Giving the big boys a serious brush back pitch
By Brian Chee
|
February 2, 2007
Introduction
Hyundai Entourage – Review: They say no one wants to buy minivans anymore. The reasons run to the typical: not sexy enough, not enough status in it for mommy or daddy. Yet minivans like the Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna sell briskly, often with waiting lists and salespeople click-clacking over MSRP deals. Perhaps, then, it’s really that a minivan has to be darn good to make it, thanks to picky shoppers and clever automakers who innovate and keep family needs front and center.
What We Drove
As the new competitor in the minivan segment, we wanted to see how Hyundai was bringing their version of the Kia Sedona to market. That's no surprise, of course: Hyundai owns Kia, and with ownership comes perks such as the right to rebrand a top-grade minivan such as the Sedona. In this case, our tester was a base $23,745 Entourage GLS, including $595 destination, with cloth seats and body-color plastic trim on the outside.
Why We Drove It
Funny thing: minivans are the love secret most automotive journalists hold in the deep, dark corners of their souls. We can’t help it. Despite their boatish, awkward appearance and clumsy performance, they represent the pinnacle of interior innovation, these most usable of vehicles. Sure, they don’t look like much, but yessir, they sure are handy to have. That includes the Entourage, which like the Sedona is a serious player in the minivan segment and another good reason why General Motors and Ford should not bother attempting to get back into this market anymore. As such, we drove the Entourage to see if Hyundai was able to take the Sedona blueprints and transfer the good stuff over to the “other” brand.
Performance
When it comes to minivans, the kind of performance that matters most is what goes on inside. Road manners still matter, of course, and the Entourage also does a credible job of starting, stopping and going. It’s powered by one engine, a 3.8-liter V6 making 242 horsepower and 251 lb.-ft. of torque. The engine is mated to a five-speed automatic transmission that does a great job of managing power. The combination provides enough power and quick acceleration to get the job done. Stopping is aided by four-wheel ABS brakes, and hard stops are handled nicely.
Handling
We were on the way to carve a canyon in our tester when we realized...our tester was a minivan. So we headed for the mall via the freeway and discovered that the Hyundai Entourage is really not a bad handler, one that should give drivers confidence enough to make maneuvers. Of course, it rocks like a drunken housewife at a rockabilly concert, which lines it up with the Toyota Sienna, behind the Honda Odyssey and in front of the domestics.
Visibility
If you can’t see out of a minivan, you probably should buy a cane, and the Entourage is no exception. True, these are big vehicles, but there’s plenty of glass and the Entourage’s low second row seat headrests make it easier to see out of the back window.
Fun to Drive
Fun, translated in MinivanLand: kids like it, it’s inexpensive, functional, with plenty of room and powerful enough to get out of its own way. So yeah, the Entourage is fun.
Front Comfort
Overall, the Entourage offers front row occupants plenty of room to move and breathe, though we would have liked to have an armrest that was adjustable. While the driver’s seat is supportive, we didn’t like the seat height adjustor, or the lack of thigh support from the seat bottom. Soft touches all around the driver make the experience more comfortable, however, though this is probably not the minivan I’d want to drive on long trips.
Rear Comfort
There’s plenty of leg room in the mid-and-rear rows -- maybe too much, in fact, as the center cupholders are hard to reach. The mid-row window rolls down, a nice feature copied from the leading minivans. The most comfortable aspects of the Entourage -- from the play pen area -- is the leg and shoulder room while the worst thing is the cupholder placement.
Interior Noise
It’s a big rig, so it’s a little loud, with whiny road noise and some slight whistling wind around the front windshield. Compared to Toyota, the Entourage needs a few extra squirts of sound deadening to damp the cabin’s tendency to vibrate and creak a bit too much.
Loading Cargo
Close your eyes and you’d think you were loading up a Sienna, such are the similarities. As far as the Entourage goes, with third-row seats up you have a deep well good for loads of stuff. With seats down, you get a flat and almost square area that maximizes storage space. As with most minivans, the process of removing the second row is a pain – especially getting the darn seats back in – and that compromises cargo expansion. The seats are light enough, but there’s no handle with which to hold and direct them.
Build Quality
Can’t find much to fault when it comes to build quality; gaps are excellent, plastics feel like they’re high quality with little to no glare, and material is soft and supportive. Highlights include the top part of the split glovebox -- which sports a nice finish. Outside, except for some slight hood and tailgate variations at the top and bottom corners, the Entourage GLS we drove was well built with consistent gaps flush joints.
Materials Quality
We especially liked the quality material that was slathered over the inside of the GLS, jacking up the value of this base model and helping to make it a raging deal. From seats to door trim, cloth and plastics are high quality; headliner is a ribbed, soft material much nicer than mousefur and more welcoming than mesh. On the downside, tray tables in back and center console units felt a little flimsy, as if some hard use by a wild child would doom the units.
Styling
Yawn. Huh? Styling on a minivan: fabrics that don’t stain and a sheetmetal style that’s somewhat sexier that a bloated cow. On both scores, the Entourage scores.
Storage
As with the class leaders, the Entourage offers up plenty of places to put things, from trays to compartments galore and all of which are strategically placed throughout the cabin. One highlight is the dual gloveboxes; it makes it easy to stow items that are in frequent use, without having to dig through a larger, deeper bin.
Controls
Everything is clearly marked. That’s what we liked the most about the Entourage controls. Clear, easy to read, and simple to use, from climate controls, with its wheel and lights, to the standard fare stereo and driver controls. Given the level of refinement that comes with most interior design today, there should be no surprises when it comes to controls, because the only surprise is a cluttered IP or buttons that are too small or hard understand. In Hyundai’s case, the Entourage is nicely executed for easy ride management. One thing about the GLS model, however, is that it has too many blank buttons for things that do not come with the trim. That cheapens the interior.
Competition
Start with Honda and the Odyssey, the minivans people have been known to stand in line for, then move over to your local Toyota dealership and get a good look at the new Toyota Sienna. Yep, there’s some stiff competition out there, including the Dodge Caravan and Chrysler Town and Country. And don’t forget, an Entourage by any other name is a Kia Sedona. Given that, Hyundai has introduced a solid minivan with a great warranty and a low sticker price. Minivan shoppers would be foolish to skip the Entourage, or the Kia Sedona.
2nd Opinion – Perry
Hyundai Entourage – Ron Perry’s Opinion:
I must say that I did walk away somewhat impressed with the 2007 Hyundai Entourage. There are things like the flip down convex mirror that allow you to view and watch rear passengers, a driver’s personal sunglass holder, multiple cup holders, an individual fan control for rear seat passengers and storage compartments that give even the base Entourage a more upscale feel. Hyundai is to be congratulated for giving the Entourage power, step on the gas and Entourage quickly snaps to attention. A couple items I didn’t care for were the light feel of the steering, the loud fan that cools the rear passengers and the tight entry of the third row seats. Fine-tune these items and you have a great ride for not a lot of money.
2nd Opinion – Wardlaw
Hyundai Entourage – Christian Wardlaw’s Opinion:
Before I explain why I wouldn’t buy a 2007 Hyundai Entourage GLS, let me advise you, dear researcher, that if a minivan is an unavoidable consequence of your lifestyle, get thee to a Hyundai dealer and test drive the incredible value that is the Entourage. Now, you might ask how I can recommend this minivan when I wouldn’t buy one. The answer is simple. I detested the driver’s seat. I’ve got long legs and I like to sit up nice and high. In the Entourage GLS, I sat down low to give my cramped, splayed legs as much thigh support as possible. Otherwise, the Entourage is competitive with the best in the class, and a raging value. It’s safe, powerful, good looking, roomy, functional – all the things minivan buyers want in a minivan.
As the new competitor in the minivan segment, we wanted to see how Hyundai was bringing their version of the Kia Sedona to market. That's no surprise, of course: Hyundai owns Kia, and with ownership comes perks such as the right to rebrand a top-grade minivan such as the Sedona. In this case, our tester was a base $23,745 Entourage GLS, including $595 destination, with cloth seats and body-color plastic trim on the outside.
Why We Drove It
Funny thing: minivans are the love secret most automotive journalists hold in the deep, dark corners of their souls. We can’t help it. Despite their boatish, awkward appearance and clumsy performance, they represent the pinnacle of interior innovation, these most usable of vehicles. Sure, they don’t look like much, but yessir, they sure are handy to have. That includes the Entourage, which like the Sedona is a serious player in the minivan segment and another good reason why General Motors and Ford should not bother attempting to get back into this market anymore. As such, we drove the Entourage to see if Hyundai was able to take the Sedona blueprints and transfer the good stuff over to the “other” brand.
Performance
When it comes to minivans, the kind of performance that matters most is what goes on inside. Road manners still matter, of course, and the Entourage also does a credible job of starting, stopping and going. It’s powered by one engine, a 3.8-liter V6 making 242 horsepower and 251 lb.-ft. of torque. The engine is mated to a five-speed automatic transmission that does a great job of managing power. The combination provides enough power and quick acceleration to get the job done. Stopping is aided by four-wheel ABS brakes, and hard stops are handled nicely.
Handling
We were on the way to carve a canyon in our tester when we realized...our tester was a minivan. So we headed for the mall via the freeway and discovered that the Hyundai Entourage is really not a bad handler, one that should give drivers confidence enough to make maneuvers. Of course, it rocks like a drunken housewife at a rockabilly concert, which lines it up with the Toyota Sienna, behind the Honda Odyssey and in front of the domestics.
Visibility
If you can’t see out of a minivan, you probably should buy a cane, and the Entourage is no exception. True, these are big vehicles, but there’s plenty of glass and the Entourage’s low second row seat headrests make it easier to see out of the back window.
Fun to Drive
Fun, translated in MinivanLand: kids like it, it’s inexpensive, functional, with plenty of room and powerful enough to get out of its own way. So yeah, the Entourage is fun.
Front Comfort
Overall, the Entourage offers front row occupants plenty of room to move and breathe, though we would have liked to have an armrest that was adjustable. While the driver’s seat is supportive, we didn’t like the seat height adjustor, or the lack of thigh support from the seat bottom. Soft touches all around the driver make the experience more comfortable, however, though this is probably not the minivan I’d want to drive on long trips.
Rear Comfort
There’s plenty of leg room in the mid-and-rear rows -- maybe too much, in fact, as the center cupholders are hard to reach. The mid-row window rolls down, a nice feature copied from the leading minivans. The most comfortable aspects of the Entourage -- from the play pen area -- is the leg and shoulder room while the worst thing is the cupholder placement.
Interior Noise
It’s a big rig, so it’s a little loud, with whiny road noise and some slight whistling wind around the front windshield. Compared to Toyota, the Entourage needs a few extra squirts of sound deadening to damp the cabin’s tendency to vibrate and creak a bit too much.
Loading Cargo
Close your eyes and you’d think you were loading up a Sienna, such are the similarities. As far as the Entourage goes, with third-row seats up you have a deep well good for loads of stuff. With seats down, you get a flat and almost square area that maximizes storage space. As with most minivans, the process of removing the second row is a pain – especially getting the darn seats back in – and that compromises cargo expansion. The seats are light enough, but there’s no handle with which to hold and direct them.
Build Quality
Can’t find much to fault when it comes to build quality; gaps are excellent, plastics feel like they’re high quality with little to no glare, and material is soft and supportive. Highlights include the top part of the split glovebox -- which sports a nice finish. Outside, except for some slight hood and tailgate variations at the top and bottom corners, the Entourage GLS we drove was well built with consistent gaps flush joints.
Materials Quality
We especially liked the quality material that was slathered over the inside of the GLS, jacking up the value of this base model and helping to make it a raging deal. From seats to door trim, cloth and plastics are high quality; headliner is a ribbed, soft material much nicer than mousefur and more welcoming than mesh. On the downside, tray tables in back and center console units felt a little flimsy, as if some hard use by a wild child would doom the units.
Styling
Yawn. Huh? Styling on a minivan: fabrics that don’t stain and a sheetmetal style that’s somewhat sexier that a bloated cow. On both scores, the Entourage scores.
Storage
As with the class leaders, the Entourage offers up plenty of places to put things, from trays to compartments galore and all of which are strategically placed throughout the cabin. One highlight is the dual gloveboxes; it makes it easy to stow items that are in frequent use, without having to dig through a larger, deeper bin.
Controls
Everything is clearly marked. That’s what we liked the most about the Entourage controls. Clear, easy to read, and simple to use, from climate controls, with its wheel and lights, to the standard fare stereo and driver controls. Given the level of refinement that comes with most interior design today, there should be no surprises when it comes to controls, because the only surprise is a cluttered IP or buttons that are too small or hard understand. In Hyundai’s case, the Entourage is nicely executed for easy ride management. One thing about the GLS model, however, is that it has too many blank buttons for things that do not come with the trim. That cheapens the interior.
Competition
Start with Honda and the Odyssey, the minivans people have been known to stand in line for, then move over to your local Toyota dealership and get a good look at the new Toyota Sienna. Yep, there’s some stiff competition out there, including the Dodge Caravan and Chrysler Town and Country. And don’t forget, an Entourage by any other name is a Kia Sedona. Given that, Hyundai has introduced a solid minivan with a great warranty and a low sticker price. Minivan shoppers would be foolish to skip the Entourage, or the Kia Sedona.
2nd Opinion – Perry
Hyundai Entourage – Ron Perry’s Opinion:
I must say that I did walk away somewhat impressed with the 2007 Hyundai Entourage. There are things like the flip down convex mirror that allow you to view and watch rear passengers, a driver’s personal sunglass holder, multiple cup holders, an individual fan control for rear seat passengers and storage compartments that give even the base Entourage a more upscale feel. Hyundai is to be congratulated for giving the Entourage power, step on the gas and Entourage quickly snaps to attention. A couple items I didn’t care for were the light feel of the steering, the loud fan that cools the rear passengers and the tight entry of the third row seats. Fine-tune these items and you have a great ride for not a lot of money.
2nd Opinion – Wardlaw
Hyundai Entourage – Christian Wardlaw’s Opinion:
Before I explain why I wouldn’t buy a 2007 Hyundai Entourage GLS, let me advise you, dear researcher, that if a minivan is an unavoidable consequence of your lifestyle, get thee to a Hyundai dealer and test drive the incredible value that is the Entourage. Now, you might ask how I can recommend this minivan when I wouldn’t buy one. The answer is simple. I detested the driver’s seat. I’ve got long legs and I like to sit up nice and high. In the Entourage GLS, I sat down low to give my cramped, splayed legs as much thigh support as possible. Otherwise, the Entourage is competitive with the best in the class, and a raging value. It’s safe, powerful, good looking, roomy, functional – all the things minivan buyers want in a minivan.
Photos courtesy of Ron Perry