Compare the2025 Hyundai Elantra NVS 2025 Honda Civic Type R

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
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 are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Civic Type R doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

With its standard Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist, the Hyundai Elantra N is better at preventing collisions with pedestrians than the Honda Civic Type R, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:

	Elantra N	Civic Type R
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
	Crossing Child - DAY
12 MPH	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
	Crossing Adult - NIGHT
12 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
12 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	-10 MPH
25 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	-22 MPH
	Parallel Adult - NIGHT
25 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
25 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
37 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
Warning Issued-Brights	2.1 sec	2 sec
37 MPH Low beams	-27 MPH	-18 MPH
Warning Issued-Low beams	1.3 sec	1.1 sec

Both the Elantra N and Civic Type R have rear cross-traffic warning, but the Elantra N has Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The Civic Type R’s Cross Traffic Monitor doesn’t automatically brake.

The Elantra N has a standard 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 Civic Type R 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 N and the Civic Type R 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, 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 Hyundai Elantra N is safer than the Honda Civic Type R:

	Elantra N	Civic Type R
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	142	325
Neck Injury Risk	21%	30%
Leg Forces (l/r)	66/48 lbs.	189/372 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	314	444
Neck Stress	177 lbs.	189 lbs.
Neck Compression	6 lbs.	61 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	135/61 lbs.	275/164 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 is safer than the Honda Civic Type R:

	Elantra N	Civic Type R
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	83	195
Abdominal Force	239 lbs.	286 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	68 G’s	79 G’s
Hip Force	355 lbs.	516 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	11 inches	12 inches
HIC	184	260
Spine Acceleration	40 G’s	51 G’s

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 N is safer than the Civic Type R:

	Elantra N	Civic Type R
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Structure	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	189	205
Neck Compression	-134 lbs.	67 lbs.
Torso	ACCEPTABLE	ACCEPTABLE
Shoulder Deflection	1.1 in	1.26 in
Torso Max Deflection	1.26 in	1.85 in
Torso Deflection Rate	10 MPH	10 MPH
Pelvis	ACCEPTABLE	MARGINAL
Pelvis Force	1093 lbs.	1138 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Neck Compression	-156 lbs.	67 lbs.
Torso	ACCEPTABLE	ACCEPTABLE
Shoulder Deflection	1.18 in	1.89 in
Shoulder Force	178 lbs.	379 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	1.5 in	1.61 in
Pelvis	GOOD	GOOD
Pelvis Force	558 lbs.	580 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD

The Hyundai Elantra N 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 Civic Type R last would have qualified as a “Top Safety Pick” in 2023.

Warranty

The Elantra N comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire car and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Civic Type R’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

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

The Elantra N’s corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the Civic Type R’s (7 vs. 5 years).

Hyundai pays for scheduled maintenance on the Elantra N for 1 year and 12000 miles longer than Honda pays for maintenance for the Civic Type R (3/36,000 vs. 2/24,000).

Reliability

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 Honda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai third in initial quality, above the industry average. With 19 more problems per 100 vehicles, Honda is ranked 10th.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than Honda With 8 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Hyundai higher than Honda.

Engine

In an extreme test of performance conducted by Car & Driver magazine, the Hyundai Elantra N demonstrated the extrodinary ability to accelerate to 150 MPH and then stop completely in only 47 seconds. It took the Honda Civic Type R Touring 52.7 seconds.

Transmission

The Elantra N offers an optional automatic transmission, for driver comfort, especially in the city. The Civic Type R doesn’t offer an automatic transmission.

The Elantra N offers an optional sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The Civic Type R doesn’t offer an SMG.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Elantra N’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Civic Type R:

	Elantra N	Civic Type R
Front Rotors	14.2 inches	13.8 inches
Rear Rotors	12.4 inches	12 inches

The Elantra N’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Civic Type R are solid, not vented.

Suspension and Handling

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

For better maneuverability, the Elantra N’s turning circle is 1.5 feet tighter than the Civic Type R’s (38.4 feet vs. 39.9 feet).

Chassis

To minimize engine movement during hard acceleration and transmission shifts, the Elantra N has solid engine mounts. The Civic Type R uses conventional rubber.

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the Elantra N is quieter than the Civic Type R:

	Elantra N	Civic Type R
Full-Throttle	79 dB	88 dB
70 MPH Cruising	72 dB	73 dB

Passenger Space

The Elantra N has 1.3 inches more front headroom, .2 inches more rear headroom, .6 inches more rear legroom and 1.6 inches more rear hip room than the Civic Type R.

Cargo Capacity

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Elantra N’s trunk can be opened just by waiting momentarily behind the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Civic Type R doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

Ergonomics

The Elantra N Auto 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 Civic Type R doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

The power windows standard on both the Elantra N and the Civic Type R have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Elantra N is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Civic Type R prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

Compared to the Honda Civic Type R, the Hyundai Elantra N 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.

Economic Advantages

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Hyundai Elantra N will be $3244 to $6118 less than for the Honda Civic Type R.

Recommendations

Car and Driver performed a comparison test in its December 2023 issue and they ranked the Hyundai Elantra N higher than the Honda Civic Type R Touring.