Compare the2022 Hyundai Elantra N LineVS 2020 Honda Civic Si

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 Civic Si doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Elantra N Line’s standard cross-path warning system uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. The Civic Si doesn’t offer a cross-path warning system.

The Elantra N Line’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Civic Si doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Elantra N Line and the Civic Si have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems and rearview cameras.

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 Civic Si’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 Honda covers the Civic Si. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Civic Si ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The Elantra N Line’s corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the Civic Si’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. Honda doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Civic Si.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2020 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are better in initial quality than Honda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai 10th in initial quality, above the industry average. With 24 more problems per 100 vehicles, Honda is ranked 19th, 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 Honda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai 7th in reliability, above the industry average. With 44 more problems per 100 vehicles, Honda is ranked 27th.

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

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 Honda Civic Si (3). This means the Elantra N Line produces up to 16.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Civic Si every 15,000 miles.

The Elantra N Line offers an optional automatic transmission, for driver comfort, especially in the city. The Civic Si doesn’t offer an automatic 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 Civic Si doesn’t offer an SMG.

The Elantra N Line has a standard space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the Civic Si; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Elantra N Line is 1.2 inches wider in the front and 1 inch wider in the rear than on the Civic Si.

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

The Elantra N Line has 4.4 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Civic Si Sedan (99.4 vs. 95).

The Elantra N Line has 3.1 inches more front headroom, .5 inches more rear headroom, .6 inches more rear legroom, 3.2 inches more rear hip room and .6 inches more rear shoulder room than the Civic Si Sedan.

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

The Elantra N Line can be flat towed on all four wheels (dinghy towed), allowing recreational vehicle owners to bring it with them on the road. When they reach their destination, the Elantra N Line can be unhitched and driven around locally. The Civic Si can’t be towed flat on the ground.

The power windows standard on both the Elantra N Line and the Civic Si 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 Civic Si prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

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 Civic Si doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.