Compare the2024 Honda Civic Type RVS 2023 Hyundai Elantra N

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

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Honda Civic Type R 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 N doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The Honda Civic Type R 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 N doesn’t offer knee airbags.

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the Civic Type R 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 Type R’s side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The Elantra N’s side airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

Both the Civic Type R and the Elantra N have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

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

	Civic Type R	Elantra N
	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 Type R is safer than the Hyundai Elantra N:

	Civic Type R	Elantra N
	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.

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 Type R’s warranty.

Reliability

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Honda vehicles are more reliable than Hyundai vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Honda 6 places higher in reliability than Hyundai.

Engine

The Civic Type R’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 39 more horsepower (315 vs. 276) and 21 lbs.-ft. more torque (310 vs. 289) than the Elantra N’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Car and Driver the Honda Civic Type R is faster than the Hyundai Elantra N (manual transmissions tested):

	Civic Type R	Elantra N
Zero to 60 MPH	4.9 sec	5.1 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	12.1 sec	12.5 sec
Quarter Mile	13.5 sec	13.8 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	106 MPH	105 MPH
Top Speed	169 MPH	155 MPH

In a Car and Driver race course test, the Honda Civic Type R Touring was clocked 8.5 seconds faster than the Hyundai Elantra N (178.8 sec. vs. 187.3 sec.).

Fuel Economy and Range

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Honda Civic Type R uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The Elantra N requires premium, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Honda Civic Type R higher (6 out of 10) than the Hyundai Elantra N (3). This means the Civic Type R produces up to 23.4 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Elantra N every 15,000 miles.

Transmission

To facilitate fast shifting and allow the driver to focus on the road, the Civic Type R has a standard up-shift light to indicate when the engine is approaching redline. The Elantra N doesn’t offer an up-shift light.

Brakes and Stopping

The Civic Type R stops shorter than the Elantra N:

	Civic Type R	Elantra N
70 to 0 MPH	151 feet	156 feet	Car and Driver

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Civic Type R has larger tires than the Elantra N (265/30R19 vs. 245/35R19).

The Civic Type R’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 30 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Elantra N’s standard 35 series tires.

The Civic Type R offers an available 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 Elantra N; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

Suspension and Handling

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Civic Type R is 1.6 inches wider in the front and 1.3 inches wider in the rear than on the Elantra N.

The Civic Type R’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (61.4% to 38.6%) than the Elantra N’s (62.8% to 37.2%). This gives the Civic Type R more stable handling and braking.

The Civic Type R Touring handles at 1.04 G’s, while the Elantra N pulls only .99 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

Chassis

The Civic Type R is 3.2 inches shorter than the Elantra N, making the Civic Type R easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

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

As tested by Car and Driver while at idle, the interior of the Civic Type R Touring is quieter than the Elantra N (44 vs. 47 dB).

Passenger Space

Because it has more passenger and cargo room, the EPA rates the Civic Type R a Large car, while the Elantra N is rated a Mid-size.

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

Cargo Capacity

To allow full utilization of available cargo room, the Civic Type R’s hatch uses gas strut supported hinges that don’t intrude into the cargo area. Its intrusive beam hinge reduces the Elantra N’s useful trunk space.

The Civic Type R’s standard folding rear seats are split to accommodate bulky cargo. The Elantra N’s standard single piece folding rear seat is not as flexible; long cargo and a passenger can’t share the rear seat.

Ergonomics

The Civic Type R’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The Elantra N does not have an oil pressure gauge.

The Civic Type R’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Elantra N has a lever-type parking brake that has to be strenuously raised to engage properly. It has to be lifted up more and a button depressed to release it.

The Civic Type R’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 N’s passenger windows don’t open or close automatically.

If the windows are left open on the Civic Type R the driver can close them all at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows at the outside door handle or from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Elantra N can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Civic Type R’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Elantra N’s passenger power window and power mirror switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Civic Type R has a standard rear wiper. The Elantra N doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

The Civic Type R Sedan has a standard center folding armrest for the rear passengers. A center armrest helps make rear passengers more comfortable and it can provide a boundary between children. The Elantra N doesn’t offer a rear seat center armrest.

To keep a safe, consistent following distance, the Civic Type R has a standard Adaptive Cruise Control, which alters the speed of the vehicle without driver intervention. This allows the driver to use cruise control more safely without constantly having to disengage it when approaching slower traffic. The Elantra N doesn’t offer an adaptive cruise control.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Civic Type R owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Civic Type R will cost $2010 to $2555 less than the Elantra N over a five-year period.

The Civic Type R will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Civic Type R will retain 59.77% of its original price after five years, while the Elantra N only retains 52.19% to 53.5%.

Recommendations

The Civic was chosen as a Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” for 2024 and 9 more times in the last 40 years. The Elantra N has never been chosen by Car and Driver in their “10Best” issue.

The Honda Civic outsold the Hyundai Elantra by 49% during 2023.

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