2007 Hyundai Entourage Review

PROS
Limousine-like ride, Plenty of passenger and cargo space

CONS Growling engine, Tardy-shifting transmission

Rookie of the year? South Korean automaker Hyundai introduced its first-ever minivan in 2006. Called Entourage, it has room for seven passengers and a third-row seat that folds flat into the floor. The Entourage shares its engine and chassis with the Kia Sedona.

The sole powertrain consists of a 242-horsepower 3.8-liter V6 mated to a 5-speed automatic transmission with manual shift gate. Three trim levels are offered: GLS, SE, and Limited. All have front-wheel drive, removable second-row bucket seats that slide fore and aft, and a 60/40 third-row bench.

Get up and Go
Entourage has all the power any minivan owner should ever need. The 3.8-liter is one of the largest and most powerful engine in the class. Hyundai claims Entourage will accelerate from 0-60 mph in 8.5 seconds and that's better than most minivans. The V8 has plenty of low-end power, making the engine feel more energetic than the smaller engines in the Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna.

While the engine has plenty of power, it isn't always smooth. In hard acceleration, it growls like a sports-car motor and lacks the smoothness of smaller V6 engines. In addition, the transmission seems too slow to downshift and upshift, making the engine work harder than is has too.

At 70 mph, the engine loafs along at just 2000 rpm. That probably explains the excellent EPA highway rating of 25 mpg. In one highway trip over 250 miles, test SE averaged 22.6 mpg. Around town, fuel economy dropped under 20 mpg, returning 19.5. That's still respectable by minivan standards. Sadly, Hyundai recommends premium-grade fuel for the V6, which results in annual fuel costs that are 10% higher when compared to a vehicle that runs fine on regular-grade fuel.

On the Road
Hyundai clearly designed the new Entourage to be a smooth riding minivan. Regardless of the road surface, Entourage offers a fine blend of ride comfort and bump absorption. In addition, there's little bob and float on the highway or on wavy roads. Yes, sharp bumps sometimes pound through, but, for the most part, it's hard to fault the new Hyundai's ride.

Handling is on par with most other minivans. That is to say, there is copious body lean in fast turns and limited roadholding from the comfort-tuned tires. Still, Entourage is easy enough to maneuver in parking lots, stable on the highway, and surefooted in the rain.

The steering has a nice heft--unusual for a minivan--and good on-center feel on the highway. On the minus side, there's little feedback, and, in quick left-right turns, feels a little slow. Brakes have impressive stopping power, and the standard traction and stability control are welcome and appreciated features.

Front-seat passengers are treated to fair amount of wind noise from the mirrors at highway speed, but, unlike some competitors, there's little wind and tire noise in second- and third-row seats.

Hyundai claims Entourage's body structure is best-in-class, but this test model had more than its fair share of squeaks, rattles, and suspension creaks. In addition, unoccupied third-row seats rattled over bumps. Hyundai claims these problems were indicative of the pre-production models used for media evaluation and will be corrected in production models.

Behind the Wheel Most minivan owners favor interior comfort and features over exterior styling and handling/roadholding. It's clear Hyundai learned from other automakers mistakes and paid close attention to owner's wants and desires when designing the interior of the Entourage.

Front seats are long-haul comfortable and have great head room. Front-seat leg room is only adequate, but the upright seating position offers great visibility, and the low ride height makes it easy to get in and out of the front seats. It's also easy to walk front to rear because of a folding tray between the seats and a dash-mounted shifter.

Unlike some competitors that claim adult-sized room in second- and third-row seats, the Entourage delivers. The second-row buckets are very comfortable and have ample head and leg room even when the front seats are pushed all the way back. In addition, second-row seats are adjustable fore and aft. Third-row seats aren't as comfortable as second-row seats, but still have adult-size head and leg room. 

Entourage's dashboard is about as user-friendly as they come. Gauges are large and well marked, audio and climate controls are simple and mounted high in the center of the dashboard, and window, lock, mirror switches are conveniently and logically placed on the driver's armrest. A nice touch is standard three-zone climate control.

The optional rear-seat entertainment system is easy to operate and comes with a slim remote and two wireless headphones. The screen could be a bit larger, but when deployed it doesn't block the rear-view mirror as badly as some other systems.

Hyundai makes the most of the Entourage's 202.0-inch length and offers a generously deep well behind the third-row seats. Second-row seats can be removed, but weigh 60 pounds each and are somewhat awkward. Chrysler's Stow 'n Go second-row seats offer more versatility and additional cargo space.

Speaking of storage, Entourage's interior has lots of nooks and cubbies, highlighted by 12 cupholders, two gloveboxes, and generous map pockets. Interior materials are in line with other minivans and seem sturdy.

Bottom Line Hyundai's new Entourage clearly equals minivan mainstays like the Dodge Caravan, Honda Odyssey, and Toyota Sienna in features and comfort. It beats these rivals on standard safety features, price, and warranty.

Yes, it trails the polished Sienna and Odyssey in refinement and overall road manners and it doesn't have the ultimate stow 'n go seating configuration of the Dodge Caravan. Yet, it's hard to imagine any serious minivan shopper that wouldn't at least consider Entourage--or its sister vehicle the Kia Sedona. Entourage is priced right and has the features minivan owners expect.