Compare the2023 Hyundai Elantra HybridVS 2021 Honda Civic

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Suspension and Handling
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 Hybrid are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Civic doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

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

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Elantra Hybrid’s standard rear 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 doesn’t offer a cross-path warning system.

The Elantra Hybrid’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 doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Elantra Hybrid and the Civic have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, 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, rearview cameras and available rear parking sensors.

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

	Elantra Hybrid	Civic
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	142	201
Neck Compression	51 lbs.	53 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	66/48 lbs.	192/350 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 Hybrid is safer than the Honda Civic:

	Elantra Hybrid	Civic
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	83	204
Abdominal Force	239 lbs.	252 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	345	404
Hip Force	355 lbs.	356 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	11 inches	12 inches
HIC	184	260

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

Warranty

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

Hyundai’s powertrain warranty covers the Elantra Hybrid 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Honda covers the Civic. 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 ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The Elantra Hybrid’s corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the Civic’s (7 vs. 5 years).

Hyundai pays for scheduled maintenance on the Elantra Hybrid 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.

Reliability

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 Honda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai third in reliability, above the industry average. With 82 more problems per 100 vehicles, Honda is ranked 24th.

Engine

The Elantra Hybrid’s 1.6 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 57 lbs.-ft. more torque (195 vs. 138) than the Civic Sedan’s standard 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder. The Elantra Hybrid’s 1.6 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 33 lbs.-ft. more torque (195 vs. 162) than the Civic’s optional 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder. The Elantra Hybrid’s 1.6 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 18 lbs.-ft. more torque (195 vs. 177) than the Civic Hatchback Sport/Sport Touring’s standard 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Elantra Hybrid gets better mileage than the Civic Sedan:

			MPG
Elantra Hybrid
	Auto	Blue 1.6 4-cyl. Hybrid	53 city/56 hwy
		Limited 1.6 4-cyl. Hybrid	49 city/52 hwy
Civic Sedan
	Auto	1.5 turbo 4-cyl. (174 HP)	32 city/42 hwy
		2.0 4-cyl.	30 city/38 hwy
		Touring 1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	30 city/38 hwy
		Sport 2.0 4-cyl.	29 city/37 hwy

On the EPA test cycle the Elantra Hybrid gets better mileage than the Civic Hatchback:

			MPG
Elantra Hybrid
	Auto	Blue 1.6 4-cyl. Hybrid	53 city/56 hwy
		Limited 1.6 4-cyl. Hybrid	49 city/52 hwy
Civic Hatchback
	Manual	1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	29 city/37 hwy
	Auto	1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	31 city/40 hwy
		1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	29 city/35 hwy
		Touring 1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	30 city/38 hwy
		Sport 2.0 4-cyl.	29 city/37 hwy

Regenerative brakes improve the Elantra Hybrid’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Civic doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Elantra Hybrid’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. The Civic doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Hyundai Elantra Hybrid uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Civic Hatchback Sport/Sport Touring requires premium for maximum efficiency, 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 Hybrid higher (7 out of 10) than the Honda Civic (3 to 7). This means the Elantra Hybrid produces up to 24.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Civic every 15,000 miles.

Transmission

The Elantra Hybrid offers a standard sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is more internally efficient than a CVT but just as easy to drive. The Civic doesn’t offer an SMG.

Brakes and Stopping

The Elantra Hybrid stops shorter than the Civic:

	Elantra Hybrid	Civic
60 to 0 MPH	120 feet	127 feet	Motor Trend

Suspension and Handling

The Elantra Hybrid has standard rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Civic’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

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

The Elantra Hybrid Limited Sedan handles at .85 G’s, while the Civic Sport Sedan pulls only .82 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

Passenger Space

The Elantra Hybrid has 1.6 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Civic Sedan (99.4 vs. 97.8).

The Elantra Hybrid Sedan has 1.3 inches more front headroom, .2 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 Sedan.

Cargo Capacity

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

Ergonomics

When different drivers share the Elantra Hybrid Limited, the memory seats and mirrors make it convenient. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position and outside mirror angle. The Civic doesn’t offer a memory system.

The Elantra Hybrid Limited’s standard easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Civic doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

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

The Elantra Hybrid’s variable intermittent wipers have an adjustable delay to allow the driver to choose a setting that best clears the windshield during light rain or mist. The Civic LX/Sport’s standard fixed intermittent wipers only have one fixed delay setting, so the driver will have to manually switch them between slow and intermittent.

The Elantra Hybrid’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Honda only offers heated mirrors on the Civic EX/EX-L/Touring.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the Elantra Hybrid Limited keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in summer. The Civic doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The Elantra Hybrid 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 Civic EX/EX-L/Touring.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Hyundai Elantra Hybrid and the Honda Civic, based on reliability, safety and performance.