The Hyundai Elantra is a larger, roomier car than the Toyota Corolla or Honda Civic. Cabin volume is 112.1 cubic feet, among the best in the compact class.Elantra sedans ride on a 104.3-inch wheelbase, while the Touring five-door has a 106.3-inch wheelbase. Not surprisingly, the interior volume of the Touring is larger, at 125.5 cubic feet total, and a generous 65.3 cubic feet with the rear seats folded down.
The front seats are quite comfortable, with good bolstering, and the standard cloth is smooth though unexciting. There's an especially large dead pedal to support the driver's left foot. The Touring model's seats have a premium cloth.
The blue backlighting of the gauges has a youthful spirit, and arcs of the speedometer and tach are thin blue lines, with red needles pointing the way. The radio control knobs are blessedly simple, like radio knobs should be. But we didn't care for the trim on the dash; imagine a silver plastic golf ball.
In the rear, the 35 inches of leg room is a bit more than the Civic and Sentra, and a measurable amount less than the 2009 Corolla, but the Elantra has good hip room. It also offers a large trunk. For carrying cargo, the rear seatbacks fold down to allow a pass-through into the trunk. However, the opening isn't vast like the Nissan Sentra's.