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Assembled In: South Korea. Model Line Up: Hyundai Entourage GLS ($23,995); Limited ($29,895). Model Tested: Hyundai Entourage Limited ($29,895). Options Tested: Ultimate Package ($2,900) includes rear-seat DVD entertainment system; tilt/slide glass sunroof; power front passenger seat; power adjustable pedals; integrated memory system; auto-dimming rearview mirror with HomeLink. Minivans have gotten a bad rap. They make so much sense yet are perpetually out of fashion. Granted, they aren't pretty, and certainly aren't macho. But they pack more people in comfort and safety into a shorter, handier length than any other kind of vehicle. That's why so many people buy them. But even more people should buy them. They are a common-sense kind of choice. And the Hyundai Entourage is a common-sense kind of minivan. Even its name suggests its function: Entourage is French for ''all the people and things that seem to follow me around.'' That's a concept American parents can understand. The Entourage has just enough room for six in pleasant yet functional surroundings. (Seven is a squeeze.) It has a five-speed automatic transmission to help get the best fuel economy and performance out of its V6 engine. Its ride is comfortable, and yet the Entourage has no barge-like tendencies when it comes to handling. Most sensible of all, the Entourage offers the same kind of safety equipment you'll find on the Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna. Established life-savers that come standard on the Entourage include electronic stability control (to control skids), and anti-lock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution and brake assist. Side-impact air bags inflate from the front seats for torso protection, and air curtains cover the side windows for vital head protection in a rollover or side-impact crash. Front-seat active head restraints move forward in a rear-end crash to minimize whiplash injuries. In fact, with a five-star crash test rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and a Top Safety Pick rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Entourage has the best crash-safety ratings any minivan has yet earned. And yet Hyundai says the Entourage is the lowest priced minivan you can buy with power sliding doors and a backup warning sensor. Changes are few for 2008. Last year's mid-level SE has been dropped in favor of more generous option packages for the base-level GLS; while this year's Limited comes with more standard features and fewer options. When we added up the numbers ourselves, we found that a Limited with all the goodies lists for $200 less this year than last year. One more common-sense feature is Hyundai's long warranty. The bumper-to-bumper coverage is five years or 60,000 miles, while the powertrain is covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. That's more than either Honda or Toyota; although those Japanese automakers have a superior track record when it comes to reliability. But attractive features, performance and pricing make the Entourage worth a serious look. The 2008 Hyundai Entourage comes in two trim levels: GLS ($23,995); and Limited ($29,895). Both are powered by a 250-horsepower, 3.8-liter V6 engine driving the front wheels through a five-speed automatic transmission. Standard on GLS are three-zone manual air conditioning; power windows, door locks and remote keyless entry; cloth seats; tilt steering; cruise control; 172-watt AM/FM/CD audio with six speakers; front wiper de-icer; dual vanity mirrors; roof-rack side rails; hide-away third-row seat; and 16-inch steel wheels with full covers. The new Popular Equipment Package ($1,500) adds dual power sliding doors, power rear quarter glass, power driver seat, back-up warning sensors, and steering wheel audio controls. The also-new GLS Premium Package ($4,850) includes the Popular Equipment Package; plus a rear-seat DVD entertainment system with an eight-inch LCD monitor; a 660-watt Infinity audio system with CD/MP3 changer, Logic 7 surround sound, and 13 speakers; dual-zone automatic climate control; leather steering wheel and shift knob; heated side mirrors; compass; trip computer; automatic headlights; dual illuminated vanity mirrors; tinted glass; fog lights; and 17-inch alloy wheels. The Limited model comes leather seats, heated front seats, a power tailgate, premium scuff plates, and all of the content of the GLS Popular Equipment and Premium Packages except the rear-seat entertainment system. The Ultimate Package ($2,900) for the Limited model adds the rear-seat entertainment system; plus tilt/slide glass sunroof; power front passenger seat; power adjustable foot pedals; integrated memory system for the driver's seat, outside mirrors, and foot pedals; and an auto-dimming rearview mirror with HomeLink. There are no other factory options, but Hyundai offers a short list of port-installed accessories for both GLS and Limited, including a Bluetooth phone system ($325), cargo organizer ($200) roof-rack cross-rails ($195), a cargo net, floor mats, mudguards, and other detail items. Safety features that come standard on all models include anti-lock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution and brake assist; electronic stability control; a tire-pressure monitor; curtain air bags; seat-mounted side-impact airbags; and active head restraints for front seats. The curtain airbags cover all the side windows in a side-impact crash to offer head protection and to keep heads and arms inside the vehicle in a rollover. Most important, it comes with good seat belts, so be sure and wear them. All-new for 2007, the Hyundai Entourage is the first minivan to wear the Hyundai badge; but it is not the first minivan from the Hyundai Business Group. Kia, a Hyundai subsidiary since 1998, has sold the Sedona minivan here in the U.S. since 2002. Sedona was completely redesigned for 2006; and the Hyundai Entourage shares its structure with the Sedona. The Hyundai Entourage is more deluxe than the Kia Sedona. Pricing of the standard-wheelbase Sedona LX and EX is lower than for the Entourage GLS and Limited, respectively; and the Kia vans serve up correspondingly less standard equipment. (The Sedona offers an entry-level, short-wheelbase model that the Entourage does not.) But it's worth pricing and comparing them with the equipment you want before signing on the dotted line for either. The Entourage and Sedona are very close in appearance. Both are crisp and contemporary, perhaps a little more interesting than the Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna, but certainly not as unusual as the Nissan Quest. The defining character line of the Entourage and Sedona is a bevel just below the window glass that winds forward to become the top surface of the front fenders, just before opening up to accommodate the interestingly complex front light clusters. Below this bevel, sheer, slab-like sides turn in only slightly at the bottom; above it, the greenhouse, cowl, engine hood, and front grille opening all unite in an integrated sweep. Blacked-out window frames visually unify the side windows into a single oblong that tapers toward the rear, cooperating with that bevel line (again) to gently suggest a wedge profile. The theme is purer on the Hyundai Entourage, where the hood and grille opening stand up and out more distinctly from the fenders than they do on the Kia Sedona. We are less sure that we prefer the Hyundai's bold chrome grille bar, topped by an oversized circle-H badge that vaguely suggests a plated pig's snout, or the broad, blacked-out opening in the Hyundai's lower bumper, over the Kia's more intricately crafted body-color upper grille and three-part lower bumper opening. On the other hand, the Hyundai's seven-spoke alloy wheels somehow look a lot more than one spoke richer than the Kia's six-spokers. Out back form clearly follows function, with a pleasant arrangement of blocky shapes, including large, rectangular taillights. Kia locates its turn signal and reverse-light cluster about midway up the dominant red lenses; Hyundai pushes the contrasting-color patch closer to the bottom, visually lowering the whole assembly. There's more detail in the Hyundai's tailgate handle and bumper, which may be a good thing or not. There's nothing mini about today's minivans. The Entourage rides on a wheelbase of 118.9 inches, about the same as a '65 Chevy Impala. Minivans are the full-size suburban sedans of the new century. The Entourage is Hyundai's first minivan, and a remarkable vehicle with good safety equipment and good crash protection at a competitive price. Short-term studies have shown Hyundai's quality has improved considerably, but the unknown is its long-term durability. Meanwhile, Honda and Toyota are known quantities. For consumers the issue is whether all the Entourage's attractions offset that unknown factor. Chris Jensen test drove the Entourage in New York. John F. Katz provided styling commentary from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
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