Compare the2023 Hyundai Elantra HybridVS 2021 Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid

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 Clarity Plug-In Hybrid 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 Clarity Plug-In Hybrid 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 Clarity Plug-In Hybrid 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 Clarity Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Elantra Hybrid and the Clarity Plug-In Hybrid 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.

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 Hybrid the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2022, a rating granted to only 141 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Clarity Plug-In Hybrid has not been tested, yet.

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 Clarity Plug-In Hybrid’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 Clarity Plug-In Hybrid. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Clarity Plug-In Hybrid ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The Elantra Hybrid’s corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the Clarity Plug-In Hybrid’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 Clarity Plug-In Hybrid.

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.

On the EPA test cycle the Elantra Hybrid gets better mileage than the Clarity Plug-In Hybrid running its gasoline engine:

The Elantra Hybrid has 4 gallons more fuel capacity than the Clarity Plug-In Hybrid (11 vs. 7 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Elantra Hybrid stops much shorter than the Clarity Plug-In Hybrid:

The Elantra Hybrid 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 Clarity Plug-In Hybrid; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

The Elantra Hybrid has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Clarity Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

The Elantra Hybrid Limited Sedan handles at .85 G’s, while the Clarity Plug-In Hybrid Touring pulls only .78 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Elantra Hybrid Limited Sedan executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Clarity Plug-In Hybrid Touring (27.5 seconds @ .62 average G’s vs. 27.9 seconds @ .61 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Elantra Hybrid’s turning circle is 3 feet tighter than the Clarity Plug-In Hybrid’s (35.4 feet vs. 38.4 feet).

The Hyundai Elantra Hybrid may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 1000 to 1100 pounds less than the Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid.

The Elantra Hybrid is 8.6 inches shorter than the Clarity Plug-In Hybrid, making the Elantra Hybrid easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Elantra Hybrid has 1.5 inches more front headroom, .1 inches more front legroom, .2 inches more rear headroom and 1.8 inches more rear legroom than the Clarity Plug-In Hybrid.

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 Clarity Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its trunk, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

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 Clarity Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The power windows standard on both the Elantra Hybrid and the Clarity Plug-In Hybrid 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 Clarity Plug-In Hybrid prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

While driving with high beams on, sensitive light sensors standard on the Elantra Hybrid detect other vehicles which could be blinded and automatically switch to low beams. The Clarity Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer automatic dimming high beams.

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 Clarity Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

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

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Hyundai Elantra Hybrid and the Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Hyundai Elantra outsold the Honda Clarity by almost 34 to one during the 2021 model year.