Hyundai's 1.6-liter four-cylinder is a modern, sophisticated engine with dual overhead camshafts and continuously variable valve timing. This DOHC/CVVT combination helps give the engine a broad power band with high fuel efficiency and low emissions.

EPA-estimated City/Highway fuel economy is 32/35 mpg with the manual, 28/36 mpg with the automatic. The engine produces 110 horsepower at 6000 rpm and 106 pound-feet of torque at 4500 rpm.

The sedan's ride is on the soft side, softer than the Kia Rio, which gets sportier settings. The power assisted rack-and-pinion steering provides reasonable feedback and the handling proved to be acceptable on some winding mountain roads near San Diego. Our GLS automatic had the optional 15-inch alloy wheels with the sportier P195/55VR15 tires. We did not try a base model with the skinny 14-inch tires and steel wheels, but suspect it would not handle as well.

Overall, the driving characteristics and performance make this a commuter car rather than a long distance cruiser.

The SE coupe is more stiffly sprung than the GS coupe or GLS sedan (by 24 percent up front and 11 percent in the rear). Its suspension struts are valved tighter, and its front anti-roll bar beefed up to 24 mm, vs. the 21 mm bar on the GS/GLS. And the SE's V-rated tires have stiffer sidewalls and wider treads, which makes for a firmer ride.

The steering ratio is the same (15.5:1) in all three models, but Hyundai says all three racks are tuned differently for different levels of sporty feel, while the SE's suspension upgrades make it 70 percent more resistant to body roll so it leans less in corners than the other models.

Braking systems differ as well. The coupes come with 10.1-inch ventilated discs all around, but the SE adds four-channel, four-sensor ABS with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD); this feature isn't even offered as an option on the GS coupe. The sedan makes do with solid rear discs, with ABS/EBD as an option. The sedan we drove seemed to stop efficiently. It was equipped with the optional ABS, which allows the driver to maintain steering control in an emergency braking situation by preventing wheel lockup. EBD improves stability in hard braking situations by balancing brake force front to rear.