18 - The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday July 2, 2008 www.oakvillebeaver.com Hyundai Elantra beats thrifty Toyota Corolla in Consumer Reports' Tests of Five Small Sedans After testing a group of compacts and subcompacts, Consumer Reports judged the Hyundai Elantra SE best with an "Excellent" overall road test score. But three other compact cars, Subaru Impreza, Toyota Corolla and Ford Focus, also achieved "Very Good" ratings in a report on gas-saving sedans published in the July issue. The Corolla achieved a very impressive 32 mpg overall in Consumer Reports' real-world fuel economy tests. That's among the best gas mileage CR has seen in a conventional gasoline-powered car with an automatic transmission. Only the smaller Honda Fit (32 mpg) and Toyota Yaris (33 mpg) subcompacts do as well or better. Two Chevrolets were also tested as part of this group, the Cobalt and Aveo. Both ranked near the bottom of the pack. Among compact sedans, the Cobalt ranks 17th out of 19 vehicles tested. Among subcompacts, the Aveo ranks last among the 12 vehicles tested. The Elantra's top rating in the small sedans class shows how far Hyundai has come in the last decade. Its cars used to be unreliable and unrefined, with low scores in CR's tests. Now, some compete with the best in their classes. Formal evaluations on these vehicles were completed earlier this year, which allowed Consumer Reports to name the Elantra SE its Top Pick in the small sedan category for its Annual April Auto issue. It outpoints the Honda Civic EX with a manual transmission by just a fraction of a Point, but also comes with standard electronic stability control, a very important safety feature. Of the vehicles in this report, Consumer Reports is Recommending the Elantra, Impreza, and Focus. CR doesn't have reliability data yet on the redesigned Corolla. The Cobalt scores too low in CR's road tests to be Recommended; its reliability has been average. The Aveo also scored too low in testing to be Recommended; its reliability has been below average. Consumer Reports only Recommends vehicles that have performed well in its tests, have at least average predicted reliability based on CR's Annual Car Reliability Survey of its more than seven million print and web subscribers, and performed at least adequately if crash-tested or included in a government rollover test. The Elantra SE is a well-rounded package with a quiet, roomy cabin, a comfortable ride, and nice fit. It provides excellent braking and very secure emergency handling, aided by the SE's standard electronic stability control. Fuel economy is respectable at 27 mpg overall. After testing several compact cars by Consumers Reports, the Hyundai Elantra came out on top rated as the best overall vehicle. BAD CREDIT www.hawleypbc.com APPLY ON-LINE! NO CREDIT Everyone Deserves A Second Chance. We Can Re-establish Your Credit And Get You In A Vehicle And On The Road Today. Call Wally-905.330.1104 225 Dundas St. East, Mississauga At The Same Location For Over 60 Years Gear Up! for the RONA MS Bike Tour REGISTER T O D AY ! · Choose the Tour that's right for you. · HURRY! Registration rates will increase on July 1st. To register visit: msbiketours.com or call 1-800-268-7582