 My wife and I bought an 04 Elanra VE as our first car. We've had it 6 months so far and other then the radio's clock being fast, we've had no problems.  The exterior looks of this car are great; we love the front end especially. The warranty (in Canada it's 7 year powertrain/5 year new car) was one of the main factors for purchasing this car. Fuel economy is not great, it's OK, but I find my '95 Saturn gets more fuel range, but I drive it more on the highway so it is hard to compare. The VE comes with air, power locks, windows, mirrors (heated), keyless entry. The handling has a good combination of smoothness over bumps and stiffness when cornering. The engine is powerful enough for our needs.