Compare the2023 Hyundai Elantra N LineVS 2023 Audi A4

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
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 N Line are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The A4 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Elantra N Line 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 A4’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Elantra N Line 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 A4.

The Elantra N Line’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 A4 doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Elantra N Line and the A4 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, 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 and rearview cameras.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Hyundai Elantra N Line is safer than the Audi A4:

	Elantra N Line	A4
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	142	164
Neck Injury Risk	21%	26%
Neck Compression	51 lbs.	55 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	66/48 lbs.	431/395 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.6 inches	1 inches
Neck Compression	6 lbs.	47 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	135/61 lbs.	324/341 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 N Line is safer than the Audi A4:

	Elantra N Line	A4
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	83	172
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	355 lbs.	777 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	11 inches	12 inches
HIC	184	333
Spine Acceleration	40 G’s	47 G’s

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

Warranty

The Elantra N Line comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire car and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The A4’s 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

Hyundai’s powertrain warranty covers the Elantra N Line 6 years and 50,000 miles longer than Audi covers the A4. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the A4 ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

Hyundai pays for scheduled maintenance on the Elantra N Line for 3 years and 36,000 miles. Hyundai will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Audi only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the A4.

There are almost 3 times as many Hyundai dealers as there are Audi dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Elantra N Line’s warranty.

Reliability

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 Audi vehicles. With 54 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Hyundai higher than Audi.

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 Audi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai third in reliability, above the industry average. With 84 more problems per 100 vehicles, Audi is ranked 25th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than Audi vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Hyundai 8 places higher in reliability than Audi.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Elantra N Line gets better mileage than the A4:

			MPG
Elantra N Line
	FWD	1.6 turbo 4-cyl.	28 city/36 hwy
A4
	AWD	40 TFSI 2.0 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	24 city/33 hwy
		45 TFSI 2.0 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	24 city/32 hwy

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Hyundai Elantra N Line uses regular unleaded gasoline. The A4 requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

Brakes and Stopping

The Elantra N Line stops shorter than the A4:

	Elantra N Line	A4
60 to 0 MPH	111 feet	120 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Elantra N Line has larger tires than the A4 (235/40R18 vs. 225/50R17).

The Elantra N Line’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the A4’s standard 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Elantra N Line has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the A4.

Suspension and Handling

The Elantra N Line handles at .91 G’s, while the A4 Premium pulls only .85 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Elantra N Line executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the A4 Premium (26.3 seconds @ .66 average G’s vs. 27.2 seconds @ .64 average G’s).

Chassis

The Hyundai Elantra N Line may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 400 to 600 pounds less than the Audi A4.

The Elantra N Line is 3.4 inches shorter than the A4, making the Elantra N Line easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

Because it has more passenger and cargo room, the EPA rates the Elantra N Line a Mid-size car, while the A4 is rated a Compact.

The Elantra N Line has 7.4 cubic feet more passenger volume than the A4 (99.4 vs. 92).

The Elantra N Line has 3.3 inches more front headroom, 1 inch more front legroom, .6 inches more front shoulder room, 2.3 inches more rear legroom and 1.1 inches more rear shoulder room than the A4.

Cargo Capacity

The Elantra N Line has a much larger trunk than the A4 (14.2 vs. 12 cubic feet).

Ergonomics

The Elantra N Line has a standard remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The A4 doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Hyundai Elantra N Line has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Only the A4 Premium Plus/Prestige offers wireless charging.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Elantra N Line owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Elantra N Line will cost $1680 to $5895 less than the A4 over a five-year period.

The Elantra N Line will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Elantra N Line will retain 48.06% to 48.14% of its original price after five years, while the A4 only retains 43.4% to 44.48%.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Hyundai Elantra N Line will be $16642 to $28460 less than for the Audi A4.

Recommendations

The Hyundai Elantra outsold the Audi A4/S4 by over 8 to one during the 2022 model year.

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