Compare the2023 Hyundai ElantraVS 2023 Volkswagen Jetta

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
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 are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Jetta doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Elantra 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 Jetta doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The Elantra’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the Jetta.

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

Both the Elantra and the Jetta 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, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning 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 is safer than the Volkswagen Jetta:

	Elantra	Jetta
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	142	247
Neck Injury Risk	21%	31.7%
Neck Stress	268 lbs.	354 lbs.
Neck Compression	51 lbs.	58 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	66/48 lbs.	46/106 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	314	315
Chest Compression	.6 inches	.7 inches
Neck Compression	6 lbs.	141 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	135/61 lbs.	308/63 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 is safer than the Volkswagen Jetta:

	Elantra	Jetta
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	83	101
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	355 lbs.	554 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	11 inches	13 inches
HIC	184	239

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

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 the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2022, a rating granted to only 175 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Jetta does not qualify as a “Top Safety Pick.”

Warranty

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

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

The Elantra’s 7 year corrosion warranty has no mileage limitations, but the corrosion warranty on the Jetta runs out after 100,000 miles.

Hyundai pays for scheduled maintenance on the Elantra for 1 year and 16000 miles longer than Volkswagen pays for maintenance for the Jetta (3/36,000 vs. 2/20,000).

There are over 29 percent more Hyundai dealers than there are Volkswagen dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Elantra’s warranty.

Reliability

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

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Elantra has a standard 760-amp battery. The Jetta’s standard 480-amp battery and largest (optional) 640 amp battery aren’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are better in initial quality than Volkswagen vehicles. With 45 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Hyundai higher than Volkswagen.

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 Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai third in reliability, above the industry average. With 69 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volkswagen is ranked 21st.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Hyundai 10 places higher in reliability than Volkswagen.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Elantra gets better mileage than the Jetta:

			MPG
Elantra
	Auto	SE 2.0 DOHC 4-cyl.	33 city/42 hwy
		2.0 DOHC 4-cyl.	30 city/40 hwy
Jetta
	Manual	1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	29 city/42 hwy
	Auto	S 1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	31 city/41 hwy
		SE/SEL 1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	29 city/40 hwy

Transmission

The Hyundai Elantra comes standard with an automatic transmission, for driver comfort, especially in the city. Automatic costs extra on the Jetta.

The Elantra has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Jetta doesn’t offer a CVT.

Brakes and Stopping

The Elantra stops much shorter than the Jetta:

	Elantra	Jetta
70 to 0 MPH	175 feet	191 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	116 feet	124 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Elantra’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Jetta (225/45R17 vs. 205/60R16).

The Elantra’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Jetta Sport/SE/SEL’s 55 series tires.

Suspension and Handling

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

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Elantra’s wheelbase is 1.4 inches longer than on the Jetta (107.1 inches vs. 105.7 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Elantra is 1.7 inches wider in the front and 2.4 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Jetta.

The Elantra Limited handles at .88 G’s, while the Jetta pulls only .82 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Elantra Limited executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Jetta SEL (27 seconds @ .63 average G’s vs. 27.6 seconds @ .62 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Elantra’s turning circle is 1.3 feet tighter than the Jetta’s (35.4 feet vs. 36.7 feet).

Passenger Space

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

The Elantra has 4.7 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Jetta (99.4 vs. 94.7).

The Elantra has 2.1 inches more front headroom, 1.2 inches more front legroom, .4 inches more front hip room, .6 inches more front shoulder room, .1 inches more rear headroom, .6 inches more rear legroom and 1.6 inches more rear shoulder room than the Jetta.

Cargo Capacity

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

Ergonomics

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Elantra’s available headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Jetta’s headlights are rated “Marginal” to “Poor.”

Recommendations

A group of representative automotive journalists from North America selected the Elantra as the 2021 North American Car of the Year. The Jetta has never been chosen.

The Hyundai Elantra outsold the Volkswagen Jetta by over three to one during 2022.