Compare the2023 Honda CivicVS 2023 Hyundai Elantra Hybrid

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Model Availability
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Honda Civic have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Hyundai Elantra Hybrid doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The Honda Civic has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Elantra Hybrid doesn’t offer knee airbags.

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the Civic deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The Civic’s side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The Elantra Hybrid’s side airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

The Civic Touring/Sport Touring has standard parking sensors to help warn the driver about vehicles, pedestrians or other obstacles behind or in front of their vehicle. The Elantra Hybrid doesn’t offer a front parking aid.

Both the Civic and the Elantra Hybrid have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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, driver alert monitors, available blind spot warning systems and rear cross-path warning.

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

	Civic	Elantra Hybrid
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Stress	241 lbs.	268 lbs.
Neck Compression	23 lbs.	51 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.6 inches
Neck Injury Risk	25%	42%

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 Honda Civic is safer than the Hyundai Elantra Hybrid:

	Civic	Elantra Hybrid
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Movement	.7 inches	1.2 inches
Hip Force	286 lbs.	327 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	268	345
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	805 lbs.	954 lbs.

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

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, and daytime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Civic the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2023, a rating granted to only 53 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Elantra Hybrid last would have qualified as a “Top Safety Pick” in 2022.

Warranty

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

Reliability

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Civic’s reliability 18 points higher than the Elantra Hybrid.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Honda vehicles are better in initial quality than Hyundai vehicles. With 2 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Honda higher than Hyundai.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Honda vehicles are more reliable than Hyundai vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Honda 8 places higher in reliability than Hyundai.

Engine

The Civic Sport’s standard 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 19 more horsepower (158 vs. 139) than the Elantra Hybrid’s 1.6 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid. The Civic EX/EX-L/Touring’s standard 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 41 more horsepower (180 vs. 139) than the Elantra Hybrid’s 1.6 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Motor Trend the Civic EX/EX-L/Touring 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder is faster than the Hyundai Elantra Hybrid:

	Civic	Elantra Hybrid
Zero to 60 MPH	7.4 sec	8.7 sec
Quarter Mile	15.7 sec	16.6 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	91.4 MPH	83.8 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

The Civic has 1.4 gallons more fuel capacity than the Elantra Hybrid (12.4 vs. 11 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Civic has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Elantra Hybrid doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Transmission

The Civic 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 Elantra Hybrid doesn’t offer a CVT.

Brakes and Stopping

The Civic stops shorter than the Elantra Hybrid:

	Civic	Elantra Hybrid
60 to 0 MPH	114 feet	120 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Civic has larger standard tires than the Elantra Hybrid (215/50R17 vs. 205/55R16). The Civic Sport/Touring’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Elantra Hybrid (235/40R18 vs. 225/45R17).

The Civic EX/EX-L’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Elantra Hybrid Blue Sedan’s standard 55 series tires. The Civic Sport/Touring’s tires have a lower 40 series profile than the Elantra Hybrid Limited Sedan’s optional 45 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Civic EX/EX-L has standard 17-inch wheels. Smaller 16-inch wheels are standard on the Elantra Hybrid Blue Sedan. The Civic Sport/Touring’s 18-inch wheels are larger than the 17-inch wheels optional on the Elantra Hybrid Limited Sedan.

Suspension and Handling

The Civic Touring Sedan handles at .88 G’s, while the Elantra Hybrid Limited Sedan pulls only .85 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Civic Touring Sedan executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Elantra Hybrid Limited Sedan (26.7 seconds @ .64 average G’s vs. 27.5 seconds @ .62 average G’s).

Chassis

The Civic Sedan is 5.1 inches shorter than the Elantra Hybrid, making the Civic easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

To almost totally eliminate engine vibration in the passenger area, the Civic has a liquid-filled front engine mount. The liquid helps further dampen engine harshness. The Elantra Hybrid uses conventional solid rubber engine mounts.

Passenger Space

The Civic has .9 inches more front hip room, .5 inches more front shoulder room and .4 inches more rear shoulder room than the Elantra Hybrid.

Cargo Capacity

The Civic Sedan has a larger trunk than the Elantra Hybrid Sedan (14.8 vs. 14.2 cubic feet).

Ergonomics

The Civic’s front power windows open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Elantra Hybrid’s passenger windows don’t open or close automatically.

On a hot day the Civic’s driver can lower all the windows from a distance with the keyless remote or at the outside door handle. The driver of the Elantra Hybrid can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Civic EX/EX-L’s standard wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers and the Civic Touring/Sport Touring’s standard wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield. The Elantra Hybrid’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The Civic’s LED headlights produce a whiter, brighter light (up to 3x) using five times less power than the Elantra Hybrid’s standard projector halogen headlights and light instantly. LED lights also last over twenty times longer than halogen.

Consumer Reports rated the Civic’s headlight performance “Good,” a higher rating than the Elantra Hybrid’s headlights, which were rated “Fair.”

Model Availability

The Honda Civic comes in sedan and four door hatchback bodystyles; the Hyundai Elantra Hybrid isn’t available as a four door hatchback.

Economic Advantages

The Civic will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Civic will retain 47.45% to 51.94% of its original price after five years, while the Elantra Hybrid only retains 45.1% to 45.12%.

Recommendations

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

A group of representative automotive journalists from North America selected the Civic as the 2022 North American Car of the Year. The Elantra was last chosen in 2021.

The Honda Civic outsold the Hyundai Elantra by 14% during 2022.

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