- Exterior: Love It Or Hate It
- Interior & Infotainment: Hitting The Price Target
- Drivetrain: Surprisingly Sprightly
- On The Road: Perfectly Adequate
- Hyundai Elantra Hybrid Or The New Prius?
Over 50 miles to the gallon is nothing to sneer at – and it looks sharp, too.
While its styling is a love-it-or-hate-it affair, there's no denying the Elantra is a well-designed and value-packed compact sedan. It comes with an excellent list of standard features and one of the best warranties in the industry, with a starting price just shy of $25k in hybrid guise. Gas versions get a 2.0-liter engine, but the hybrid uses a 1.6L and an electric motor to create 139 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque. That's nothing short of average in terms of outputs, but the fuel economy return is where the Elantra Hybrid improves even more as a value proposition. The base model is capable of returning 54 mpg, since it's lighter in weight, while the Limited model we're reviewing here does 50 mpg. For 2023, the only updates to the Elantra apply to the gas-only models, so the Hybrid remains the same.
Exterior: Love It Or Hate It
Hyundai's entire lineup is currently based around a fluid body shape accented with sharp creases that create distinctive shapes. The results are excellent, with some great-looking vehicles that we think include the Elantra. It's a new take on the segment, though. While Honda has honed the Civic into a sophisticated-looking car, Hyundai has chosen a more eye-catching approach. Though some may feel it's too daring, it's far from being an ugly car, and hiding the turn signals in the grille is a lovely touch on any car. Both the Blue and Limited trims come standard with LED daytime running lights, and the Limited comes with LED headlights and taillights.
The Blue comes with a black front grille and 16-inch alloy wheels, while the Limited comes with a dark chrome front grille and 17-inch alloy wheels. On the top trim, you also get a power tilt-and-slide sunroof as standard.
Interior & Infotainment: Hitting The Price Target
It's spacious inside the Elantra Hybrid, and comfort levels are high. There's also a modern style that isn't over the top, which we appreciate. The only criticism we have is that it doesn't take long before things start to feel a bit plasticky, which is something Hyundai is usually better at disguising. To keep up with Honda and Toyota's reputations, Hyundai is going to need to improve its build quality for the Elantra in general – we have an Elantra N on test, as this is being written, and it has the same thing going as well as a plasticky rattle from the infotainment screen.
Base models come with an eight-inch touchscreen for infotainment, but the Limited gets a 10.25-inch display which is lovely, clear, and easy to use. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are included, but only by hooking the phone up with a wire. Voice recognition, navigation, and wireless device charging are also included on the top trim, as is an eight-speaker Bose sound system.
Drivetrain: Surprisingly Sprightly
The Elantra Hybrid's 1.6-liter gas engine and electric motor system create 139 horsepower and up to 195 lb-ft of torque between them. Those are about as far from earth-shattering numbers as you can get in 2023, but off the line, the Elantra Hybrid is surprisingly sprightly. Hustling through the city, it doesn't feel like a penalty for the awesome gas mileage. Without being told beforehand, you would be hard-pressed to identify it as a hybrid vehicle on the road as the switch from electric to gas power is so smooth. It's worth noting that the engine sound can break through, though, and sound buzzy when accelerating to get up to the speed of traffic quickly. The dual-clutch automatic transmission is a high point, and it moves through the gears smoothly.
There's no need to be super-sensitive on the gas pedal, either. Throughout our week with the car, and even driving up mountain roads, the battery didn't deplete entirely; the system showed us 53 mpg at one point.
On The Road: Perfectly Adequate
Calling the Elantra Hybrid's road manners perfectly adequate could be taken for damning with faint praise, but we're talking about a fuel-efficient car that starts at just under $25,000: The key word there is “perfectly.” There's nothing that offends in the way the car handles lumps and bumps, the steering weight, the power curve, or how it feels as an occupant inside it. It drives very well as a car with a primary aim being to transport people from A to B in the most cost-efficient way, with a bit of style and comfort.
The cabin is quiet until the engine is pushed, and the ride is smooth, despite the extra weight from the not-so-cost-effective independent rear suspension. Try and drive it like a sports car, and you'll be disappointed. Drive it like a commuter and family car, and you'll never complain.
Hyundai Elantra Hybrid Or The New Prius?
With the new Prius on the market that boasts 57 mpg combined, a new benchmark for fuel economy has been set. However, the new Prius has some unnecessary annoyances that we discovered on our test drive, which leads us to suggest any car over the Prius. The Corolla Hybrid is the next best bet, but Toyota appears to have hobbled it in features so it doesn't poach Prius sales, and this is where the Elantra Hybrid shines. It's a much more feature-rich package. Unless Toyota pulls itself together and realizes just how good a full-feature Corolla Hybrid would be, the Elantra Hybrid is the best small hybrid sedan on the market if you judge it on price, ride, features, and fuel economy.
Keyword: Driven: 2023 Hyundai Elantra Hybrid Is Pure Value On Wheels