Entourage raises minivan stakes

Hyundai boosts quality over its first generation and still offers more equipment at good value



My first clue that Hyundai was figuring it out was when we raced a showroom-stock Accent in the mid-1990s.

A 1.6-litre car in a 2.0-litre class wasn't going to be fast enough to win. But man, was that car tough.
During a three-hour endurance race on the hottest day of summer, the temperature needle never budged
above dead-centre.

Still, mechanical reliability is the easiest part of the car-making business to get right. It's merely science; if you can't do it
yourself, you can head-hunt your competition for people who can.

Fit and finish, refinement, suspension development, styling and technical innovation require increasing degrees of
harder-to-find artistry.

Brand development is toughest of all, and Hyundai is now nibbling around the upper reaches of this Maslow-esque pyramid.

Sure, the company still has to overcome the reputation of the Pony – who among us doesn't have some youthful indiscretions
we regret 20 years on?

All Hyundai can do now is make sure every model it launches is way better than the one that preceded it, or if it's in a new niche,
offers more than the competition.

Exhibit One for the offence: the Entourage minivan.

Calling it a rebadged Sedona from Hyundai's subsidiary Kia might not be totally fair, but a glance at the spec sheets
suggests that the walls between the Kia and Hyundai design and engineering offices are low, thin and/or transparent.

The Entourage actually debuted almost two years ago.

Entourage comes in one mechanical configuration: long wheelbase; 3.8 litre V6; five-speed automatic with manual override;
directional stability control, traction control, ABS brakes with electronic brake force distribution and air bags everywhere – all standard.

Four trim levels, ranging from L ($30,995), to GL ($33,395), to GLS ($37,495) to Limited ($39,495), step you up incrementally
in equipment and features.

My tester was a GLS, with good stuff like power rear sliding doors (although the passenger's side was reluctant to close sometimes),
power tailgate (I never quite figured out how many times I had to push the remote to make this work), back-up warning system
(nice, when the rear bumper is in another time zone) and a DVD entertainment system for the kiddies (how did we ever live without this?)

Total interior volume is among the largest in the field, with seating for seven. Even with all seats up, there's lots of cargo room
because the split-folding third row pops up out of the floor, leaving a massive bin.

Grocery bags are also less likely to tip over and spill their contents all over the place.

Unlike the new Chryslers', the middle-row captain's chairs can't fold into the floor; they can be adjusted for both reach and rake,
tumbled forward, or removed altogether if you need that extra two cubic metres of space or half-metre of load floor.
Fair warning: they are bulky, heavy and awkward to re-install if you remove them.

Even the third row has some seatback adjustability, and is markedly more comfortable than the new Caravan.

One drawback to the cargo area is that the Velcro-like carpet really holds on to fir tree needles.
(Note to self: visit the Christmas tree farm early enough next year to get a Scotch pine.)

Although the 2008 Entourage isn't all-new, it is better than the one I first drove in the summer of 2006.
The equipment levels have been rejigged, making directional stability control standard now and offering the
option of power adjustable pedals.

The ride quality is markedly improved, and the van feels more nimble than its dimensions would suggest.
All members of the Kenzie Test Team were happy to sign up to drive this one.

The seat cushions are a bit too short – I'm the only one on said team tall enough for this to be a bother
– and of course I always hate leather upholstery in a car (too hot in summer, too cold in winter until the
seat heaters kick in, too slippery all the time. Carrying kids? You can buy Scotchgard in a can).

Speaking of kids, the convex snitch mirror, borrowed from the old Ford Windstar, folds down from the ceiling
so you can keep an eye on those rambunctious soccer players in back.

There's not much a stylist can do with a minivan – box on wheels, thank you very much.
Entourage does have some nice details, like the jewelled headlights, but others have done a better job of hiding the
rear sliding door track, which is a big ugly gash here.

The interior is pleasantly designed, functional, reasonably intuitive, and seemingly well constructed out of decent materials,
although some of the trim piece gaps are a bit large.

The big engine pulls the 1,996 kg beast around smartly, and the transmission shifts smoothly, although like a lot of modern
electronic automatics, it downshifts more readily than it needs to – with this much torque, the van could handle pretty steep hills
without the extra revs. Would save on fuel too.

One thing I did not remember from my previous experience in an Entourage was the substantial amount of wind noise
emanating from the base of the windshield, at anything above 60 km/h.

Nothing has changed in the design of the front end, so I can't imagine what that was all about.

Our test period coincided with some of winter's worst weather, so the directional stability control system was appreciated.
It intervenes almost imperceptibly to keep the van on the intended course.

Another indication of Hyundai's rise in the ranks of carmakers is that it no longer feels it has to be the cheapest entry
in a segment.

You can, for example, buy a base Caravan for thousands less than the base Entourage.

Comparably equipped, however, Entourage is thousands less than everyone else, except its Kia stablemate.

It's not just Caravan that has to worry; Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna had better keep an eye on their rear-view
mirrors, too.

2008 Hyundai Entourage

PRICE: base/as tested, $30,995/$37,495

ENGINE: 3.8 L V6

POWER/TORQUE:

250 hp/253 lb.-ft.

FUEL CONSUMPTION:

city 13.2, hwy. 8.8 L/100 km

COMPETITION: Dodge Caravan, Honda Odyssey, Toyota Sienna, Nissan Quest, Kia Sedona

WHAT'S BEST: Huge interior, strong performance, lots of features for the price,
                            ultra-commendable safety features

WHAT'S WORST: Wind noise, doesn't offer as many interior configurations as Caravan,
                                some niggles with the remote door opening system

WHAT'S INTERESTING: If you didn't believe Hyundai was on a roll before, you can't escape it now