2009 Hyundai Elantra Touring

The perfect family vehicle is the one that fits the family. That doesn't necessarily mean it has to be a giant SUV or a minivan. The perfect family car can fit the family - including all the things the family needs for a road trip - and still be parked in the garage.

The 2009 Hyundai Elantra Touring fits the family - and the family stuff - while being economical and not too big. "This is the car my wife wants," says Duwoyn Snipe, master elite sales consultant for Phil Long Hyundai of Chapel Hills, 1510 Auto Mall Loop. He likes the car because he and his wife can pile in with the kids and their luggage and just go.

Phil Long Hyundai of Chapel Hills provided a Hyundai Elantra Touring for this test drive.

The Elantra Touring is a five-door, brought back by popular demand after a three-year hiatus. The Elantra also comes in two different trim levels in a sedan version if you don't like the five doors. Personally, I'm partial to the five-door model. It offers the versatility of an SUV, with the gas mileage of a smaller car. It gets 23 miles per gallon in the city and 30 mpg on the highway.

Yet, it's not all that small, with plenty of leg and headroom and lots of cargo space - the most interior volume for both passengers and cargo in its class, says Hyundai literature. It even has more maximum cargo space than some larger vehicles. The rear holds 24.3 cubic feet with the back seats up and a whopping 65.3 cubic feet with the 60/40-split rear seats folded down. I think I mentioned there's plenty of room for gear. A retractable security screen allows you to hide your cargo from prying eyes.

You also get lots of little storage bins in the car for smaller items, like sunglasses or cell phones. The deep glove box connects to the car's air conditioner, allowing you to keep cold items chilled there.

The Elantra Touring comes with an impressive array of standard safety features, including an antilock braking system with four-wheel disc brakes, electronic brakeforce distribution, driver and front passenger advanced airbags, driver and front passenger side-impact airbags, side air curtains for front and rear passengers, the LATCH system for children, active head restraints for front passengers, energyabsorbing steering column, front and rear crumple zones, 5-mile-per-hour bumpers, body-side reinforcements and an antitheft system integrated with remote keyless entry and panic.

The tire pressure monitoring system is now a standard feature on all Hyundais, Snipe says. Electronic stability control with traction control are also standard, he says, and "Here in Colorado, it's great to have. It's almost like four-wheel drive."

The Elantra Touring isn't just a practical little family car. It's a lot of fun to drive. With a 2.0-liter, 138-horsepower, four-cylinder engine it has plenty of get up and go. The test vehicle was equipped with the optional four-speed automatic transmission. The Elantra Touring comes standard with a five-speed manual.

The Elantra Touring offers a quiet ride, with very little wind and road noise, even on rough pavement. It's a comfortable ride, too, with a goodlooking interior that looks a lot pricier than it is. An eight-way adjustable driver's seat and tilt and telescoping steering wheel help you configure the cabin to make it as comfortable as possible.

You'll find many surprising features for a car in this price range - prices for the Elantra Touring start at just $17,800, with this test vehicle ringing up at $21,400. You get a multifunction trip computer that records the vehicle's average speed (so you can make sure your teen is obeying posted speed limits). In addition, the trip computer displays the average miles per gallon, trip mileage and range.

According to the trip computer, I averaged 26.3 mpg during my test drive, and somehow managed to average just 23 mph. The test drive was a combination of in-town and highway driving. (I think the trip computer hadn't been reset - not that I'm someone who would drive fast.)

The Elantra Touring comes with three 12-volt power outlets for all your gadgets.

Speaking of gadgets, an auxiliary jack allows you to plug in any MP3 player, while a USB port lets you plug in and control your iPod through the car's stereo. The Elantra Touring features a 172-watt AM/FM/XM Satellite radio/CD/ MP3 audio system and six speakers, plus controls on the leather-wrapped steering wheel. You even get free XM Satellite radio activation and three months complementary service.

The test vehicle included the premium sport package which adds beefier 17-inch alloy wheels and all-season tires, a power tilt and slide sunroof and heated front seats. These are the only options offered because everything else already comes standard.

Like all Hyundais, the Elantra Touring is covered by America's Best Warranty: a five-year/60,000-mile bumper-tobumper warranty, a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty, a seven-year/ unlimited-miles antiperforation warranty and five years and unlimited miles of roadside assistance.

And now through June 30, the Elantra Touring qualifies for $250 cash back for six months. Or you can subtract the total amount of cash back from the price of your new vehicle. You also get Hyundai Assurance, which allows you to return your Hyundai vehicle with no impact to your credit if you lose your income within 12 months of purchasing the car.

Technical specifications:
Base price: $18,600
As tested: $21,400
Layout: Five-passenger, five-door compact car
Engine: 2.0-liter, continuously variable valve timing, DOHC, four-cylinder
Horsepower: 138 @ 6,000 rpm
Torque: 137 foot-pounds @ 3,700 rpm
Drive system: Front-wheel drive
Transmission: Four-speed automatic
Brake system: Four-wheel disc with antilock braking system with electronic brakeforce distribution
Steering: Power-assisted rack-and-pinion Suspension: Independent, MacPherson strut with coil springs and 24-millimeter stabilizer bar, front; Independent multi-link design with 21-millimeter stabilizer bar, rear
Wheels: 17" alloy
Tires: P215/45R17
Wheelbase: 106.3"
Height/Length: 59.8"/ 176.2"
Curb weight: 3,112 pounds
Cargo volume: 24.3 cubic feet
Fuel capacity: 14 gallons
Gas mileage: 23 mpg city/ 30 mpg highway