Road Test: Hyundai Touring quality comes with noise

Nothing is better for carrying stuff than a square box -- and that's the basic principle of the station wagon. So if your next car has to be small but carry as much as possible, consider a model like the Hyundai Elantra Touring.

It offers 24.3 cubic feet of luggage space with rear seats upright and 65.3 cubic feet with the rear seats folded flat.

Hyundai has fitted the Touring with a firm suspension that delivers good handling. And it has one of the best stick shifts you'll find anywhere, plus a nicely weighted and responsive steering system.

But tighter handling often means a rougher ride, and the Touring's can get brutal when the pavement is bad. Keep that -- and a very high cabin noise level -- in mind if you'll be taking many long drives in your Elantra.

The noise level results, in part, from an engine with only 138 hp. and what seems like an attempt by Hyundai to make it seem peppier at highway speeds with a top (fifth in the tester) gear that's somewhat lower than in most cars. So, for example, at 70 mph the Elantra's engine is turning at 3,000 rpm. instead of the 2,500 in most cars. More revs, more noise.

The EPA says you can expect 23 miles per gallon in city driving and 31 on the highway with the five-speed manual transmission -- 23 and 30 with automatic. I averaged just under 31 in seven days of mostly highway miles.

The tester's interior was first-rate, aesthetically and ergonomically, with lots of storage room, clearly readable gauges and simple and well-located controls.

For 2011 the Elantra Touring starts at $16,715 with freight, unchanged from 2010. A redesigned Elantra sedan goes on sale at the end of this year, but the Touring model continues unchanged at least until the end of the 2011 model year.

Hyundai's quality has improved over the years, and the company backs its cars with a 10-year, 100,000-mile warranty. The Elantra is "recommended" by Consumer Reports, which says reliability is better than average. J.D. Power and Associates calls earlier Elantras average in dependability but predicts those on sale now will be better than average.

The Touring has a good-as-it-gets five-star frontal-crash protection rating from the federal government; it got an OK four out of five in side-impact protection. The Insurance Institute calls the sedan "good" but has no rating for the Touring.

Specs of 2010 Hyundai Elantra Touring SE M/T

Engine: 2.0-liter, four-cylinder, 138 hp.
Fuel: Regular.
Transmission: five-speed manual, front-wheel drive.
Safety: six air bags; 4-wheel disc brakes w/anti-lock and stability control; tire pressure monitoring.
Place of assembly: Ulsan, Korea.
Cargo Room: Rear seatback up, 24.3 cubic feet; seatback down, 65.3.
EPA fuel economy estimates: 23 mpg, city; 31 highway.
Price as driven: $19,845 with freight.
Bottom line: Space-efficient, good handling and value, but hard, noisy ride.