Compare the2025 Hyundai ElantraVS 2025 Kia K4

The Elantra’s 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. The K4 doesn’t offer a lane departure warning system.

The Elantra has a standard blind spot warning system that 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 K4’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Elantra has standard Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning and Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. Only the K4 LXS/EX/GT-Line offers Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning.

The Elantra (except SE) offers an optional Blue Link, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to remotely unlock your doors if you lock your keys in, help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The K4 doesn’t offer a GPS response system, only a navigation computer with no live response for emergencies, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the Elantra and the K4 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, 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, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors and available rear parking sensors.

The Hyundai Elantra achieved a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for the 2024 model year. This recognition was based on its impressive performance in the small overlap frontal crash test, updated side impact crash test, headlight evaluations, and pedestrian crash prevention testing. The K4 has not yet been evaluated by the IIHS for 2024.

The Elantra’s corrosion warranty is 2 years and unlimited miles longer than the K4’s (7/unlimited vs. 5/100,000).

Hyundai pays for scheduled maintenance on the Elantra for 3 years and 36,000 miles. Hyundai will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Kia doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the K4.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Elantra third among compact cars in their 2024 Initial Quality Study. The K4 isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are better in initial quality than Kia vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai third in initial quality, above the industry average. With 1 more problems per 100 vehicles, Kia is ranked fourth.

On the EPA test cycle the Elantra gets better mileage than the K4:

The Elantra has standard rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The K4’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

The Hyundai Elantra may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 200 to 400 pounds less than the Kia K4.

The Elantra has 1.6 inches more front headroom, .1 inches more front hip room and .9 inches more rear shoulder room than the K4.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Hyundai Elantra, based on reliability, safety and performance.

A group of representative automotive journalists from North America selected the Elantra as the 2021 North American Car of the Year. The K4 has never been chosen.

The Hyundai Elantra outsold the Kia K4 by 8% during 2023.