2002 Hyundai Elantra review from North America

None. This car is incredibly dependable.

Hyundai must be one of the world's finest automakers, although it may be a well kept secret. My Elantra is a better car than those priced 3 times as much! It may lack some minor froufrou, but this car is downright amazing!

The styling is absolutely ritzy! It makes a Mercedes-Benz look downscale by comparison!

The dash panels are clearly of high quality craftsmanship. The texture, durability, and alignment of panels are better than that of much much more expensive cars!

The high-quality uphostry is not only comfortable and attractive, but is stitched to extremely high standards. I am often amazed at how rich the fabric is, and the quality to which it is crafted. The craftsmanship here also excels that of American and Japanese cars costing much more. I can throw my kids in the back, and they'll have plenty of room, and be very comfortable back there. They even think it's a luxury car, and most people who ride in it think it is too!

The ride is outstanding. It's smooth, silky, yet is still a blast to take into hairpin turns! This car gives you so much enjoyment when you need it, yet doesn't give you a punishing ride in the least bit.

The motor has plenty of power. I'll often pass people in their more "expensive" cars with plenty of ease. Yet it doesn't howl like most other 4 cylinder engines do. To put it short, it's all of the perks of a 4 cylinder engine, with none of the setbacks. I should also add the shifter is terrific. It shifts so precisely, you could swear it was made by Rolex.

The Air conditioner and heater also work very well. It takes very little time to heat or cool the car.

The quad headlight system also works well, and illuminates the road brightly. Usually you have to look for more expensive cars to get a quad-headlight system, and even those don't work as well as the Hyundai's!

The dash layout is perfect. Every control is right where it should be, and every button and switch clicks solidly, not like those tinny Japanese or junky American cars can sometimes do.

This car has terrific structural integrity. If you slam the doors, they slam shut. Period. No rattles, no squeaks, no doors falling off the car. When you take it over rough roads, it tackles them with ease, while leaving the driver in total comfort and control. I put tons of miles on my car, and I often go out of the warranty period within the first year. But I can rest assured that when my car has 3 times the miles it has now, it will still be under warranty. Even a BMW can't do that.

This car is so amazing, if they were to dress it up with froufrou, it could easily whallop the Lexus ES 300, Infiniti G20, BMW 3 Series, etc.

There's a reason Hyundai keeps selling more cars, and that is that despite their misunderstood reputation, they're turning out some of the world's best cars, and the Elantra is a shining example.