(June 13, 2011) CHICAGO (PRNewswire) — Cars.com, an online resource for new and used car buyers, announced today that the 2011 Hyundai Elantra is the winner of its "Best Value: Price to Pump" award as the winner of its Under 20/Over 35 Shootout.

The site's editors evaluated five compact cars that seat five, get better than 35 miles per gallon and have a price tag under $20,000. The Elantra came out on top for its exterior and interior design as well as its smooth ride.

"With unrelenting gas prices and continued economic uncertainty, our shootout couldn't be timelier in terms of what car shoppers are looking for," said Patrick Olsen, Cars.com editor-in-chief. "In fact, four of the five models that competed have been among dealer's best sellers in April and May. 

"Based on our results, every car shopper looking in this segment needs to put the 2011 Hyundai Elantra at the top of their consideration set. Not only does this car get 40 mpg on the highway, the Elantra also has refined styling, solid handling, a comfortable interior and incredible affordability for all the features that buyers will get."

To determine the winner of the shootout, experts from Cars.com and USA Today and a Chicago-area family put the contenders through a variety of tests over a series of three days.  tests included a day-long drive to determine accurate real-world mileage, back-to-back driving by all judges on the same course to determine handling and comfort and a side-by-side comparison of the cars' features and styling. 

"These shootouts are really about determining the best car in a segment," Olsen said. "Because of that, we always include a full day of testing by shoppers who evaluate the cars' features, comfort, handling and styling.  This helps us to determine what really matters to drivers in a car and that feedback contributes to the crowning of our winner."

Cars.com's 'Best Value: Price to Pump' rankings:

    Hyundai Elantra ($17,760)
    Chevrolet Cruze ($19,445)
    Honda Civic ($18,655)
    Kia Forte ($18,345)
    Ford Focus ($19,750)