Compare the2023 Hyundai ElantraVS 2023 Toyota Corolla

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
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 Corolla 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 Corolla doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The Elantra 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 Corolla’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Elantra 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 Corolla.

Both the Elantra and the Corolla 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, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors 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 Toyota Corolla:

	Elantra	Corolla
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	142	187
Neck Injury Risk	21%	27%
Leg Forces (l/r)	66/48 lbs.	330/310 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 Toyota Corolla:

	Elantra	Corolla
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	83	92
Hip Force	327 lbs.	330 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	355 lbs.	367 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	11 inches	12 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 front crash prevention system, and its headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Elantra its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2019, a rating granted to only 134 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Corolla is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2019.

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 Corolla’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

Hyundai’s powertrain warranty covers the Elantra 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Toyota covers the Corolla. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Corolla ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

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

Hyundai pays for scheduled maintenance on the Elantra for 1 year and 11000 miles longer than Toyota pays for maintenance for the Corolla (3/36,000 vs. 2/25000).

Reliability

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Elantra has a standard 760-amp battery. The Corolla’s standard 295-amp battery and largest (SE/XSE) 360 amp battery aren’t as powerful.

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 Toyota vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai third in reliability, above the industry average. With 10 more problems per 100 vehicles, Toyota is ranked fifth.

Engine

As tested in Car and Driver the Hyundai Elantra is faster than the Toyota Corolla:

	Elantra	Corolla
Zero to 60 MPH	8.1 sec	8.2 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	22.1 sec	22.8 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	8.5 sec	8.8 sec
Passing 30 to 50 MPH	4.1 sec	4.3 sec
Quarter Mile	16.3 sec	16.4 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	88 MPH	87 MPH
Top Speed	124 MPH	118 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

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

		MPG
Elantra
	SE 2.0 DOHC 4-cyl.	33 city/42 hwy
Corolla
	LE 2.0 DOHC 4-cyl.	31 city/40 hwy
	SE/XSE 2.0 DOHC 4-cyl.	31 city/40 hwy

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Elantra SE’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. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The Corolla doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Hyundai Elantra uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Corolla requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Elantra’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Corolla:

	Elantra	Corolla
Front Rotors	11 inches	10.8 inches
Rear Rotors	10.3 inches	10.2 inches

The Elantra stops much shorter than the Corolla:

	Elantra	Corolla
70 to 0 MPH	175 feet	179 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	116 feet	128 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	139 feet	143 feet	Consumer Reports

Suspension and Handling

The Elantra 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 Corolla doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Elantra is 2.1 inches wider in the front and 1.8 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Corolla.

The Elantra Limited handles at .88 G’s, while the Corolla XSE 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 1.1 seconds quicker than the Corolla XSE (27 seconds @ .63 average G’s vs. 28.1 seconds @ .58 average G’s).

Chassis

The Hyundai Elantra may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 250 to 300 pounds less than the Toyota Corolla.

The design of the Hyundai Elantra amounts to more than styling. The Elantra has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .28 Cd. That is lower than the Corolla (.31) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the Elantra get better fuel mileage.

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the Elantra Limited is quieter than the Corolla:

	Elantra	Corolla
At idle	35 dB	42 dB
70 MPH Cruising	68 dB	71 dB

Passenger Space

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

The Elantra has 10.8 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Corolla (99.4 vs. 88.6).

The Elantra has 2.3 inches more front headroom, .3 inches more front legroom, 2.5 inches more front shoulder room, .2 inches more rear headroom, 3.2 inches more rear legroom and 3.9 inches more rear shoulder room than the Corolla.

Cargo Capacity

The Elantra has a larger trunk than the Corolla (14.2 vs. 13.2 cubic feet).

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

Ergonomics

The Elantra’s driver power window, power lock and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Corolla’s power window (except driver window) and power lock switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

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 Corolla’s headlights are rated “Acceptable.”

The Elantra’s optional rear view mirror has an automatic dimming feature. This mirror can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on it, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Corolla doesn’t offer the luxury of an automatic dimming rear view mirror.

The Elantra SEL/Limited’s 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. The Corolla doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.

Recommendations

Car and Driver performed a comparison test in its October 2021 issue and they ranked the Hyundai Elantra Limited two places higher than the Toyota Corolla.

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

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