Driving in Colorado, whether it’s in high elevation cities or into the Rocky Mountains, is best accomplished in sport utility vehicles with big engines, all-wheel drive and overall ruggedness. But how do other vehicles succeed on similar rugged journeys?

A 2025 Hyundai Elantra, in its Hybrid Limited trim, fared well in a recent week’s journey through multiple high-altitude urban areas and into two of Colorado’s better-known mountainous attractions, Garden of the Gods and Rocky Mountain National Park.

The Elantra’s success was based on reasonable expectations. The four-door sedan is Hyundai’s smallest vehicle with a hybrid powertrain. It advanced in sunny skies and temperatures in the mid-70s and endured rain, light snow and temperatures in the mid-30s.

One of three hybrid trims, the Lim

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