2011 Hyundai Elantra Touring Overview Change Vehicle

This 2011 Hyundai Elantra Touring review explains changes for the model year, provides a summary of the 2011 Elantra Touring, and includes Hyundai Elantra Touring safety, reliability, and fuel economy ratings.

Even the myopic observer can tell that the Hyundai Elantra Touring has nothing in common with the Hyundai Elantra. That’s because the Touring is an Americanized version of the Hyundai i30, sold overseas. It deftly splits an already thin difference between a five-door hatchback and traditional station wagon. Combined with its global provenance and Euro-tuned suspension, this makes the Elantra Touring a rare, and appealing, breed.

Hyundai adds equipment to the 2011 Elantra Touring in the form of standard leather upholstery on SE models and a new EZ Lane Change Assist system (triple-blink single-touch turn signal operation), welcome headlights, and silver roof rails to all models. There’s a new rear bumper protector offered as an option, and the Elantra Touring is available in three new colors: Atlantic Blue, Shimmering Silver, and Titanium Gray.

Hyundai makes it very easy to choose a new Elantra Touring. Two trim levels, GLS and sporty SE, are offered, and there are few options.

The GLS models are equipped with air conditioning, power windows, power heated side mirrors, power door locks with remote keyless entry, and a tilt steering wheel. The stereo is well equipped with a CD/MP3 player, a USB port with iPod connectivity, an auxiliary audio input jack, and satellite radio. Other standard features include an outside temperature indicator, alarm system, welcome headlights, EZ Lane Change Assist, and 15-inch steel wheels with plastic covers.

The GLS can be equipped with an automatic transmission, which includes cruise control. Bluetooth is optional on the GLS, too. A Popular Equipment Package adds premium cloth seats, an eight-way adjustable driver’s seat, upgraded interior trim, a telescopic steering wheel with radio controls, a trip computer, roof rails, a cargo cover, sliding sunvisors, seatback pockets, illuminated visor vanity mirrors, and an illuminated ignition ring.

The SE model is the one we’d buy. It includes everything listed above plus leather upholstery, heated front seats, a power sunroof, fog lights, and 17-inch alloy wheels. Bluetooth is optional, along with an automatic transmission.

The only engine offered on the Elantra Touring is a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine making 138 horsepower. A five-speed manual gearbox is standard, or you can pay extra for an outdated four-speed automatic, each sending power to the front wheels. Fuel economy estimates are 23 mpg in the city and 31 mpg on the highway with the manual gearbox, or 23-city/30-highway with the automatic.

Six airbags, traction and stability control, and four-wheel-disc antilock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution are standard on every Elantra Touring. Unfortunately, we don’t know whether this model is crashworthy, since the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) haven’t performed any crash tests on this model. The only rating available is a 4-Star rollover resistance rating.

There’s good news on the reliability front, however, with both Consumer Reports and J.D. Power and Associates predicting that the Elantra Touring will provide better than average reliability over time. That means it’s unlikely that you’ll need the five-year/60,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty, or the 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty, or the five-year/unlimited mileage roadside assistance program.

The Hyundai Elantra Touring is equipped with a standard cooled glovebox, so if you’re looking to chill some wine on the way to the Hollywood Bowl, there you go. And if you’re bringing a picnic to enjoy before the show, the Elantra Touring offers 24.3 cubic-feet of trunk room with the rear seats in use or 65.3 cu-ft of cargo space with the rear seats folded, which is plenty for any picnic.

Hyundai offers a trade-in value guarantee on every Elantra Touring, which means you don’t need to worry about the car being worth a decent chunk of change in the future – as long as that future falls into a 24- to 48-month timeframe and you’re buying a new Hyundai.

Though we’d like to know how the Elantra Touring performs in crash tests, everything else about this practical little car makes us think it’s one of the best-kept secrets on the market. Loaded with everything, it comes to just more than $21,000 and is a legitimate alternative to a small SUV thanks to its generous cargo capability. Add a generous warranty, guaranteed future resale value, and favorable reliability predictions, and we’re willing to forgive meager horsepower ratings.

By Christian Wardlaw