USAA Names Hyundai Elantra a Top Car for Teens

[Hyundai NEWS]

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Founded in 1922 to provide insurance services to members of the U.S. military and their families, the United Services Automobile Association (USAA) continues to be a top “go to” source for everyone when it comes to vehicle research—and that includes young drivers. In fact, the association recently released its second annual Top 10 for Teens roster to highlight vehicles priced below $25,500 that “rank highest in safety, reliability and reasonable insurance costs, which are the factors parents indicated are the most important when choosing a car for their teen driver.”
Among them: The Hyundai Elantra, capable of EPA ratings of 28 mpg city/38 mpg highway/32 mpg combined with either a six-speed manual transmission or a similarly geared automatic.
The company’s compact sedan starts at an affordable $16,965 and welcomes significant updates for the 2013 model year. The entry-level Elantra GLS, for example, adds air conditioning, cruise control, 16-inch wheels, a telescopic steering wheel, and a solar windshield with shade band to its long list of standard equipment. The Elantra GLS with an automatic transmission and the “Preferred Package”—one of the lineup’s best-selling configurations—now features standard heated front seats.
Further fine-tuning also saw the range-topping Elantra Limited gain a standard power-adjustable driver’s seat with lumbar support, while the Limited Technology Package introduces dual automatic temperature control. In addition, all models will be available in a new exterior color, called “Atlantic Blue.”
Speaking of value, the 2013 Hyundai Elantra also won its segment in the most recent editions of both the Strategic Vision Total Value Awards and the ALG Residual Value Awards, the latter for the second straight year.