2014 Hyundai Elantra Se on 2040-cars

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2018 Hyundai Accent First Drive Review | Simply good at under $16 grand

We test a lot of fancy, complicated cars here at Autoblog. Most of the cars that come in are high-trim with as many options as possible. That's why it was rather refreshing when Hyundai sent us its new Accent in the most basic possible form, the Accent SE. It's the bottom of the Accent line starting at $15,880. There are no options available when building one out on Hyundai's website, and according to the window sticker, the only extra added to it was a set of carpeted floor mats. The only potential problem with such a basic car is that there's nothing to make up for a poor driving experience. Thankfully, that's not the case with the Accent. It's a strong value that offers a comfortable and even sometimes fun driving experience. It even provides just enough features to not feel like a total penalty box. Exterior, interior and features Being the SE trim level, our Accent was quite unadorned. It had steel wheels with plastic wheel covers, no fog lights, nothing extraneous. Despite that, it wasn't a bad-looking little thing, sporting slightly shrunken Elantra looks that aren't too far out of proportion. Appealing to this editor was the manual transmission, which is only available on this bare-bones trim. The interior feels about as basic and cheap as the exterior, and is easily one of the weakest points of the little car. The dash and door panels look as though they were molded as one unit from the same hard black plastic. There are only a couple of light gray trim pieces to keep it from looking too bleak, but it feels like a somewhat half-hearted attempt. The good news is that Hyundai doesn't completely penalize you for picking the base trim level. You still get the necessities such as cruise control, power windows and locks, air conditioning, USB and Bluetooth connectivity, six-way adjustable seats, and even hill start assist and rear-view camera. In the Accent's cousin, the Kia Rio, you miss out on the cruise control and power windows and locks. But in the Rio's favor is a far more stylish design that shows cheap materials don't have to be drab and dull. All the Accent's controls feel good and are intuitive, though, which is something fancier cars can't often say. Engine, transmission, ride and handling Where the Accent falls short in visual impressions, it makes up for them on the drive. Most impressive is the car's ride quality. We're at the peak of southeastern Michigan pothole season, and the Accent handled it with aplomb.

Nine cars we wish were convertibles

The snow has melted, the sun is shining, and the days are getting longer. At the Autoblog Detroit office we feel like our winter hibernation is finally over. And with warmer temperatures come visions of opening up a convertible roof and cruising. You know, just turn up the bass and let the Alpine blast. There are plenty of droptops on sale in the US, and more on the way (like the 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata). That said, we always want more. More! More! More! In that spirit, we cooked up a list of nine cars aren't currently sold as convertible, but ought to be. Check out our picks, below. Summer's just around the corner. Subaru BRZ / Scion FR-S In some parallel universe, this car actually happened. Toyota showed us a FT 86 Convertible concept at the Geneva Motor Show in 2013, and we immediately started licking our chops over the thought of a rear-wheel-drive convertible based on the Subaru BRZ and Scion FR-S twins. These days, the MX-5 Miata is our only option for affordable roadster fun. A competitor to the Mazda seems like a no-brainer to us, especially since we have naught but good to say about the BRZ/FR-S as-is. Unfortunately in our present timeline, this car is as likely for production as a BRZ STI. Which is to say, not very. Dang. Lexus RC F Unlike the FR-S, a convertible from Toyota's luxury division might actually see the light of day. The current IS convertible is about to be phased out, and the Lexus LF-C2 concept from the 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show is really a thinly veiled look at a possible RC convertible. A droptop RC would be plenty good, but let's reach for the starts. What we really want is to run topless in an RC F, complete with that powerful, loud, 5.0-liter V8 engine. Lexus says the RC F is a true competitor to the BMW M4. If that's true, it only makes sense for Lexus to mimic the Germans and offer its performance coupe in a folding hardtop form. Maybach Landaulet Maybach is bach back, recast as an upper crust trim level for Mercedes-Benz. The Mercedes-Maybach S600 is seriously awesome, and more luxurious than a trip to the spa. But why not go a step into the truly ridiculous levels of extravagence and bring back that open-top Landaulet? We think your local princess will love this idea, and with better S-Class bones underneath, Jeeves will have a pretty enjoyable ship to steer, too. Besides, with that slick new Mercedes design language, a Landaulet redux wouldn't be nearly as hideous as the old model, pictured here.

Sketch teases next-gen Hyundai Elantra

Hyundai is giving us a good look at the next-gen Elantra in a teaser sketch, and the company is overhauling the sedan's styling for the new model. It sports a simple design that's devoid of much ornamentation, and you can just spot the corners of the hexagonal grille up front. The headlights now narrowly squint rather than rising up the fenders. The roof arches gracefully over the passenger compartment for a coupe-like shape, and a crease down the shoulders flows to the taillights, the tip of which you can barely see at the back. Hyundai already confirmed the new Elantra's debut at the 2015 Los Angeles Auto Show in November. A leak earlier this year also purported to show an actual photo of the 2016 model for the Korean market, but that vehicle had a significantly different front end than this one. That rumor also claimed the powertrain range would include a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder, which makes 175 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque in the 2016 Tucson. Sleek All-New Elantra Reveals its Dynamic Impression - Style of All-new Elantra places Hyundai Motor compact sedan in a class of its own - Appealing active character lines and creatively designed wheel arches August 19, 2015 – Hyundai Motor is excited to provide customers a glimpse of the forthcoming All-new Elantra's modern looks and unique design ahead of the car's launch just around the corner. The new model's dynamic and sleek style received the approval of a recent consumer study, where the Elantra's striking appearance saw it ranked ahead of key rivals. Designers of the All-new Elantra identified a series of innovative design aspects that give the car an unrivalled status and unique presence. Clever use of active character lines evoke a dynamic, stylish and confident appearance, building on the global popularity of the model. Peter Schreyer, President and Chief Design Officer at Hyundai Motor Company said: "The All-new Elantra captures the car's unique design characteristics that really place this model in a class of its own. The subtle and innovative appearance enhancements reflect Hyundai Motor's vision for design. Furthermore, this car indicates a move from traditional to modern styling by communicating the new model's comfort, fashion and sporty feel." In the newly released exterior rendering, the car's innovative design points become clear.