The Car Connection Expert Review
Likes
- Slippery styling
- Great hybrid
- Fairly spacious cabin
- Good tech
- Snorting Elantra N
Dislikes
- Only the N versions are quick
- Cabin looks great, feels budget
- Seats aren’t terrific
- N uses a lot more fuel
Buying tip
The 2025 Hyundai Elantra N delivers a refined driving experience, but its interior lacks the quality touches we’ve seen in the automaker’s other models.
What kind of vehicle is the 2025 Hyundai Elantra? What does it compare to?
The 2025 Hyundai Elantra is a compact sedan with sleek styling and little personality, unless you go green with the hybrid or pick the downright sporty N.
Is the 2025 Hyundai Elantra a good car?
It’s a great overall choice, even if its so-so interior trim holds it back. The 2025 Elantra has a spacious cabin, two out of three (ain’t bad!) intriguing powertrains, and reasonable pricing. It’s a 6.5 out of 10. (Read more about how we rate cars.)
What's new for the 2025 Hyundai Elantra?
The SEL trim level has been renamed SEL Sport, though its features are unchanged. That trim level is now available on the Elantra Hybrid, too.
Still wearing the edgy styling that impressed us a few years ago, the Elantra remains a stylish small car. Its exterior has sharply tailored lines that look great, though they’ll likely age compared to, say, the conserved Volkswagen Jetta. Inside, however, the Elantra lacks visual punch beyond its cockpit-like instrument cluster and touchscreen on higher-end trims.
Performance-wise, the Elantra has many stories to tell. The base inline-four and CVT are adequate but far from engaging. Curiously, the available hybrid is more fun, even though it’s less powerful. Its 6-speed automatic gearbox gets some of the credit, as does its more sophisticated rear suspension that delivers better roadholding and bump absorption.
Mid-level Elantra N-Line models are loads of fun with 201 hp from a turbo-4, though they’re only reasonably quick. The stronger choice by far is the full-bore Elantra N with its hefty 276-hp turbo-4, preferably when paired to the standard 6-speed manual gearbox. It’s an anachronistic rarity that offers tremendous enthusiast appeal.
The Elantra is a fuel-efficient choice in just about any form. Non-hybrid models are estimated at between 34 and 36 mpg combined, while hybrids are as high as 54 mpg combined. The Elantra N is a bit more of a guzzler at just 23 to 24 mpg combined, though.
Inside, the Hyundai Elantra has good space overall, with some compromises. The front seats aren’t that comfortable in most versions (N Line aside), and rear-seat riders will find limited headroom. The 14.2 cubic-foot trunk is decent for the segment.
Good crash-test scores and reasonable standard collision-avoidance tech make the 2025 Elantra a safe overall choice. Hyundai is a bit stingy about adaptive cruise control availability, but that’s our only safety-related kvetch for this model.
How much does the 2025 Hyundai Elantra cost?
You’ll need about $24,000 for the cheapest Elantra SE, or around $2,000 more for the Elantra Blue Hybrid. Those models have an 8.0-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, and crash-avoidance tech.
The performance-oriented Elantra N runs about $33,000.
Where is the 2025 Hyundai Elantra made?
In Montgomery, Alabama.
2025 Hyundai Elantra Styling
We like the 2025 Hyundai Elantra’s wrapper more than what’s inside.
Is the Hyundai Elantra a good-looking car?
It’s great outside, if a little dull inside. We like the Elantra’s crisp, tailored lines, which were updated last year with a lower grille and the appearance of a longer hood. It’s a stylish small car, which looks pricier than it actually is… until you step inside. The Elantra’s cabin is nothing special. It’s a 7 here, with both points above average allocated to its exterior.
The Elantra is a fast-fashion accessory that looks great today and likely will be interesting enough through its warranty, before being replaced by something entirely different in a few years. Eh, that’s fine with us., though we admit that the N models with their body kits, big wheels, and red styling touches are especially interesting. They have the best wheels of the bunch, too.
The big screen panel inside looks good enough, but you’ll need to step up to the SEL trim for twin 13.1-inch screens that look far more appealing than the base setup. But that’s about it for visual flair, especially since we know Hyundai can really impress. Two — not 50 — shades of gray aren’t enough interior colors, either.
But the Elantra N stands apart with its bolstered seats that look like something from Porsche’s playbook. They’re so over-the-top that we can’t help but love them.
2025 Hyundai Elantra Performance
Most versions of the 2025 Hyundai Elantra won’t raise your pulse. And then there’s the Elantra N.
The Hyundai Elantra comes in three flavors, but two of them are just about the same. The base and hybrid versions are calm, efficient cruisers with a docile personality. They set a perfect 5 on our scale.Then there’s the Elantra N, a sporty choice with a taut ride, nimble handling, and great acceleration. We’d call it a 7 if we rated it separately.
Is the Hyundai Elantra 4WD?
Nope, these are front-wheel-drive sedans.
How fast is the Hyundai Elantra?
Base versions are not quick. They use a 147-hp inline-4 teamed to a CVT. This setup is adequate and inoffensive, but little more. The CVT dances between low-rev frugality and high-rev power (or what power there is) deftly, but there’s no easy way for this little power to motivate a sedan of this size with any authority.
Enter the Elantra Hybrid, which is both less powerful and more interesting. How? Its 1.6-liter inline-4 dances with a 6-speed dual-clutch automatic that works better than the CVT despite a mere 139 hp and a heftier curb weight. The electric motor fed by a small 1.3-kwh lithium-ion battery helps even out the torque band, providing better off-the-line scoot. It’s our favorite here, at least for daily driving.
Non-hybrid Elantras have a composed, but uninspired ride and light steering. Hybrid and N models replace the simple beam rear suspension with a comparatively high-tech independent setup for more planted handling and a far superior ability to shrug off bumps. Even with available 17-inch wheels, the Elantra has a soft, well-cushioned ride. It’s never particularly stiff.
Elantra N Performance
The Hyundai Elantra N-Line is almost its own thing with its 201-hp turbo-4 teamed to a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic. It’s noticeably peppier, and it handles well enough with beefed-up steering and numerous small modifications.
The full-on Elantra N is a knockout of a vehicle with a 2.0-liter turbo-4 rated at 276 hp and 289 lb-ft of torque, which goes forward via either a 6-speed manual gearbox or, optionally, an 8-speed dual-clutch. We’re normally fans of manuals, but the automatic has a cheeky “N Grin Shift” mode that packs on an extra 10 hp and tweaks shift points for even more deft acceleration for 20-second spurts. It’s video-game silly, but also loads of fun.
Sure, the turbo-4 has some lag right off the line, but it hits 60 mph in around five seconds. The firmer suspension rides stiffy but is comfortable enough even on lousy pavement. Be sure to select the summer tire option (and then shop for some winter rubber).
2025 Hyundai Elantra Comfort & Quality
The 2025 Hyundai Elantra has a better exterior than interior.
With its dramatic exterior styling, you’d expect the 2025 Hyundai Elantra to have an equally interesting cabin. That’s not entirely true, even in top trims. Still, it has decent space. It’s a 5 out of 10 here.
The front seats have OK room, though the driving position is low and the seats are a bit light on padding. Most versions have a power-adjustable driver’s seat and heating up front. Note that the N Line model has a bit more bolstering, while the Elantra N has downright confining thrones up front. Rear-seat riders have 38 inches of legroom, which is impressive, but the sloping roofline means real-world headroom is just mediocre.
Out back, the trunk can hold a class-typical 14.2 cubic feet of stuff.
Interior trim doesn’t impress at any step of the way, even though the Elantra N has some fake carbon fiber bits that spice things up a little.
2025 Hyundai Elantra Safety
The 2025 Hyundai Elantra has a good crash-test record.
How safe is the Hyundai Elantra?
It is a very safe choice. Based on last year’s model, the Elantra should earn an 8 out of 10 on our scale thanks to its Top Safety Pick award from the IIHS, its five-star rating from the NHTSA, and its good standard crash-avoidance features.
The Elantra is reasonably easy to see out of, though somewhat chunky rear roof pillars make its standard blind-spot monitors useful. Otherwise, the Elantra has automatic emergency braking, active lane control, and automatic high-beam headlights. Select versions also offer adaptive cruise control, while the top-end model has a particularly good highway assistance system that does a great job keeping the car in its lane at speed.
2025 Hyundai Elantra Features
The 2025 Hyundai Elantra remains a stellar value.
The Hyundai Elantra is one of the best buys in the automotive world. It gets points for its standard equipment, its terrific tech, its plentiful configurations, and a 5-year/60,000-mile warranty with three years of free maintenance. It’s a 9 here.
The lineup should start at about $23,600 for the base SE trim, which is reasonably well-equipped with 15-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, cloth upholstery, good crash-avoidance tech, and an 8.0-inch touchscreen with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
The base Elantra is a solid buy, and it’s enough cheaper than the Elantra Blue hybrid (about $2,000 more) that yo may have to do the math to figure out how long it’ll take for that model to pay for itself. The Elantra Blue does add heated seats and automatic climate control.
It’s a solid buy, and it’s enough cheaper than the Elantra Blue hybrid (about $2,000 more) that you may have to do the math to figure out how long it’ll take for that model to pay for itself. The Elantra Blue does add heated seats and automatic climate control.
Which Hyundai Elantra should I buy?
The mid-level SEL Sport trim level adds about $2,000 to either the Elantra or the Elantra Hybrid, and it includes such niceties as a 10.3-inch touchscreen, a 10.3-inch instrument cluster display, 16-inch alloy wheels, and automatic climate controls.
This trim is newly available on the Elantra Hybrid for 2025.
How much is a fully loaded Hyundai Elantra?
That depends on which approach you want to take. The Elantra Hybrid runs about $28,000 with its synthetic leather upholstery, surround-view camera system, Bose audio, sunroof, and wireless charging pad. The hybrid version is about $2,000 more, and it adds an upgraded driver-assistance system with better lane-centering.
Meanwhile, the top Elantra N runs $35,000, or $1,500 more with the 8-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
2025 Hyundai Elantra Fuel Economy
The 2025 Hyundai Elantra Hybrid is a true fuel-sipper, but the rest of the lineup’s not too bad either.
Is the Hyundai Elantra good on gas?
It’s a thrifty choice, at least in most configurations. Mainstream models with the 2.0-liter inline-4 check in between 31 mpg city, 40 highway, 34 combined and 32/41/36 mpg. That’s good enough for a 5 on the TCC scale.
If you really want to sip fuel, go for a hybrid. The Blue trim level is estimated at a hefty 51/58/54 mpg, though other trims with bigger wheels and more (read: heavier) features are 40/52/50 mpg.
The Elantra N, meanwhile, is rated between 23 and 24 mpg combined, which isn’t bad given how much power they have.