2007 Hyundai Entourage Review

Specifications

After spending a week living life with the new Entourage, I’m starting tochange my attitude towards minivans, and for that matter, towards the Hyundai brand in general. I used to own a minivan (a 1994 Plymouth Voyager), and it got our family of four to Florida and back for several vacations. It went through the wear and tear of small children and harsh winters, and we ended up shipping it across the country when we moved. About a year later, with over 125,000 miles on the odometer, it finally died. We paid it homage by donating its body to science – well, we donated it to the firefighters, so they could practice auto extrication. That minivan served us well, but I wasn’t too sad to see it go. I was ready for a change, ready to grow up a bit into a different mode of transportation. Now, four years later, I find that the minivans of today are much more luxurious, with even more functionality and convenient features. Although my minivan era has come to an end, I still appreciate why these vehicles are perfectly suited to the modern family. The minivan’s appeal is in the unique combination of comfort, cargo and passenger capacity, safety and convenience, with relatively good fuel consumption.

Hyundai has really ramped up the quality of its vehicles in recent years and is now an impressive force to be reckoned with. I was ambivalent about the brand, but I now believe that the South Koreans are onto something. The Entourage is a great example of a well-appointed minivan, with all the bells and whistles; it boasts a five-year bumper-to-bumper warranty and still manages to price out well below the competition. There is good value here.

Model year 2007 marked the Entourage’s entry into the market. The timing couldn’t be better, as GM is unofficially in the process of eliminating its lineup of minivans and Ford has already killed off its Freestar. This gives the new kid on the block more than a fighting chance to establish itself. I think the Entourage will give its competitors a good run for their money.

With a 250-hp 3.8-liter V6 engine providing 253 lb-ft of torque down low in the rev range, the Entourage has more power than a minivan deserves. From standstill the acceleration is strong and brisk. Once you’re moving, and especially on steep inclines, the five-speed automatic transmission hesitates a bit before downshifting for extra power. The Shiftronic feature, which allows you to shift through the gears in manual mode, is no more responsive, and I have to wonder why this is even a feature at all on a minivan. I used it a couple of times, but found it to be virtually the same as automatic mode. During the week that I drove the Entourage on a mix of city and highway roads, with the majority of time on the former, the fuel consumption averaged 19 mpg, which is better than advertised – Gotta love that!

The ride quality in the Entourage is quite comfortable, even in the back row.It handles small bumps with ease. There is a tendency to bounce more over large speed bumps, but we only encountered those on the route to school in the traffic-calmed zones. Actually, one of the recurring comments I heard from the kids I drove around all week was how comfortable and roomy the Entourage was. Many of them come from minivan families, so I took their praise to heart as valid consumer feedback.

For a sizeable vehicle, the Entourage is easy to maneuver. Visibility is good, unless you’ve got adults in the third row. The steering is nicely weighted and rpm sensing. I didn’t feel much of a difference, though, in the various ranges. As with all minivans the Entourage is subject to body lean when cornering, although I found that with the substantial wheels and tires (17-inch on SE and Limited models) it gripped the road nicely. All models, including the base GLS, come with standard traction control and electronicstability control – a worthwhile and welcome safety feature.

The Entourage hummed along quietly on the highway, with little wind or engine noise. There was, however, a rattle coming from the back occasionally. I never did figure out exactly what was causing this, but it seemed more noticeable when the third row seats were in their upright position.

Find me a minivan that’s on the cutting edge of style, and I’ll retract my next comment. From the outside they all look the same, and therefore I’d be hard pressed to distinguish one from another in a lineup. Having said this, Hyundai packs a lot of “stuff” into its top-end models. I tested the Limited version with leather, and let me tell you there were “gizmos and gadgets a plenty!” I’m not a gadget person, but I can see how someone who is would be thrilled at what the top of the line Entourage has to offer. What I really liked was the simple and smart placement of the driver seat controls, just forward on the door in the shape of a seat, so you can easily make adjustments without fumbling down low. The model I tested was equipped with an audio system comprised of an AM/FM radio/cassette/CD/MP3 player and six speakers with steering wheel controls. Automatic climate control is standard on midrange SE and top-line Limited models and second row manually controlled HVAC is standard on all models. The backup sensor is, however, optional on SE and Limited models. The kids loved the DVD player with wireless headphones, and I’m glad this was left as an option on SE and Limited models. I’d prefer to purchase a portable DVD player that can go in and out of the car – a convenient and less costly alternative. A handy tray with four cupholders sits between the driver and passenger seats, which can be folded down when not in use.

Hyundai has done a great job in configuring passenger seating and cargo space. There is room for seven, plus a couple of deep wells behind the third row seats for duffel bags or banker size boxes. Two very comfortable captain chairs with plenty of legroom occupy the second row. The third row seats are split 60/40 and there is room for three small adults or more appropriately, three children. When not in use, the third row seats fold easily into the cargo hold. The captain chairs fold down, or they can be completely removed, but at 60 pounds apiece getting them out can be awkward at best.

The SE and Limited models come with standard automatic sliding doors while the latter adds a power tailgate, which I find to be one ofthe most convenient features of all. It’s great to be able to press a button to access the cargo hold when your arms are full. This feature was especially handy when I drove my daughter around the neighborhood to deliver newspapers.

An added bonus on Hyundai’s minivan is that all three rows have power windows, so even the folks at the back of the bus can enjoy fresh air.

In sizing up this newcomer against the market veterans, it all boils down to value. It’s not that the Entourage offers more, but rather that it offers an equally outfitted vehicle at a price that beats any of its rivals – compare the fully loaded Hyundai to a Chrysler Town and Country, and you’ll see what I mean. If you’re looking for a comfortable family hauler with much better fuel economy than an SUV, you need to take an Entourage for a spin. Yes, it’s impressive … even for a minivan!