The world of the compact sedan segment has some fierce competition. The control of this segment has changed throughout the last ten years. Although Ford and Chevy no longer create compact sedans, the Japanese and Koreans more than make up for it. When your competition includes the Mazda3, Toyota Corolla, and Honda Civic, you need to make something that really stands out. Thankfully, both Hyundai and Kia make compact sedans that are aimed straight at the front-runners.
If you would have told me 10 years ago that a Hyundai Elantra could compete on more than value, I wouldn’t have believed you. The Elantra is one of those cars that has changed in such a drastic way. Just look at the side profile of the 2021 Elantra. It’s so angular that it is borderline controversial. Most people I talked to said they liked how the Elantra looked, especially with the Shimmering Pearl Paint and 19” wheels. The rear end does look too styled but the front isn’t so busy. While the grille from a distance looks good, up-close, it looks like a cheese grater. Blame it on being Italian?
Put together, I think the Elantra looks quite good. The best part about the exterior is that it is just so unique. Jumping inside, for the most part, the interior is very easy to use. As you sit down, you’ll see a little screen with a white circle and a white line. I have no idea what it does but my eyes would constantly look at that. Next to that are the 10.25” digital dials which give you decent information but lack customization. Steering wheel controls were mostly easy to use for stereo, digital dials, and safety features. I do like the design of the steering wheel because it feels more “relaxed” than over-sporty.
The infotainment system is wrapped up in an 8” screen with physical buttons for things like radio and media. It was pretty easy to use and integrated easily to Apple CarPlay, but the SEL doesn’t come with wired Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. CarPlay still worked but it was weird that only the Limited comes with the option of using a wire. Underneath, there are simple climate controls along with optional heated seats. The SEL doesn’t come with leather seats, but the regular cloth seats were decently supportive. There are a few USB ports in the front along with optional wireless charging. Build quality felt good for a car that starts at $20,000.
Head to the front, and the heart of the Elantra SEL is a 2.0-liter inline-four producing 147-horsepower and 132 lb-ft. It is unfortunately combined with a CVT that I’ll go into later on. This front-wheel-drive Hyundai can go from 0-60 MPH in 8.3 seconds. That does seem slow, and that’s because it is slow. I’m not going to put all the blame on the engine. If you want the more powerful Elantra, you need to upgrade by $5k to the turbocharged N-Line model. I really think that the transmission is just useless. You basically get nothing until 4,000 RPM when the engine is screaming for it to gain power.
After you’re done taking off and are on the move, the Elantra starts to gain its composure back. The entire time I had the Elantra, I used the climate control on max, yet it still showed at least 32 MPG. For the most part, it handled well for itself. There was some under-steer that you’ll find on most front-wheel-drive cars. All of the safety features worked well. My test car had adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, and forward-collision mitigation avoidance. There are your usual drive modes of Eco, Sport, and Normal. Sport does give you some extra punch when needed. This Elantra also had a remote-start that was different from almost all I’ve seen. When you activate the remote start, the car is fully on! You enter the car and just drive away.
It’s time to get cliche. We’re talking about a Hyundai so now we have to talk about the price and how cheap it is compared to rivals, right? Well if you say so. The Elantra SEL starts at around $21,000 and this car had two additional packages. The Convenience Package has digital dials, heated seats, and additional safety equipment including adaptive cruise control for $950. Tack on another $2,000 for the Premium Package to get bigger wheels, sunroof, Bose speakers, and a few more add-ons. In total, the list price here is $25,000. For most of the features you get, $25,000 sounds like an amazing deal.
So, should you take a look at one? Yes, but it depends on what you want. If you can get past the gearbox, this is a pretty good car. I would always go for the faster version, so the N-Line would be my primary choice. It’s also $25,000, but you’ll lose out on some features like adaptive-cruise control highway drive assist. Still, it should be a fun car. $25,000 also gets you into the Limited which has every option. Once we take away the Premium Package on the Elantra SEL, the car is only about $22,000. Yes, Hyundais are known for their value but they continue to quickly evolve.
Some Nerdalicious Stats
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