Elantra's list of standard features indicates its anything but a rudimentary vehicle. Keeping loyal customers continues to be tied to a surprisingly complete warranty. The Hyundai Advantage extends bumper-to-bumper coverage to five years or 60,000 miles, while the powertrain is warranted for 10 years or 100,000 miles.

Hyundai's warranty wouldn't mean much unless the Elantra were reliable and owners could count on this compact. In fact, if the vehicle were difficult to live with then all the guarantees in the world would not mean much. Fortunately, the Elantra is much improved and continues to improve in fit-and-finish while providing decent performance. The Elantra continues to make great strides in changing perceptions of small Korean cars.

The previous edition Elantra proved that Hyundai was making an unqualified mark on the economy car market. This year's improvements to the car along with the extensive warranty Hyundai instituted, advanced the brand in many car buyer's minds. Hyundai continues with the third generation by maintaining Elantra's solid position of offering a sensible, well-equipped subcompact at a reasonable price.