 THE THREE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS to know about this car are the following: (1) how differently it performs in moist, cooler Fall and Spring weather [outstanding] versus dry, scorching Summer weather [challenging]; (2)  how differently it performs from the day you drive it new out of the dealership lot versus how it performs when it's got a year's worth of mostly highway miles, and (3) the person who wrote this review obviously drove it when it was new and not when the weather was cool. I bought my 2016 Elantra SE in April 2017 as a Certified Used Car w/ a 12,000/12 month warranty.  The first thing that I did was to ditch the heavy steel wheels (80 lbs total)  for some sweet and light rims (56 lbs) and got rid of 24 lbs of unsprung weight. Made a big difference in the handling. The 2nd thing I did was to bump up the tire pressure to 36 psi, giving it better handling, breaking and acceleration. Speaking of acceleration, car reviewers don't seem to understand that modern, multi-speed automatic transmissions have a learning capability to adapt to your style of driving. If you drive it like the proverbial little old lady, it will shift like she walks. OTOH, if you drive like Mario Andretti, the slush box will be shifting quick, short and at maximum HP. What speeds this learning process along, as I have learned, is to put the tranny into manual mode and make all your upshifts at 5,500 to 6,000 RPM for the first month. When I first got the Elantra, it was shifting sluggishly as the reviewer said, but it soon learned how to leave Civics in its dust.  I used to own Hondas, but their products started going downhill in the 2001-2008 models. My last car was a 1998 Infiniti I30. Super car that got me from Point A to Point B for 300K. I've always admired the 2015-2016 Elantras and when I was able to buy one, I became a happy camper. The size is perfect for me. I love the low front end that allows me to get in and out of places that compact cars with bigger noses just cannot negotiate. I also like the spacious interior - more so than the 2018 Elantra which, like most new cars, has enlarged the console to the detriment of leg and knee room (especially the latter). The steering is precise and gives me a pretty good feel for the road. Of course, a lot of how the Elantra drives depends on the shoes its wearing. Mine came with a set of Firestone Champion Fuel Fighters: a $90/each tire that lived up to its name because my best mileage numbers (when it was 65 degrees out) were 33.5 mpg city (avg. 40 mph) and 41.5 mpg highway (avg. 75 mph) with those tires. I have since put on a set of Sumitomo HTR Enhance that consistently give me 28 mpg city and 38 mpg highway. However, the Fuel Fighters were pretty noisy and hard while the Sumitomos are quiet and on the soft side. The front seats are very comfortable and I was afraid that I would not like them. But, they have molded to my physique just fine. The car now has 53k on it and it keeps on getting better and better.  I'd love to have the car reviewer try out mine and then see if he still thinks the base engine is "sluggish." Now, there is a slight delay in starting off in 1st gear but that's because they have the idle set so low. With my left foot on the brake and my right on the gas, I add an additional 200 rpms to the idle speed and that takes care of any lag off the line. My biggest beef, however, is with the engine noise. Accelerating is when it is most noticeable. Above 4,000 rpm, it sounds like a Wal-Mart blender on Liquify. The following model years made a great improvement in both engine noise and cabin insulation. While the 2016 Elantra SE is fairly quiet at highway speeds for a car in its class, the 2018 I recently test-drove felt like a Sonata (which it almost is considering how much bigger it has grown). The bottom line is that you get a heck of a lot of goodies in a Hyundai for a little amount of money. you can keep your Mazdas, Hondas, and Furds (sic). The South Korean King of compacts is the 2016 Hyundai Elantra. Best car I've ever owned.