll of late, especially domestically. Now, with plans announced this month that it is close to building a plant in the United States, descriptions of Hyundai are no longer shrouded in giggles, smirks and finger-pointing.

Actually, Hyundai seems to be the one pointing the way. The 2002 Elantra GT could argue for a spot up front.

At less than $13,000 in the base model, the Elantra is sold in two trim levels – GLS four-door sedan and the spinoff GT four-door hatchback. In either model, it competes head to head with the best in the compact sedan class, beating everyone on price, if not overall quality.

It’s good looking. It’s comfortable. And it shatters the stereotype of the small, inexpensive car (read: bucket of bolts) – a notion usually when you combine Hyundai and low-sticker price in the same sentence.

Hyundai’s long since solved reliability issues by throwing in one of the best warranties in the business – five years/60,000 miles from bumper-to-bumper, as well as a decade on the powertrain and five more years on rust and roadside assistance – and now it’s adding other incentives.

Like, for starters, everything you wouldn’t expect.

From the inside-out, it feels like a solid car, not some tired old model that’s sitting with a “sale” sign under a raised hood.

With a pointed nose and creased hood that stretches back with angular styling to a r ounded, sculpted back end, the Elantra GT, our tester, not only offers the convenience of a hatchback, it looks like no other small sedan on the market. It’s a flow that makes it look faster than it is, yet still offers the utility of an easy lift over the back end for groceries.

Inside, the GT comes with the aforementioned features as well as side air bags, sport-tuned suspension, four-wheel disc brakes, stereo with CD, cruise control and fog lamps. Impressive. And, mostly, not chinzy.

The setup is simple, yet attractive, and nearly Volkswagen. Hyundai borrowed a little from its German colleague with the addition of indigo blue lighting at night opposite red needles. Radio controls are placed above the climate panel in the center of the dash, and there is plenty of room for storage in a rubberized tray, multiple cupholders and a center storage bin.

Doors open wide. Ride height is impressive. Over a 300-mile trip, the seats were comfortable and supportive, while head d leg room were good up front and adequate in a smallish back. Four adults are not an impossibility.

On the road, the Elantra offers a solid feel whether in city or highway cruising. The dual-overhead-cam engine gives just enough push to get you going where you need to be. It means quick work off the line and plenty of possibilities in highway passing.

Combine that with sporty handling from front and rear stabilizer bars, as well as minimal body lean, and soon it’s easy to see what we’re talking about.

Potholes are a challenge – one in particular on the streets of Chicago rattled the Elantra to its core – as are uneven stretches of highway. But the Elantra’s 15-inch wheels, 102.7-inch wheelbase and tight suspension soak up as much as you could expect.

Soaking up cargo is also a real-world possibility. With split-folding rear seats, the Elantra will carry all the groceries and a sheet of plywood. Soaking up gasoline might have been the best part. Over our test, the Elantra GT revved its way into 32 miles per gallon, almost as good as the EPA’s 25 city rating and 33 highway.

Are there problems? Sure. From the dash to the back, plastic is in heavy abundance, and the four-cylinder engine with standard manual transmission, when wound out, sounded like it was in pain. Standard ABS would be nice, and the four-wheel disc brakes, a rarity in this price range, were a little more mushy than we’d like, meaning stopping power was a bit of a concern.

But we’re not talking lap of luxury. More like lap of utility.

Look around, and it’s likely you won’t get more utility for as much, or less. The Ford Focus and Mazda Protege ring a bell. But they roll in a little higher in price, especially with leather.

A square back, manual and bare-bones Elantra runs $12,499. Want a GT automatic, the top of the line? The Elantra GT will roar into the mid-14s.

And, at that price, you might even splurge a little.

Say, floor mats?

2002 HYUNDAI ELANTRA

Rating: 3.5

High gear: The best value in the compact sedan includes a ton of standard equipment, a hearty warranty, side air bags and good ride quality. Good pricing is the icing.

Low gear: Exterior styling could polarize a few drivers, and the lack of standard ABS and a plastic-like interior are minor nuisances.

Vehicle type: Front-wheel drive, front-engine, four-door, five-passenger compact sedan.

Standard equipment (GT model): Five-speed manual transmission; dual front air bags; front side air bags; air conditioning; power, tilt steering; front bucket seats with lumbar adjustment; split-folding rear seats; heated power mirrors; power windows; power door locks; AM/FM/cassette radio with CD; map lights; four-wheel disc brakes; cruise control; remote keyless entry; theft-deterrent system; fog lights.

Competition: Ford Focus, Honda Civic, Nissan Sentra

Engine (GT model): 140 horsepower, 2.0-liter four cylinder

Torqu e (GT model): 133 foot-lbs. @ 4,800 rpm

Wheelbase: 102.7 inches

Length: 177.1 inches

MPG rating (GT model, five-speed): 25 mpg city/33 mpg highway

Manufactured: Korea

Warranty: Basic warranty is five years/60,000 miles; powertrain warranty is 10 years/100,000 miles; rust perforation warranty is five years/unlimited miles; roadside assistance is five years/unlimited miles.

Base price (GLS, five-speed): $12,499

Price as tested (GT model, includes options, destination and delivery charges): $14,572