Compare the2022 Hyundai Elantra N LineVS 2021 Subaru WRX

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Transmission
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Elantra N Line are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The WRX doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Elantra N Line has a standard blind spot warning system which uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them and moves the vehicle back into its lane. A system to reveal vehicles in the WRX’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Elantra N Line has a standard rear cross-path warning system, which uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. Only the WRX Limited offers a rear cross-path warning system and it costs extra.

Both the Elantra N Line and the WRX have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights and rearview cameras.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Hyundai Elantra N Line is safer than the Subaru WRX:

	Elantra N Line	WRX
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	142	308
Neck Injury Risk	21%	27.6%
Neck Stress	268 lbs.	313 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	66/48 lbs.	268/589 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Hyundai Elantra N Line is safer than the Subaru WRX:

	Elantra N Line	WRX
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	83	118
Hip Force	327 lbs.	443 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	355 lbs.	486 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	11 inches	14 inches
HIC	184	292
Spine Acceleration	40 G’s	44 G’s

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Warranty

The Elantra N Line comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire car and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The WRX’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

Hyundai’s powertrain warranty covers the Elantra N Line 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Subaru covers the WRX. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the WRX ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The Elantra N Line’s corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the WRX’s (7 vs. 5 years).

Hyundai pays for scheduled maintenance on the Elantra N Line for 3 years and 36,000 miles. Hyundai will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Subaru doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the WRX.

There are over 30 percent more Hyundai dealers than there are Subaru dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Elantra N Line’s warranty.

Reliability

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the Elantra N Line’s engine. A rubber cam drive belt that needs periodic replacement drives the WRX’s camshafts. If the WRX’s belt breaks, the engine could be severely damaged when the pistons hit the opened valves.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are better in initial quality than Subaru vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai 8th in initial quality, above the industry average. With 33 more problems per 100 vehicles, Subaru is ranked 24th, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than Subaru vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai 7th in reliability, above the industry average. With 24 more problems per 100 vehicles, Subaru is ranked 17th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than Subaru vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Hyundai 2 places higher in reliability than Subaru.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Elantra N Line gets better mileage than the WRX:

			MPG
Elantra N Line
FWD	Manual	1.6 turbo 4-cyl.	25 city/34 hwy
	Auto	1.6 turbo 4-cyl.	28 city/36 hwy
WRX
AWD	Manual	2.0 turbo flat-4	20 city/27 hwy
		2.5 turbo flat-4	16 city/22 hwy
AWD	Auto	2.0 turbo flat-4	18 city/24 hwy

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Hyundai Elantra N Line uses regular unleaded gasoline. The WRX requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Hyundai Elantra N Line higher (5 out of 10) than the Subaru WRX (1). This means the Elantra N Line produces up to 39 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the WRX every 15,000 miles.

Transmission

The Elantra N Line offers an optional sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The WRX doesn’t offer an SMG.

Tires and Wheels

The Elantra N Line’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the WRX’s standard 45 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Elantra N Line has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the WRX.

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Elantra N Line’s wheelbase is 2.8 inches longer than on the WRX (107.1 inches vs. 104.3 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Elantra N Line is 1.5 inches wider in the front and 1.6 inches wider in the rear than on the WRX.

Chassis

The Hyundai Elantra N Line may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 350 to 500 pounds less than the Subaru WRX.

Passenger Space

Because it has more passenger and cargo room, the EPA rates the Elantra N Line a Mid-size car, while the WRX is rated a Compact.

The Elantra N Line has 2.8 cubic feet more passenger volume than the WRX (99.4 vs. 96.6).

The Elantra N Line has .8 inches more front headroom, 1.3 inches more front hip room, .9 inches more front shoulder room, .2 inches more rear headroom, 2.6 inches more rear legroom and 1.4 inches more rear shoulder room than the WRX.

Cargo Capacity

The Elantra N Line has a much larger trunk than the WRX (14.2 vs. 12 cubic feet).

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, just waiting momentarily behind the back bumper can open the Elantra N Line’s trunk, leaving your hands completely free. The WRX doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its trunk, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

Ergonomics

The power windows standard on both the Elantra N Line and the WRX have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Elantra N Line is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The WRX prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The Elantra N Line has a standard automatic headlight on/off feature. When the ignition is on, the headlights automatically turn on at dusk and off after dawn. The WRX has an automatic headlight on/off feature standard only on the Premium/STI/Limited.

The Elantra N Line has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning is only available on the WRX STI.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Hyundai Elantra N Line has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The WRX doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Recommendations

The Hyundai Elantra outsold the Subaru WRX by over five to one during the 2021 model year.