2018 Hyundai Elantra vs. 2017 Honda Civic
The Honda Civic is a well-known vehicle in the compact car segment. The Civic is often known for its reliability and good performance.
But the all-new 2018 Hyundai Elantra has recently been updated and redesigned with new materials and features, and is quickly becoming a favorite amongst compact car buyers.
Which car is the better choice? Let’s take a look at the comparisons below.
Performance and Capabilities
For the first comparison, we need to take a look at what is under the hood. Let’s take a look at the specific performance capabilities of both the 2018 Hyundai Elantra and the 2017 Honda Civic.
As far as performance goes, both of these vehicles have a good showing. The 2017 Civic can give you up to 174-horsepower with an available turbo engine, and the standard engine for the Civic is a 158-horsepower, 2.0-liter normally aspirated engine. On the Elantra, the turbocharged engine can get you up to 201-horsepower, and the standard engine can gives you 147-horsepower.
Fuel efficiency is another factor to look at. The Civic is known for its fuel efficiency, and it doesn’t disappoint with up to 40 highway miles per gallon, 28 city miles per gallon and a combined estimate of 32 miles per gallon. However, the Elantra holds its own. With an automatic transmission, the Elantra gives you 29 city miles per gallon, 38 highway miles per gallon and a combined estimate of 33 miles per gallon.
In power and performance, the standard engine in the Civic has more horsepower than the Elantra’s standard engine, but the Elantra turbo engine beats out the Civic’s. Also, while you may assume the Civic will edge out the competition when it comes to fuel efficiency, the Elantra keeps up well. The 2018 Elantra even beats out the Civic by 1 mile per gallon in the combined estimate.
Interior Quality and Features
The interior is a very important part of the vehicle because that is where you will be spending your time. Does your vehicle have the comfort you need and the technology you want? Let’s find out!
Both of these vehicles are rated well for comfort and space. The Elantra and the Civic both seat up to 5 passengers comfortably. The Elantra gives you slightly more second row room with head room of 37.3 inches compared to the Civic’s 37.1, shoulder room of 55.3 compared to the Civic’s 55, and hip room of 51.9 compared to the Civic’s 47.3.
Both vehicles offer you comfortable seating with heated front driver and passenger seats. The 2017 Hyundai Elantra also gives you heated rear passenger seats. The 2017 Honda Civic does that as well, but only on the Touring model.
Technology is becoming a big and important part of our vehicles. Smartphone connectivity is becoming a must with new vehicles, and both the Elantra and the Civic have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability. Also, the Elantra’s infotainment system works well and is easy to use, whereas the Honda Civic’s HondaLink is said to have messy menus and a confusing interface.
Another cool technological feature for the Elantra is Blue Link. You can get Hyundai Blue Link free for 3 years and through Blue Link you can do things like remotely start and stop, lock and unlock your car. Blue Link also has a comprehensive safety and car care package in the event of an accident.
Safety
Both of these vehicles have strengths when it comes to safety, let’s take a closer look at the specific features below.
The 2018 Hyundai Elantra has upped their safety game with a whole host of available advanced safety features. Automatic Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection is a safety feature that stops your forward progress when sensors detect that a collision is imminent. This is just one example of the available safety features. Some of the other safety features include: Blind Spot Detection with Rear Cross-Traffic Alert, a Rearview Camera with Dynamic Guidelines and Lane Departure Warning and Lane Keep Assist.
The 2017 Honda Civic has Honda Sensing. This technology includes features like the Lane Keeping Assist System, Collision Mitigation Braking System and Road Departure Mitigation System. The 2017 Honda Civic also has a Multi-Angle Rearview Camera.
These vehicles have a lot of similarities in the safety features they offer. They both have rearview cameras, lane keeping systems and a braking system for when a collision is about to occur. The Elantra does have an advantage over the Civic with a Blind Spot Detection that the Civic does not offer.
Also, as mentioned above, Hyundai also gives you three years free of the Blue Link Connected Care. This includes safety features like Automatic Collision Notification and SOS Emergency Assistance.
Which is Right for You?
When choosing a car, it ultimately comes down to which one is the right fit for your lifestyle and your budget. Only you can decide which features are your biggest priority. The 2018 Hyundai Elantra and the 2017 Honda Civic are both good choices in the compact car division.
Above, we looked at performance, interior quality and features and safety. In performance, the Elantra has more capability with its turbocharged engine option, and it is neck and neck with the Civic as far as fuel economy goes. On the interior of the vehicle, both options give you comfort and space, but the technology in the Elantra is easier to use and better designed. As far as safety, you can trust either of these cars to be looking out for you.
Another factor that hasn’t been considered is price. The 2018 Hyundai Elantra starts at $16,950 MSRP and the 2017 Honda Civic starts at $18,740. The Elantra starts off a little bit more affordable than the Civic, so that is another factor to consider in your decision.
Based on this comparison, both options are strong, but the 2018 Hyundai Elantra comes in at a cheaper price and it competes with or beats the Civic in many ways.