Assembled In: Ulsan, Korea.

Model Line Up: Hyundai Elantra GLS ($13,525); SE ($16,225).

Model Tested: Hyundai Elantra GLS ($13,525).

Options Tested: Popular Equipment Package ($1750) with air conditioning, 172-watt AM/FM/XM/CD/MP3 with 6 speakers and auxiliary jack, cruise control, in-glass antenna, dual illuminated vanity mirrors, and fog lights; carpeted floor mats ($85).

The Hyundai Elantra was completely redesigned for 2007, and the 2008 models come standard with more safety features.

The Elantra features handsome styling with nice lines. Its four-cylinder engine offers the latest technology, offering a good balance of power and fuel mileage. A 2008 Elantra with the optional four-speed automatic gets an EPA-estimated 25/33 mpg City/Highway using the new 2008 test methods.

Elantra is a compact, competing against Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, Nissan Sentra, Mazda3, Ford Focus, Chevy Cobalt and Dodge Caliber. Elantra offers lots of interior space for the class, a high level of standard safety equipment, and a strong warranty. And by other measures, it holds its own against those cars.

Hyundai claims that the Elantra warranty, 5 years or 60,000 miles, plus 10 years or 100,000 miles for the powertrain, is the best in its class.

Bigger than the previous-generation model, this fourth-generation Elantra offers a spacious cabin, storage compartments galore, and we found the seats very comfortable. It can seat up to five, but the Elantra is more comfortable with four. The back seats offer ample hip room and adequate legroom.

With its long-legged gearing, the Elantra can run 80 miles per hour all day without straining, and it's quiet at high speeds. The ride is good, although a bad freeway with relentless sharp bumps is more than the Elantra can accept without passing on some of the annoyance to the front seats. We found the brakes excellent and the cornering good.

For 2008, the Elantra SE comes with electronic stability control and Brake Assist, which were not available on 2007 models. A tire pressure monitoring system has been added.

Because the Elantra generally costs less than the competition, it might well be a long-term bargain. However, resale value always needs to be considered, and that competition includes the stalwarts from Honda and Toyota.

The 2008 Hyundai Elantra comes in two trim levels, GLS and SE, both of which use a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. Buyers have a choice between five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission ($1000) for each trim level.

The GLS ($13,525) is the most basic and comes standard with power steering, power locks, windows and keyless entry, power heated mirrors, tinted glass, a 60/40 split rear folding seat with access to the trunk, and 15-inch wheels with full-size plastic wheel covers. The Preferred Package for the GLS ($1500) includes things that most car buyers consider necessary: air conditioning, AM/FM/CD six-speaker sound system, cruise control and foglamps. XM Satellite Radio is built into the sound system.

The SE ($16,225) is the sporty model and includes all the options in the GLS Preferred Package, plus a telescoping leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls, and 16-inch alloy wheels with wider profile tires. A Premium Package ($1150) includes a power sunroof and heated front seats. Another Premium package ($1950) adds leather seating surfaces (and replaces last year's Limited model).

Cleaner-running PZEV versions (Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle) are sold in California, New York, Massachusetts, Vermont and Maine that come with the automatic transmission and are available in GLS ($14,525) and SE ($17,225) trim.

Safety features that come on all Elantra models include four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes with electronic brake-force distribution, frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side curtain airbags, and active front head restraints. A tire pressure monitoring system comes standard on all models. Also, 24-hour roadside assistance for five years comes with the Elantra. Electronic Stability Control and Brake Assist comes on the SE model, which can help the driver control skids and stop more quickly in a panic braking situation.

The fourth-generation Hyundai Elantra was redesigned by Americans in Hyundai's California Studio with radically different styling from pre-2007 models. It's vastly better looking than before; the Elantra no longer announces that it's for old folks. It's 2.2 inches taller, 2.0 inches wider, and 1.6 inches longer in wheelbase than the previous-generation Elantra. Still, with all the aggressive designs on the road nowadays, a compact car like the Elantra, clean as it is, won't catch many eyes.

The Elantra received a lot of careful design work, and could pass for being seamless. At the front and rear fascia, the seams are so tight that the body appears to be one piece, until you look very closely. That quality fitting also reveals itself in the smooth opening and closing of the doors.

The Elantra's good looks move this Korean compact car toward the world of the stylish. Its sculpture is clean, with a high beltline running along at the body-colored door handles. It's got a subtle face, with trapezoidal headlamps having rounded edges, leading down and in to a cup-shaped grille with three simple chrome bars. At the bottom of the fascia is a long, slim air intake with two bars. It lacks definitive fender flares because it doesn't need them; the Elantra doesn't shout to be seen. The wheel covers, which are silver plastic on the GLS, look good from a distance.

The Hyundai Elantra offers a roomy interior for the class, a good package of safety equipment, and a strong warranty. Redesigned for 2007, the styling holds its own in the class; it looks very clean but doesn't try to draw attention to itself. The seats are comfortable, the brakes are excellent, and cornering capability is good, making it enjoyable to drive. The engine offers the latest four-cylinder technology; it can power the Elantra to 80 miles per hour without much effort and delivers good fuel economy when driven conservatively. With a price that's lower than most other compact cars, the Elantra is a worthy competitor in the class.

NewCarTestDrive.com correspondent Sam Moses filed this report from the Columbia River Gorge on the Oregon-Washington border.