Used 2021 Hyundai Elantra

Winner: 2021 Best Buy Award
Winner: 2021 5-Year Cost to Own Award
#1 in Best Small Cars of 2021

The all-new 2021 Hyundai Elantra is a bit longer, lower, and wider than the outgoing model, and we think it looks a little better proportionally than its larger Sonata sibling. This new Elantra is 2.2 inches longer and an inch wider than before, with a wheelbase that has been extended by 0.8 inches. Additionally, overall height has been lowered by 0.8 inches, and the area where the windshield meets the hood (commonly called the cowl) has been moved rearward by almost two inches.

In other key dimensions, the new Elantra has 0.3 inches more front headroom than before, while rear headroom has stayed the same. Significantly, rear legroom has increased by 2.3 inches, and the extra width of the new Elantra translates to better shoulder room front and rear. The trunk, at 14.2 cubic feet, is 0.2 cubic feet smaller than before, but it’s still slightly larger than the Toyota Corolla’s.

Efficiency is king with the new Elantra. The base SE model, powered by a 147-horsepower 2.0-liter engine mated to a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT), has excellent EPA fuel-economy ratings of 33 mpg city/43 mpg highway/37 mpg combined. The EPA combined figure for the new 1.6-liter Elantra Hybrid is even better, which is estimated at 54 mpg. The new Elantra Hybrid is equipped with a dual-clutch 6-speed automatic transmission and multilink rear suspension.

Also available for the first time is the sporty new Elantra N-Line. Like the Elantra Hybrid, the Elantra N-Line has multilink rear suspension, but it has sportier tuning and is powered by a turbocharged 1.6-liter 4-cylinder engine with a stout 201 horsepower. You can order the new Elantra N-Line with a 6-speed manual transmission or a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic with paddle shifters mounted behind the steering wheel. An LCD dash readout displays the selected gear.

With a lineup that ranges from efficient and practical to luxurious and sporty and fun, the 2021 Hyundai Elantra competes with a broad spectrum of compact sedans, most notably the Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, Mazda 3, and Nissan Sentra. While the new Elantra N-Line will compete with the Honda Civic Si and the Volkswagen Jetta GLI, the Elantra Hybrid goes door to door with the likes of the Honda Insight and Toyota Corolla Hybrid.

At a recent press event, KBB sampled three versions of the 2021 Hyundai Elantra: an SEL, a Hybrid, and an N-Line. Our findings:

The Elantra SEL, one step above a base SE model, impresses with its solid structure, its excellent interior room, and its premium feel. Although by no means a powerhouse, the 147 horsepower 2.0-liter engine moves the Elantra with good authority, aided by a continuously variable automatic transmission that’s more direct and responsive than most other CVTs.

The SEL’s ride is comfortable without being floaty, and the controls (steering, gas, brakes) are well-tuned for smooth and predictable response. The refined overall feel is underscored by the Atkinson-cycle 2.0-liter 4-cylinder, a direct-injected engine that returns an excellent 43 mpg on the highway.

Despite the new Elantra’s swoopy coupe-like styling, there’s plenty of headroom and lots of rear legroom inside the car. Moreover, the quality of materials – apart from some hard plastic on the upper door panels – looks like it’s from a pricier car. We particularly like the dual 10.25-inch digital screens – one for the instrument panel, one for the infotainment.

What impresses us most about the new Elantra Hybrid is this: If you paid no attention to the vehicle before you drove it, you might not even know it’s a gas/electric hybrid. The interaction of the 1.6-liter gas engine and the 32-kilowatt electric motor is just that smooth.

And thanks to its electric assist, the Elantra Hybrid feels like a standard Elantra with much more torque. It’s also more efficient than a standard Elantra, while feeling significantly quicker. Although the Elantra Hybrid has a multilink rear suspension in place of the standard Elantra’s torsion-beam rear axle, no major differences are felt in the suspension tuning.

On the other hand, the new 2021 Hyundai Elantra N-Line, also equipped with a multilink rear, feels noticeably firmer than the other Elantra, though not to the point of being jarring. Compared to a standard Elantra, the spring rates are up by 26 percent in front and 71 percent in back. As such, the Elantra N-Line has a fun and agile nature, and thrilling straight-line performance is assured by the turbocharged 1.6-liter engine with 201 horsepower.

We commend Hyundai for offering the Elantra N-Line with a 6-speed manual transmission or an optional 7-speed dual-clutch automatic with shift paddles ($1,100). With its light clutch pedal and precise shift linkage with short-to-medium throws, our 6-speed Elantra N-Line test car is relatively easy to drive smoothly.

While some testers wish the engine rpm would drop more quickly during upshifts, our concern is a bit different: Because the engine is so well isolated from the Elantra cabin, the lack of aural feedback makes it tough to master smooth rev-matched downshifts. With time, we’ll get better at it. Even if it means putting the side windows down.

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The 2021 Elantra interior has a modern and technical look, and from the low seating position, it’s easy to note the slim dash vents and low door handles. There’s also a high center console and two available 10.25-inch digital displays that are connected under one piece of glass, enhancing the modern look. Also notable: The new Elantra has a cornering grab handle for the front passenger and 64 shades of available ambient lighting.

Wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto is standard, as are an 8-inch color touchscreen, audio controls on the steering wheel, and driver-selectable drive modes. Note: If you order a navigation system on the new Elantra, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto will require a cable.

The Elantra N-Line interior is distinguished by its leather-wrapped steering wheel, N-Line sports seats (with leather bolsters), red stitching, a black headliner, and an N-Line analog gauge cluster. The Elantra N-Line also has a wireless charging pad for your smartphone.

The new Elantra looks a lot like the Hyundai Sonata, but we like its proportions better. In describing the look of the car, company design boss Luc Donckerwolke uses the term “parametric dynamics” when discussing the Elantra’s most distinctive design detail, a triangle of sorts formed by three prominent lines.

Says Donckerwolke: “Having three lines meet at one point is a main ingredient in making the colorful parametric dynamics of Elantra. Using this design element was a daring challenge, which has been avoided in car design, marking Elantra’s ‘disrupter-spirit.'”

Front design highlights include a jewel-patterned cascading grille with integrated headlamps and turn signals, while the side of the new Elantra features some triangular sculpting and a bold edge running from front to rear. In the back, a wide horizontal line extends the width of the trunk and showcases H-shaped taillights and a wing-type lower bumper. The rear glass features a black deck that accentuates the new Elantra’s coupe-like look.

The new Elantra N-Line has a unique grille with a red character line, black side sills, N-Line badging, and 18-inch wheels (with available 235/40R-18 summer tires). It also has an N-Line rear fascia and diffuser, plus a lip spoiler, twin chrome exhausts, LED projector headlights, and LED taillights.

WIRELESS APPLE CARPLAY AND ANDROID AUTO
With this standard feature, your smartphone interface appears on the Elantra’s infotainment screen, ready to provide you with your familiar navigation system and musical playlist. No cords needed. (Note: The Elantra Limited, which has a nav system, requires a cable connection for Apple CarPlay/Android.)

HYUNDAI DIGITAL KEY
With the optional Hyundai Digital Key, the Elantra can be unlocked, locked, and started without the key. To unlock the Elantra, just hold your smartphone against the driver or passenger door handle.

The Elantra SE, SEL, and Limited models come standard with a fuel-efficient 2.0-liter Atkinson-cycle 4-cylinder engine and a CVT. Among the other standard features are Wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto and Hyundai’s SmartSense suite of safety technologies. These models also have selectable drive modes, plus an 8-inch color display, Bluetooth and HD Radio.

Standard safety features include automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, along with lane-keeping assist, lane-follow assist, active high-beam headlights and, a driver attention monitor.

The Elantra N-Line has a 201-horsepower 1.6-liter 4-cylinder engine that mates to a standard 6-speed manual transmission or a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic with shift paddles. In addition to multiple N-Line exterior design touches, this agile Elantra has sport-tuned multilink independent rear suspension (versus a torsion-beam axle on the standard Elantra), larger front brakes, and stiffer powertrain mounts. Inside, the N-Line boasts sport seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, a wireless smartphone charger, a black headliner, and an N-Line analog gauge cluster.

In the fuel-efficient new Elantra Hybrid, a different 1.6-liter engine mates to a 43-horsepower electric motor that draws power from a 1.32-kWh lithium-ion polymer battery. In addition to a 6-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, the new 2021 Hyundai Elantra Hybrid gets multilink rear suspension and an electronic parking brake. The Elantra Hybrid SEL and Elantra Hybrid Limited are equipped similarly to their respective gas-powered versions.

Optional interior features on the 2021 Hyundai Elantra include the 10.25-inch digital screens for the instruments and infotainment system, plus the BlueLink Connected Car System with three years of complimentary service. Wireless smartphone charging also is available, as is an 8-speaker Bose sound system with wide-range speakers in the front doors and a woofer on the rear deck.

Additionally, you can order the 2021 Hyundai Elantra (SEL and the Limited with the Premium Package) with a voice-recognition system that responds more quickly and is much better at understanding important commands like “Turn the air conditioner on,” “Find the nearest Waffle House,” or even “What is the temperature in Duarte?” Also available: Hyundai’s Android-based Digital Key and a 10.25-inch navigation screen with a faster processor.

Optional safety features include a blind-spot monitor and rear cross-traffic assist (with automatic braking), plus Highway Driving Assist and a Safe Exit Warning.

The Elantra SE, SEL, and Limited are powered by an efficient 2.0-liter Atkinson-cycle 4-cylinder engine that produces 147 horsepower @ 6,200 rpm and 132 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,500 rpm. RPM. It mates to a CVT. The base SE model gets outstanding EPA fuel-economy of 33 mpg city/43 mpg highway/37 mpg combined.

The new Elantra Hybrid, naturally, does even better. Equipped with a 1.6-liter Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder engine, a 32-kilowatt electric motor, and a 1.32-kWh lithium-ion battery beneath its rear seats, the Elantra Hybrid aims has estimated EPA combined fuel economy of 54 mpg (SEL). The combined output of the Elantra Hybrid is 139 horsepower and up to 195 lb-ft of torque, and the engine mounts to a 6-speed dual-clutch automatic. An electric-only driving mode can function even at highway speeds.

Also new is the Hyundai Elantra N-Line, which is powered by a different turbo 1.6-liter 4-cylinder with a stout 201 horsepower. The sporty new Elantra N-Line, we’re happy to report, can be ordered with a 6-speed manual gearbox (standard) or a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic with shift paddles. Look for an even sportier track-ready Elantra, the Elantra N, to arrive in mid-2021. It will be powered by the same engine found in the thoroughly entertaining Hyundai Veloster N, the KBB Performance Car Best Buy of 2019.

2.0-liter inline-4 (SE, SEL, Limited)
147 horsepower @ 6,200 rpm
132 lb-ft of torque @ 4,500 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 33 mpg/43 mpg (SE), 31/41 (SEL & Limited)

1.6-liter inline-4/32-kW electric motor (Elantra Hybrid)
139 horsepower (combined)
195 lb-ft of torque (combined
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 53 mpg/56 mpg (SEL), 49 mpg/52 mpg (Limited)

Turbo 1.6-liter inline-4 (Elantra N-Line)
201 horsepower @ 6,000 rpm
195 lb-ft of torque @ 1,500-4,500 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: est 22/29 mpg