Royston Hyundai

Hyundai Elantra
Sticker price: $15,550 (GLS, manual)
Invoice price: $15,146
Fair purchase price: $15,550
Five-year service cost: $3,907
One-year insurance cost: $1,153
Resale value after 3 years: NA; 5 years: NA
MPG: 29 city, 40 highway

Compact no longer equals econobox. Elantra is built with midsize interior space, heated mirrors, and available Bluetooth, rearview camera and heated seats-in both rows. It boasts more power and better fuel efficiency (40 mpg on the highway) than Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla.

Hyundai Sonata
Sticker price: $24,865 (SE 2.0T)
Invoice price: $23,545
Fair purchase price: NA
Five-year service cost: $4,605
One-year insurance cost: $1,297
Resale value after 3 years: 49 percent; 5 years: 32 percent
MPG: 22 city, 37 highway

No longer content to be a faceless member of the midsize class, the new Sonata dons sculpted lines and an aggressive stance more apropos of luxury models. Nixing a six-cylinder engine from the lineup, Hyundai added a speedy turbocharged four cylinder and a hybrid for 2011.