By JAMES RAIA
www.TheWeeklyDriver.com

The stretch of road that connects Northern and Southern California via Interstate 5 through a pass in the Tehachapi Mountains is mostly known as The Grapevine. It's not named because of its steep grade, ominous presence or legacy of high-speed accidents. Its name comes from the wild grapes growing in the region.

Despite its less-than-stellar reputation, however, the Grapevine is also an ideal place to test drive a car, as I did recently with my weekly driver, the 2007 Hyundai Elantra.

Negotiating the route North to South on a late February morning, weather conditions changed from scattered snow flurries to rain and dark overcast skies to bright sun. And with an impressive amount of power, comfort, safety and general assuredness, I drove through the pass with ease during the part of a 6 1/2-hour trip from Ventura to San Francisco.

More than a few cars, plenty of trucks, campers and transportation trucks struggled over the Grapevine. And yet, here I was in an entry level, 138-horsepower, 4-cylinder four-door sedan scooting over a notorious mountain pass.

For the past several years, I've been touting various Hyundai offerings to friends, and this recent experience provided another fine example.

My weekly driver was the SE version with a five-speed manual transmission. A four-speed automatic transmission is a $1,000 option, but the manual transmission gives the Elantra a good dose of sportiness.

The 2007 Elantra has been resigned and offers 2.2 more inches of height, two more inches of width and raises the driver's seat 1.8 inches. I didn't drive the 2006 version, but the new model has a surprising amount of interior room. The total interior volume of 112.1 cubic feet is more than the Honda Civic, Nissan Sentra, and the Acura TL. Some vehicles with sizable interiors lack adequate trunk space. Not the Elantra. It has plenty of trunk room and it's all easily accessible.

Beyond its spaciousness, the Elantra has a nicely designed cabin with an efficient console and a simple and functional instrumentation panel. The Elantra's good supply of standard features complement the new design: power windows, mirrors and remote locks, a leather-wrapped, tilting steering wheel and shift knob, 16-inch alloy wheels, steering wheel audio controls, air conditioning, cruise control, split-folding rear seatbacks, a cabin air filter and a 172-watt CD player with MP3 capability.

The cruise control system on the Elantra works with particular ease, and I utilized it for many miles on long, open stretches of Interstate 5, often at more than 75 mph.

The Elantra's only available options are the aforementioned automatic transmission and a premium package ($1,150) that features a sunroof and heated front seats. The Elantra also comes standard with six airbags, an optional feature on several other manufacturer' offering in the compact car class.

During my long drive in several weather conditions, I felt the Elantra "float" on one occasion on a long, tight highway corner. But overall, steering was responsive and firm.

I'm sure that a premium vehicle which a sticker price three times more than Elantra would have provided a more luxurious journey. But neither rain, snow, high winds or the ominous terrain of the infamous Grapevine caused any concern for the Elantra, and not every compact and some much-higher priced vehicles wouldn't have fared as well.

The Weekly Driver: 2007 Hyundai Elantra

Safety features – Dual front side and side curtain airbags

Fuel Mileage (estimates) – 28 mpg (city), 36 mpg (highway).

Warranty – Bumper to bumper, 5 years/60,000 miles; Powertrain, 10 years/100,000 miles, Corrosion, 7 years/unlimited miles; (24-hour) roadside assistance program, 5 years/unlimited miles.

Base price – $15,695.00

To read more of James Raia's automotive reviews or to subscribe to his free auto review newsletter, visit his web site: www.TheWeeklyDriver.com