2024 Hyundai Elantra N vs. 2024 Honda Civic Type R

2024 Hyundai Elantra N ・ Photo by Brady Holt

The Hyundai Elantra N has always been an incredible performance bargain. For less than $35,000, you get 276 horsepower, a sport suspension, and a choice of manual and dual-clutch automatic transmissions. This compact sedan is sensible enough for everyday transportation, yet with a wild side that you can unleash at will. 

For 2024, Hyundai took a stab at solving one complaint – polarizing looks. The updated 2024 Hyundai Elantra N has a reshaped front end, along with a series of mechanical tweaks. 

We just spent a week testing the updated Elantra N so we can compare it against another standout in its niche of undercover front-wheel-drive compact performance cars: the 315-hp 2024 Honda Civic Type R. In this review, we’ll discuss how these two cars compare in each of seven categories, then name an overall winner. Keep reading to see which one we chose and which one sounds like the better fit for you. 

Pricing and Features

Let’s get a key point out of the way first: the 2024 Hyundai Elantra N starts at $33,700. That’s a five-figure price difference from the 2024 Honda Civic Type R ($44,795). It’s not because the Elantra is down on equipment, either – it mostly matches the Honda’s feature content, but it’s the only one with heated front seats, the ability to use your smartphone as a key, or an optional sunroof. 

Another key point is something the Elantra N offers and the Civic Type R does not: a self-shifting transmission. The Elantra N comes standard with a six-speed manual, but for an extra $1,500, you can get an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic. (The automatic comes packaged with the sunroof.) Whether you’re on a budget or favor an automatic, the comparison is over – the Elantra N wins by default. But either way, extra features and a much lower price are a big win for Hyundai. 

Winner: Hyundai Elantra N

2024 Hyundai Elantra N ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Exterior Design

For an economy sedan, the standard Hyundai Elantra had a pretty wild body when it debuted as a 2021 model – all angles and creases, and with big headlights dipping down into a big, low grille. The original Elantra N built on that by blacking out the bumper area under the headlights. Especially in lighter colors, it made the Elantra N easy to distinguish from ordinary Elantras. It also, to many eyes, looked terrible. This year, every Elantra gets slimmer headlights and a smaller grille, and the N’s front end has a more even mix of body color and black (plus red accents along the bottom of the bumper). We see no drawback to this change, and we think some folks who hated last year’s looks will at least tolerate them now. 

The Civic Type R, meanwhile, is a milder-looking performance machine. It has a big wing spoiler and a trio of center-mounted exhaust pipes, but otherwise, the Type R doesn’t scream speed – or anything else. To some tastes, that’s perfect. To others, the Honda could do with some of the Hyundai’s visuals. The other difference between the two cars is that every Civic Type R is a five-door hatchback and every Elantra N is a four-door sedan. We’ll leave both matters of taste up to you, calling this category a tie. 

Winner: Tie 

2023 Honda Civic Type R ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Interior Design

We have another tie inside. The Civic’s interior is meticulously finished with rich materials, well-assembled trim pieces, and finely honed moving parts. And its controls are simple and easy to use. The Elantra once again has flash where the Civic has simplicity, with its dashboard swooping all over the place. A few interior materials got an upgrade this year, but they still trail the Civic’s. And while the Elantra N’s controls are pretty simple, too, we found the Honda’s even better. 

This sounds like a Civic win. But that would ignore the elephant in the room. The Elantra N’s interior is a neutral, unassuming black. Every Civic Type R is red – a black dashboard and door panels, but screaming red front seats and screaming red carpeting. (The back seat is upholstered in black, but it also has red on the floor.) Maybe you love red. But if you don’t, you might not be a fan of this otherwise appealing interior. 

Winner: Tie 

2024 Hyundai Elantra N ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Passenger and Cargo Accommodations

As a sensible economy sedan, the Elantra N can fit two adults comfortably, four adults without much squeezing, and five in a pinch. There isn’t room in the back to stretch out and relax, but it’s certainly usable. We’ve heard mixed impressions of the Elantra N’s sport seats, but we found them to be an agreeable balance between holding you firmly in place and leaving you uncomfortably constrained. And its 14.2 cubic feet of trunk space is among the best you’ll find in a compact sedan. 

Still, the Civic Type R is even better. We liked its own sport seats even more (though once again, your mileage may vary). This backseat does let you stretch out. And as a five-door hatchback, its cargo capacity can rival small SUVs – to say nothing of sedans. It provides 24.5 cubic feet behind the rear seat and, while Honda doesn’t publish this spec, likely more than 50 cubic feet with the rear seat folded down. Two demerits might change your mind. First, as we mentioned, only the Hyundai provides heated front seats. And second, Honda removes the center-rear position from the Civic Type R, leaving it only as a four-seater. But we think that to most folks, the Honda’s other advantages will carry the day. 

Winner: Honda Civic Type R

2023 Honda Civic Type R ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Acceleration

The 2024 Hyundai Elantra N is a speedy machine. Its 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine – making 276 hp and 289 lb-ft of torque – can zip this small sedan to 60 mph in less than 6 seconds with its manual transmission and around 5 seconds with its snappy dual-clutch automatic. This isn’t an all-business motor, either, with the engine sounding like it’s having as much fun as the driver. You can choose loud and quiet settings for the exhaust. We also enjoyed shifting our test car’s manual transmission, which operates slickly and has a gentle enough clutch that we survived rush-hour traffic. 

As fast and fun as it is, the "little Hyundai that could" is facing an even more powerful Honda. Its own 2.0-liter turbo makes 315 hp and 315 lb-ft, which means you get automatic-Elantra acceleration (around 5 seconds to 60 mph) paired with the driving engagement of an even better manual transmission. 

Winner: Honda Civic Type R

2023 Honda Civic Type R ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Ride and Handling

According to conventional performance-car wisdom, powerful front-wheel-drive cars can’t drive well. The Elantra N and Civic Type R both prove that wrong, casting doubt on the need for an all-wheel drive rival like the Volkswagen Golf R or Toyota GR Corolla. Both the Honda and Hyundai have incredible handling limits, sharp steering, and stiff but tolerable rides.

We’ll give an edge to the Civic Type R. It drives beautifully whether you’re treating it like an ordinary Civic or pushing it to its limits. The Elantra N isn’t as nice until you’ve found a road or closed course where you can open it up more. Once you’re at that point, both cars become delightful. But the more premium-feeling Civic wins this round for us. 

Winner: Honda Civic Type R

2023 Honda Civic Type R ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Fuel Economy

Whether you get the Civic Type R or the Elantra N, you’ve taken the “economy” out of “economy car.” Not only are the performance models more expensive to buy, but they’re also more expensive to fuel up. The Honda gets an EPA-estimated 22 mpg in the city, 28 mpg on the highway, and 24 mpg combined. The Elantra N roughly matches that with its own manual transmission – 21 mpg city, 29 mpg highway, 24 mpg combined – and loses about 1 mpg with its automatic. (We averaged 28 mpg in the Honda and 27 mpg in the Hyundai, not under scientifically identical conditions.)

What’s more, both cars use expensive premium-grade fuel, and their small gas tanks mean you’ll get an EPA-estimated range of less than 300 miles per tank on both vehicles. Between the fuel requirement and the low mileage, you’ll pay nearly three times as much on gas for an Elantra N or Civic Type R as for the most economical Elantra or Civic models. Still, because this problem affects them equally, this category is a tie. 

Winner: Tie 

2024 Hyundai Elantra N ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Final Thoughts

The driving-enthusiast community is fortunate to have both the 2024 Hyundai Elantra N and the 2024 Honda Civic Type R on the market. These cars are fast, rowdy fun, yet they’re also functional enough to be a daily driver, and they’re affordable enough for many people’s budgets. 

Between the two, the Elantra N has perhaps the broader appeal. With its much lower price, available automatic transmission, black interior, and additional luxury features like heated seats and a sunroof, the Hyundai has fewer dealbreakers than the Honda. It delivers performance thrills rivaling the Civic Type R for barely more money than a 200-hp Civic Si. 

On the other hand, if you’re reading this, you’re likely open to spending the extra $10,000 on a Civic Type R. And you’re likely open to shifting your own gears. From within that context, the Honda wins. Almost across the board, it feels like an upgrade from the Hyundai – sometimes in small ways, but in consistent ways. The Elantra N is a bargain-priced hoot, but the Civic Type R is more polished and more spacious without giving up one iota of performance chops. If you don’t mind its price tag or its foibles, like the interior color scheme or the lack of a fifth seat, we think it’s the one you can own with fewer regrets. 

Winner: Honda Civic Type R

2023 Honda Civic Type R ・ Photo by Brady Holt