Test Drive: 2004 Hyundai Elantra GT

Take a 5-door hatchback with style and a leather-lined interior, add a powerful 4-cylinder engine with a slick-shifting 5-speed, be certain it handles well through the curves, give it a long warranty to assure that durability's not a problem, and you've got what this automobile journalist considers the almost-perfect family car. Okay, the Hyundai Elantra GT is not quite perfect, and with competitors like Mazda and Kia already surpassing it with newer models it's no longer a segment leader, but as a package the Elantra GT is still a bargain.