Comparo: 2010 Hyundai Elantra Touring/Kia Soul/Nissan Cube

[svgallery name="Comparo_Hyundai_Kia_Nissan"] Story and photos by John LeBlanc With seating for five and lower purchase and operating costs, small vehicles are where it's at in the Canadian new-car market. Although already practical by nature, small sedans and hatchbacks may not offer enough space for some customers. So what if there was the added utility of a fifth door and more rear cargo space? In other words, a small wagon. Hyundai, Kia and Nissan have answered with their new-for-2010 Elantra Touring, Soul and Cube. Which one, though, offers the best combination of room, economy, features and fun from behind the wheel? THIRD PLACE: 2010 Kia Soul For better and for worse, the new Soul is a mix of the new and old Kia.The small wagon's distinctive exterior styling represents the new Kia. The front-drive Soul's square-back profile and thick wheel arches give it a quasi-SUV, not-quite-sure-what-it-is look. Plus, it's roomy. With nearly the same wheelbase as the Cube, the Soul is longer and wider, delivering more shoulder, hip and rear legroom. Its relatively tall ride height and seating position will appeal to urban small-car buyers; overall manoeuvrability and visibility are excellent. Bare-bone models with a 122-hp, 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine and a five-speed manual transmission start at $17,445. To get an automatic, you have to step up to the $21,245 Soul 2.0 2u model with the bigger 2.0-L engine. With 142 hp and 137 lb.-ft. of torque, it has the largest numbers in this trio. But the Kia's 0-to-100 km/h time of 10.7 closely matches the Cube at 10.6. Fuel economy is average at 8.5 L/100 km (33 m.p.g.) city, 6.6 L (43 m.p.g.) highway. Too bad the Kia autobox's four gears are too widely spaced (making for unruly downshifts) while the Nissan's engine is much smoother when caned. The old Kia bits (such as a chassis based on the older Rio5 subcompact) are what relegate the Soul behind the Cube and Elantra Touring. Handling is like a taller and heavier Rio and the car's ride never seems to settle down on the highway. And there's a lot of road noise. WHY BUY: Distinctive styling; urban traffic visibility; roomy interior. WHY NOT: Average fuel economy and performance; road noise; middling handling and ride. SECOND PLACE: 2010 Nissan Cube The first generation of Cube to be sold in Canada, Nissan's compact wagon offers some out-of-the-box solutions for this class. For starters, the Cube's designer looks come at off-the-rack prices. The front-drive Nissan starts at $16,998. Add an automatic CVT and the cost is $18,298, right between the Kia and Hyundai. With a tall seating position, near-vertical pillars, acres of glass, minimal overhangs and class-leading 10.1-m turning circle, parking and quick lane changes in the boxy Nissan are no-sweat manoeuvres. And its less-than-sporting ride soaks up potholes with aplomb. Generous headroom and a windshield placed well ahead of front occupants makes the Cube feel like a bigger car from the inside. Rear passengers enjoy an equally roomy experience with a rear bench seat that reclines and slides. With the smallest engine (a 1.8-litre four from the Versa) and the least amount of underhood oomph (122 hp and 127 lb.-ft.), it's no surprise the Cube also sips the lowest amount of fuel here. Its fuel economy rates at a miserly 7.3 L/100 km (39 m.p.g.) city, 6.5 (43 m.p.g.) highway. Innovative, for sure. But I have a few quibbles with the Cube that keep it from beating the Elantra Touring for first place. Steering is light and devoid of any feel. And when scooting away from a stoplight, the CVT whine intrudes on an otherwise quiet interior. Note that with only 323 litres, the Cube doesn't have as much cargo space as the Kia (546 L) or Hyundai (689 L). And the Nissan's interior plastics can't match the quality feel of the more upscale Hyundai. WHY BUY: Value pricing; excellent fuel economy; urban guerrilla driving experience. WHY NOT: Appliance-like handling and performance; CVT whine; tiny rear cargo space. FIRST PLACE: 2010 Hyundai Elantra Touring The Hyundai quickly comes across as a more mature, refined and grown-up car than the Kia or Nissan. With good reason. While the Nissan and Kia wagons are based on smaller, subcompact platforms, the Elantra Touring was designed in Hyundai's European studio in Germany, where the car is sold as the compact i30 and goes up against the likes of the $22,675 Volkswagen Golf wagon. It's not priced that way, though. Elantra Tourings start at $14,999 with a five-speed manual. If you need an automatic gearbox, a four-speeder will total $16,199. All models come with a 138 hp and 137 lb.-ft., 2.0-litre four, driving the front wheels only. Taking 10.3 seconds to go from naught to 100 km/h, the Hyundai is no rocket. But at least that's about a half-second quicker than the Nissan or Kia. Not only is the Elantra Touring spacious on the inside, its build quality and soft-touch materials are a cut above its small wagon rivals. At speed, its cabin is the quietest, too. The Elantra Touring's European-bred suspension and steering makes it the driver's choice here. The Touring's shocks and springs are firmer than in the Korean-designed Elantra sedan, with none of the top-heavy feeling the Kia and Nissan possess when cornering briskly. Like the Soul, though, fuel economy is average: 8.7 L/100 km (32 mpg) city, 6.5 L (43 mpg) highway. The plasticky steering wheel covering and audio system that looks like an aftermarket unit from 1995 mars an otherwise nicely turned out cabin. Plus, the Touring's relatively conservative looks won't garner attention like the funkier Soul or Cube. WHY BUY: Roomy, well-built interior; refined handling. WHY NOT: Average fuel economy; conservative looks; minor interior foibles.

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