Hyundai Elantra

Hyundai touts 2011 Elantra with 'hypnosis' in Super Bowl

Hyundai took some risk with its Super Bowl XLV commercials, and the Korean automaker fared well with its spots promoting the 2011 Hyundai Elantra. In the 30-second "hypnotized" commercial, and as Time.com describes it: "The windshield wipers churn and the thwack, thwack, thwack becomes the ad's soundtrack. The pavement churns, the bridge towers, the streetlights blink by overhead, the bobblehead rabbit nods along." The voice over then begins: "Have we been hypnotized to believe compact cars are good enough?" Like its other Super Bowl commercials, the "hynotized" spot works on several levels: It's visually appealing, has a message, isn't pretentious or patronizing and promotes Hyundai's 40-mpg compact car. James RaiaA sports, travel and business journalist for more than 45 years,

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Hyundai touts 2011 Elantra in 'kaleidoscope' Super Bowl ad

The 2011 Hyundai Elantra is getting its share of praise and the Korean manufacturer has been promoting it in the same vein as other Hyundai products — that cars don’t have to be boring. In one of its Super Bowl XLV commercials, Hyundai revisits the same theme in a 30-second spot reminiscent of looking through a kaleidoscope. The commercial eventually promotes the Elantra and its 40 mpg EPA estimates. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5KrwladH2c James RaiaA sports, travel and business journalist for more than 45 years, James has written the new car review column The Weekly Driver since 2004. In addition to founding this site in 2004, James writes a Sunday automotive column for The San Jose Mercury and East Bay Times in Walnut

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Ford Focus, 2012 car review

The new, redesigned compact Ford Focus is a sleek, mildly Americanized version of Ford’s European Focus. Developed and tuned in Germany, it’s a big improvement over its dated predecessor. The new, tightly assembled Focus is a very early 2012 model that will be sold in many worldwide markets. It comes as a versatile sedan or hatchback. The “hatch” has the same 104.3-inch wheelbase as the sedan, but is 6.9 inches shorter. Both versions have wheels pulled to the far corners of the body for better ride and handling. Both versions provide decent cargo room. The rear seatbacks on most Focus models flip forward but are too thick to allow a completely flat cargo floor when moved forward. There’s good interior

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Hyundai Veloster compact debuts at Detroit Auto Show

The Hyundai Veloster, a compact sport coupe first showcased as concept car by the South Korean manufacturer in 2007, has debuted at the Detroit Auto Show and is scheduled for sales in the summer of 2011. Hyundai says the Veloster, whose name is derived from the combination of the words “velocity” and “roadster,” will feature a direct-injected 1.6 liter 138-horespoqwe 4-cylinder engine, 6-speed manual gearbox, and 40 mpg fuel economy. A 6-speed dual-clutch transmission is also available as an option. The transmission is the first dual-clutch transmission developed by Hyundai. A turbocharged 210 horsepower version of the same engine will be available in the future. The car will be unique in the U.S. market because it has one door on

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Honda Civic 2012 creates more buzz at Detroit Auto Show

The buzz around the 2012 Honda Civic concept has continued at the Detroit Auto Show, with the ninth generation of the fourth best-selling car in the United States giving the Japanese manufacturer hope of a sales resurgence. Honda has been a top-seller manufacturer for many years, particularly based on the stalwart category leaders Accord and Civic. But three Honda models — the CR-Z hybrid coupe, Accord Crosstour hatchback and Insight hybrid — all had disappointing sales in 2010. Honda also recently announced it’s discontinuing the Element, it’s boxy SUV. The new Civic, according to Honda, has been redesigned and will be offered with three different engines to compete with strong challengers, including General Motors’s Chevrolet Cruze, Ford Focus, Hyundai Elantra and

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Audi, Ford, Lexus on The Weekly Driver's 2010 Best List

Recall was likely the most used word in the automotive industry in 2010. Toyota topped the list of manufacturers’ whose cars were retrieved by the millions with myriad issues. Regardless, of the 20 million recalls. it was another remarkable year for cars. The Hyundai Sonata for the first time in some monthly totals outsold the Honda Accord. The Chevy Camaro returned in 2009 as a 2010 model. Honda introduced the attention-grabbing Crosstour and discontinued the Element. The Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf made their public debuts amid an enormous public relations joust and with the future of hybrid and electric vehicles still largely unclear. The specialty car market was constantly in the news. Premium prices were dished out at auctions

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Hyundai surpasses 500,000 yearly U.S. sales for first time

For the first since it debuted in the United States in 1986, Hyundai Motor Co. has sold 500,000 vehicles during a year in the United States. The South Korean automaker previous U.S. sales record was 467,009, in 2007, and, surpassed the half-million sales point in early December. It expects to sell 530,000 vehicles in the country by the end December. Hyundai sold about 160,000 Excel compacts in 1986 when it launched exports to the U.S. The following year, sales improved to more that 260,000. Quality issues prompted a sales decrease and Hyundai sold only cars 91,217 in 1998, its lowest sales year. Hyundai launched a concerted effort to improve its vehicles in 1999. It began offering a quality assurance program

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Hyundai Elantra, 2011 review

Why not get sub-compact car fuel economy with a slick compact auto that’s so roomy the EPA classifies it as a mid-size car and that even offers heated rear seats? Why not, indeed? That’s the question Hyundai asked itself and came up with its new sleekly styled 2011 Elantra sedan, which does all that . . . and then some. Hyundai is especially proud the EPA says all versions of the Elantra get an estimated 40 miles per gallon on the highway, with either a new six-speed manual gearbox or new six-speed automatic transmission. Estimated city economy for all versions is 29 mpg. “We don’t charge extra for any Elantra version with a 40-mpg rating,” quipped a Hyundai executive at

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Kelley Blue Book selects its top-10 cheap, cool, cars

The list, according to KBB, dismisses the once prevalent belief that a “cheap new car used to mean resigning yourself to time bombs like the Chevrolet Citation or windups like the Geo Metro or Ford Aspire.” AUTOMOTIVE RESOURCES Auto Shipping Quote, Car Financing, Car Insurance Quotes, Car Loans, Online Car Insurance, Rental Cars, Used Cars The KBB list starts with the 2011 Ford Fiesta largely because of28 mpg city, 40 mpg highway EPA rating and mile-long standard feature list. Here’s the KBB list of cool new cars for less than$18,000: 1. 2011 Ford Fiesta; 2. 2010 Honda Civic; 3. 2010 Honda Fit; 4. 2010 Hyundai Elantra Touring; 5. 2010 Kia Soul; 6. 2010 Mazda3; 7. 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer; 8. 2010

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Gas mileage by the numbers: 15 most fuel-efficient 2010 cars

But EPA city and hwy mileage average are the most prominent numbers listed on an manufacturer’s monroney sticker. Someone purchasing a Hummer is as interested in the numbers as someone buying a Honda Insight, but odds are they’ll still look at the averages. All things considered, here are top 15 most fuel efficient cars, ranked in increasingly efficient order based on city mpg. 15. The Hyundai Elantra Blue (manual), MPG: 26 city, 35 highway Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price: $14,145; 14. Mini Cooper (manual) MPG: 28 city, 37 highway; MSRP: $19,500. 13. Toyota Yaris (manual), MPG: 29 city, 36 highway; MSRP: $12,905; 12 (tie): Volkswagen Jetta TDI (manual) MPG: 30 city, 41 highway, MSRP: $22,830; 12. Volkswagen Golf TDI (manual), MPG:

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Honda Fit, Toyota Prius get top value honors, Lexus best overall in Consumer Reports annual auto issue

The Honda Fit and the Toyota Prius each earned a value score of 2.08 and provided the best overall value despite being very different cars. Scores are expressed in relation to the value of the average vehicle (designated 1.00). A score of 2.00 represents twice the value of the average model. In total points, based on the magazine’s average road test scores and predicted reliability scores, Honda and Subaru tied for first with an overall score of 77 out of 100 points in Consumer Reports’ ranking. Toyota and Hyundai finished second and third while Nissan and Volkswagen tied for fourth. The ratings were calculated despite the recent recall issues for the Prius and Fit. AUTOMOTIVE RESOURCES Auto Shipping Quote, Car

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China zooms past U.S. in yearly auto sales in 2009, an industry first

China’s target sales for 2009 was 1o million units. The 2009 annual sales in United States was 10.4 million cars and light trucks. It was in lowest level in the U.S. in 27 years. The Chinese tally also included 650,000 in large trucks sales. According to automotive analysts in China, demand is so high, many buyers having to wait at least several weeks to get their purchases. The top-10 selling cars in China in 2009: 1. Buick Excelle; 2. New Hyundai Elantra; 3. Volkswagen Jetta; 4. BYD F3; 5. Volkswagen Santana; 6. Old Hyundia Elantra; 7. Chery QQ; 8. Xia Li; 9. Honda Accord; 10. Toyota Camry. Top-10 selling in the United States in 2009: 1. Ford F-Series; 2. Toyota

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Edmunds.com unveils recommended cars, trucks for 2010

The guide contains Edmunds.com’s Top Recommended Vehicles — shopping lists for consumers interested in any market segment. Another section of the guide, What You Should Know before Buying, provides valuable segment-specific guidance no car shopper should miss. “You’re ready to buy a new vehicle, but how do you go about narrowing down the choices?” Karl Brauer, Editor in Chief of Edmunds.com asked. “Consumers can really use a friend in this overwhelming process; our buying guides give them the benefit of our extensive experience testing and researching every car on the market.” Here are Edmunds.com top recommended vehicles for 2010: Sedans Under $15,000 —- Honda Fit, Hyundai Elantra Under $20,000 —- Mazda MAZDA3, Suzuki Kizashi, Ford Fusion Under $25,000 —- Honda

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Honda Fit to Lexus GS450h, The Weekly Driver's Cars of the Year, 2009

Lots of car buyers purchase $15,000 cars or prefer SUVs and midsize sedans. Hybrids and sports cars are fun drives, but they still comprise niche market choices compared to more popular choices — Honda Accord to Ford F-150 pick-ups to Toyota Camry. It’s these cars I’ve most often reviewed since 2003. In 2007, I began a Best-of-the-Year list. Like during the list’s previous two editions,  I waited until the end of the year — the opposite approach of the major car publications. The industry’s renowned magazines and web sites often select their lists to outdo each other. Sometimes, some of the cars chosen have just debuted or in some instances they’re not yet available to the public. How does that

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Toyota, Lexus top Consumer Reports' 2009 best car lists

Consumer Reports has selected the 2009 Toyota Prius (Touring) as best overall value among 300 American and foreign cars reviewed. The Lexus LS 460, Mini Cooper, Infiniti G37, and Toyota Highlander are among the top cars of 2009 as rated by Consumer Reports. The Mini Cooper, Volkswagen Rabbit, Honda Civic EX and the Honda Fit completed the top-five selections among the best valued cars, according to magazine. In its yearly auto issue, Consumer Reports highlights the best new-car value vehicles in nine categories: small cars, family cars, upscale cars, hatchbacks/wagons, sporty cars, minivans, small SUVs, midsized SUVs and pickup trucks. Here are the highlights: Best Value Small Cars: Honda Civic EX, Honda Fit (base), Hyundai Elantra SE, Toyota Corolla LE

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Audi to Honda, BMW to Nissan: The Weekly Driver's Cars Of The Year, 2008

The biggest automotive news of 2008 remains the ongoing crisis among the “Big Three” manufacturers — General Motors, Chrysler and Ford. But beyond all the serious stuff, there was a lot of fun and intrigue for automotive enthusiasts in 2008. This year marked the sixth full year of The Weekly Driver reviews. I reviewed 32 new cars in 2008 — Audi to Volkswagen, BMW to Suzuki. I drove about two dozen other vehicles at car shows and manufacturers’ functions. A few dozen additional reviews from contributing writers also appeared on dev.theweeklydriver.com during 2008. My friend Bruce Aldrich and I also collaborated on about a dozen car videos in 2008. It was great fun, and I learned something. I said the

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