These days, “Win the Super Bowl, drove off in a Hyundai” doesn’t pack quite the insulting punch it did when Kanye first issued them in 2005. After all, Hyundai has upped their game over the last decade and a half like few carmakers ever have; here in 2021, Hyundai (and Kia, and Genesis) products are capable of standing toe to toe — or even above — the competition. The new Elantra isn’t just aiming to win on quality and features, though; it’s aiming to make a splash with its design, as one glance at its creased sheetmetal will tell you. This is not a compact car for those who want to blend in.

My top-trim Elantra Limited’s biggest distinguishing features versus less leather seats and a 10.3-inch touchscreen, but really, anyone actually shopping for an Elantra would be better off going with a lesser model. Even the base car packs an eight-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay, blind spot detection, and the same 147-hp inline-four that gets 33 mpg in the city and 43 mpg on the highway for around $20K; the mid-tier SEL adds the ability to pair the car with your phone and and to open the trunk without using your hands for about $1,300 more, and the $950 Convenience package brings stop-and-go active cruise control, heated seats and the Limited’s bigger screen, among other things. In other words, you can have a damn nice Elantra for under $22K out the door.

And in all honesty, there’s little in the Limited that would leave you wanting to spend the extra cash. The upmarket stereo is acceptable, not great; the leather is decent, but not notable; and the interior trim’s hard plastic seems much more suited to a car closer to 20 grand. The Elantra’s best traits are its inherent qualities — its design, its roominess, its efficiency and its value. At $26K for a Limited, it’s competing against bigger, better vehicles; at $22,000 or so, it’d be a solid choice for anyone who needs four wheels and wants some style. —Will Sabel Courtney

Pros: Looks like a more expensive car outside, excellent fuel economy; tons of features

Cons: CVT doesn’t really make the most of what power there is; you’ll spend hours trying to figure out that circle on the left side of the dash and be annoyed when you learn it doesn’t do anything

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