2009 Hyundai Elantra Touring

Surprise, surprise, indeed. When our German-car-loving West coast editor, Jason Cammisa, called me a couple of months ago to sing the praises of the Hyundai Elantra Touring, I about fell out of my chair. But he liked it so much, he wrote a review in our June 2009 issue. I only drove the Elantra around Ann Arbor one day at lunch, but I was mightily impressed. It's got a handsome exterior, with nice wheels, and the interior is well-finished. Not opulent, of course, but not reeking of cheapness. Nothing about this vehicle reeks of cheapness, in fact. All of the secondary controls are pleasing to your fingertips, and as others have noted, the car in general exudes an air of European-style tuning and quality. We pretty much know what to expect from most cars these days, even before we drive them, based on the past efforts of their manufacturer. It's nice to be surprised, pleasantly, when a car comes along that confounds our expectations. Joe DeMatio, Executive Editor