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It's no secret that a great variety of cars cohabit in the compact sedan segment. It's no secret that many of them are, in fact, great. And with entry-level prices starting in the $13,000s, it's a safe assumption that there's not much money to be made. Some automakers even sell them at a loss, usually to help them leap over the legal roadblock of Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards. Korean companies, on the other hand, have no gas-guzzlers to subsidize. They're certainly not famous, and not even all that respected. If there's no money in it, why do they even try?
Simple: because everyone starts from the bottom. The consumers most accepting of the new kid are the ones who shop by price. The plan is to reel them in first, form a foundation at the bottom of the market, and build from there. Of course, when the bottom's as good as it is in 2004, even that is no easy task.
Nor is it an effective strategy when your cut-rate cars prove to have such cut-rate quality that even $4,995 feels like a rip-off in buyer retrospect. That's exactly what happened with Hyundai and its mechanical nightmare known as the Excel. It may have been 1986, but old stereotypes die hard. Only recently has the buying public even begun to give Hyundai a second look.
Taking a look from the outside in paints an optimistic picture. The specs sheet for Hyundai's Elantra is full of perfectly respectable numbers. The engine is a right-sized 2.0 liters and it's clean enough to qualify as either a ULEV or SULEV vehicle, depending on state. Output, partly thanks to Hyundai's CVVT (Continuously Variable Valve Timing), is 138 horsepower and 136 pounds-feet of torque (down 6 and 3 on SULEV cars), which is above-average among the base models of competitors. Transmission choices of 5-speed manual and 4-speed auto are on par, and its 15-inch wheels are probably the ideal size for balancing ride and handling. The Elantra's front struts are universal, but its multilink rear suspension is leagues ahead in sophistication compared to cars wearing famous names like Corolla, Sentra, and Ion, to name three. It also has stabilizer bars standard at both ends, which many don't. All of the above is common to all Elantras.
Every automaker has their own lettering system to stratify their models. At Hyundai, "GLS" has traditionally designated the loaded model, and that's where the Elantra starts. With AC, power windows and locks, keyless entry with alarm, and side air bags, it's not bad. Cruise control, a CD player, antilock brakes with traction control, and a moonroof are all contained in numbered option packages that build successively, mostly in that order. Fully equipped with all of the above, an automatic Elantra tops out at $16,414, which is about $1,000 to $2,000 less than equivalent Japanese rivals.
The Elantra has only one other trim, the GT. Available as a sedan or 5-door hatchback, the GT adds leather, a Kenwood MP3 CD player with two extra speakers, a purple(!) instrument cluster, a tachometer, a spoiler, and alloy wheels. Aside from its sport-tuned suspension and sport-tuned steering, it will drive like the GLS. Still, it has a lot of extra stuff, which all adds up to $16,189. A moonroof and antilock brakes with traction control are the only two options, and adding them raises the price to $17,414 - exactly $1,000 above that loaded GLS. Opting for the more-versatile Elantra GT hatchback is free; there is no price penalty over the GT sedan. Does the good news never end?
Apparently not. The most enticing numbers come last: 10 and 100,000, 5 and 60,000. Those are the numbers for Hyundai's basic and powertrain warranties, respectively, in terms of years and mileage. Remember in 1999 when they started calling it the "Hyundai Advantage?" Since no one has beaten it, the advantage remains.
Criticisms? Critics have noted that the Elantra's driving dynamics, while competitive, aren't as refined as the best. Observed gas mileage figures have been a tad low: mid-20s instead of an expected high-20s. Every Elantra could use a telescopic steering column. And having an upgraded model with a high-output engine would make things much more interesting, but that's not a knock on the existing car. All things considered, Hyundai's right: we win.
Eight years after Hyundai's ship came in, Kia arrived on dock, but all they had to show was someone else's work. Kia had gained license to build the Mazda Protégé and call it the Sephia, their sole offering. Next came the small Sportage SUV which bought some time until they released their own Sephia in 1998. A year later, Kia was swallowed alive by Hyundai, and so ends that tale. Most Kias since then have been based on Hyundais, just as this one is. Kia's kicking off its second decade with the Elantra-based, Spectra.
But buyer beware! When you hear Kia touting the "all-new Spectra," take those words to heart. It turns out that Kia has employed the confusing practice of selling the old Sephia - which got renamed "Spectra" halfway through its lifetime - alongside the new Spectra. Fortunately, distinguishing the two is an easy task. The old sedan and hatchback are found under the trim lines of base, LS, GS, and GSX. The new Spectra mimics Honda with only LX and EX.
The Spectra EX adds air conditioning (optional on LX), power windows and locks, keyless entry, heated mirrors, fog lights, and offers the stand-alone options of cruise control, power moonroof, antilock brakes, and alloy wheels.
Pick either one, though, and it's mostly a reevaluation of the Elantra. Even the prices are similar: a Spectra EX automatic with all aforementioned options, minus the moonroof, comes to $16,225. Two advantages right up front over the Hyundai are 4-wheel disc brakes on both models (instead of one) and side curtain airbags on all. If none of that matters, flip a coin.
It's story time again. Back in the happy-go-lucky days of 1999, just as Hyundai was usurping Kia and gas was still cheaper than ever, a third Korean company charged into the ultra-competitive American market. It's name is Daewoo, and if you still haven't heard of them today, you're not alone. After four years of miserable "cars" that sold like ice cream in Alaska, Daewoo packed up, limped home, and got promptly bought by GM. For the Korean auto industry, third time is apparently not a charm.
And if you think GM would learn its lesson and leave well enough alone, you overestimate their business sense. After all, this is the company that reduced Saab and Isuzu into retail outlets for re-branded Chevrolets. History has repeated itself: GM chose to rebadge the Daewoos and sell them at Chevrolet and Suzuki dealerships. The mission of one, the Suzuki Forenza (formerly known as the Daewoo Nubira), is to take the Elantra and Spectra head-on.
Daewoo seems to have designed the Forenza as by-the-book as possible. Like its Korean competitors, it comes fairly loaded. Trim lines are S, LX, and EX (there we go again with Honda labels). Even the S has 4-wheel disc brakes, power windows and locks, AC, and an 8-speaker CD/cassette player. Nice. LX adds a power sunroof, keyless entry, cruise control, fog lights, and 15-inch alloy wheels. The $800-costlier EX, in an unusual and perhaps pretentious move, adds leather, period. An automatic is mandatory on the EX; stickshifts can be had on the other two. Antilock brakes are the only option on any model, though they are reportedly hard to find in real life. With ABS, an LX automatic runs $16,199, right on target in the same inviting range as the Elantra and Spectra. The Forenza has the unique advantage of being the only car in its class to start at under $13,000 (by a dollar).
Like its Korean competitors, the Forenza has a DOHC, 16-valve, 2.0-liter 4-cylinder as its sole engine. Although it's a close race, Daewoo will have to settle for the bronze medal, as its motor only squeezes only 126 horsepower from the same-size block. It also doesn't win the awards earned by Hyundai/Kia for keeping the planet clean.
Suzuki's claim of having "the best warranty in America" is unfounded and untrue. Having the powertrain covered for 7 years or 100,000 miles isn't too shabby, but it's outclassed by Hyundai, Kia, and Mitsubishi, who all offer 10 years or 100,000 miles. Why does Suzuki claim to have the best? Because theirs "provides owners more than 14,000 miles of coverage per year. Most warranties cover only 10,000 - 12,000 miles per year." (Gee, Suzuki, why not lower it to 100,000 miles or ONE year, so it averages out to 100,000 miles a year?) Apparently, we're either dealing with a company that isn't of the highest moral order, or doesn't think much of the intellect of its customers. Also notice that Suzuki doesn't even mention its bumper-to-bumper warranty anywhere on its website, which at 3 years/36,000 miles is one of the industry's worst.
If Suzuki wants to scrutinize warranties, let's do just that. The three cars are essentially similar in size, power, suspension tuning, personality, and price. The editorial eye sees only one major item that differs, which is - you guessed it - the warranty. That's reason enough to choose the Elantra or Spectra. And choosing between those twins can be made on a whim.
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