Compare the2022 Hyundai Elantra NVS 2022 Audi S3

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 are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The S3 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Elantra N Auto has standard Reverse Parking Collision Avoidance Assist that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The S3 doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The Elantra N 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 S3’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Elantra N 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. Rear cross-path warning costs extra on the S3.

The Elantra N’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 S3 doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Elantra N and the S3 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, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems and rearview cameras.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its available headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Elantra N the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2022, a rating granted to only 139 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The S3 has not been tested, yet.

The Elantra N comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire car and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The S3’s 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

Hyundai’s powertrain warranty covers the Elantra N 6 years and 50,000 miles longer than Audi covers the S3. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the S3 ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

Hyundai pays for scheduled maintenance on the Elantra N for 3 years and 36,000 miles. Hyundai will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Audi only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the S3.

There are almost 3 times as many Hyundai dealers as there are Audi dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Elantra N’s warranty.

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 Audi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai above average in initial quality. With 91 more problems per 100 vehicles, Audi is rated below average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than Audi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai third in reliability, above the industry average. With 84 more problems per 100 vehicles, Audi is ranked 25th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than Audi vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Hyundai 8 places higher in reliability than Audi.

An eight-speed automatic (SMG) is optional on the Hyundai Elantra N, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a seven-speed automatic is available for the S3.

For better traction, the Elantra N has larger tires than the S3 (245/35R19 vs. 225/40R18). The Elantra N’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the S3 (245/35R19 vs. 235/35R19).

The Elantra N’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 35 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the S3’s standard 40 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Elantra N has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the S3.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Elantra N’s wheelbase is 3.5 inches longer than on the S3 (107.1 inches vs. 103.6 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Elantra N is 1.6 inches wider in the front and 2.4 inches wider in the rear than on the S3.

The Hyundai Elantra N may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 250 to 350 pounds less than the Audi S3.

To minimize engine movement during hard acceleration and transmission shifts, the Elantra N has solid engine mounts. The S3 uses conventional rubber.

Because it has more passenger and cargo room, the EPA rates the Elantra N a Mid-size car, while the S3 is rated a Subcompact.

The Elantra N has 13.4 cubic feet more passenger volume than the S3 (99.4 vs. 86).

The Elantra N has 3.1 inches more front headroom, 1.1 inches more front legroom, 1.7 inches more front shoulder room, .7 inches more rear headroom, 2.8 inches more rear legroom and 2.6 inches more rear shoulder room than the S3.

The Elantra N has a much larger trunk than the S3 (14.2 vs. 8.3 cubic feet).

The Elantra N 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 can be unhitched and driven around locally. The S3 can’t be towed flat on the ground.

The Elantra N Auto has a standard remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The S3 doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

The Elantra N’s sun-visors swivel front-to-side to block glare from the side windows. The S3’s visors are fixed into the windshield header.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Hyundai Elantra N has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Only the S3 Premium Plus/Prestige offers wireless charging.

The Hyundai Elantra outsold the Audi A3/S3/RS 3 by over 29 to one during the 2021 model year.