Compare the2025 Hyundai ElantraVS 2024 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.

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 Corolla’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. Toyota charges extra for Rear Cross-Traffic Alert on the Corolla and the Corolla’s Rear Cross-Traffic Alert does not include automatic braking.

Both the Elantra and the Corolla 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, 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.

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Hyundai Elantra is safer than the Corolla:

	Elantra	Corolla
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Structure	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Neck Compression	-134 lbs.	134 lbs.
Torso	ACCEPTABLE	ACCEPTABLE
Torso Max Deflection	1.26 in	1.61 in
Pelvis	ACCEPTABLE	MARGINAL
Pelvis Force	1093 lbs.	1339 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Neck Compression	-156 lbs.	89 lbs.
Shoulder Deflection	1.18 in	1.38 in
Shoulder Force	178 lbs.	312 lbs.
Pelvis	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Pelvis Force	558 lbs.	1026 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD

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 Corolla last would have qualified as a “Top Safety Pick” in 2023.

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 360-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

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

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 Toyota vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai third in initial quality, above the industry average. With 30 more problems per 100 vehicles, Toyota is ranked 17th.

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 SE gets better fuel mileage than the Corolla SE/XSE (32 city/41 hwy vs. 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 on average about 84.9 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 much larger trunk than the Corolla (14.2 vs. 13.1 cubic feet).

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Elantra SEL Sport/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 Elantra’s variable intermittent wipers have an adjustable delay to allow the driver to choose a setting that best clears the windshield during light rain or mist. The Corolla’s standard fixed intermittent wipers only have one fixed delay setting, so the driver will have to manually switch them between slow and intermittent.

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 Sport/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.

Compared to the Toyota Corolla, the Hyundai Elantra eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries with its optional integrated Homelink® universal remote controlled from the rear view mirror.

Recommendations

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

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.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Elantra second among compact cars in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Corolla isn’t in the top three.

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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