Should You Buy a 2024 Hyundai Elantra?

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• The 2024 Hyundai Elantra starts at $22,775 in the United States and at $23,774 in Canada, freight and delivery charges included.

• Great fuel economy, spacious cabin, easy-to-use infotainment system.

• Average trunk size, fat front pillars limit outward visibility, 2.0L engine and transmission combo slow to react in normal drive mode.

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What happens when a manufacturer keeps a model name in its lineup for many years and spanning several generations of said vehicle? Unless the car is an utter and complete disaster, which rarely happens, it gains brand recognition and becomes a household name, as is the case with the 2024 Hyundai Elantra.

The compact car just received a mid-cycle refresh. It’s not that it really needed one from a design standpoint, as its origami-like shape and sheetmetal sets it apart from its competition. Still, the sedan boasts a slightly redesigned front end, as the grille no longer cascades right down to the lower bumper trim, with a newly added horizontal, mid-height bumper, giving the car a shark-nosed look. The headlights are slightly slimmer, with a full-width trim line visually connecting them together. The taillights haven’t changed, but the bumper has been reskinned. There are also new paint colors and alloy wheel designs.

On the safety front, rear side airbags are now standard across the board, as is a rear seat belt reminder, while the sedan’s steering wheel gets haptic feedback for the lane keep assist, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross traffic alert and avoidance systems.

Inside, the 2024 Hyundai Elantra benefits from new soft-touch door panels up front, additional USB-C ports, a redesigned wireless phone charging pad, a new 4.2-inch driver instrument cluster in entry-level trims, new leatherette upholstery in uplevel trims, and new interior color schemes. The sound system now includes six speakers as standard, while the Bose eight-speaker system and the 10.25-inch infotainment system touchscreen trickles down into more trim levels.

The range-topping, performance-focused Elantra N also gets exterior restyling and interior enhancements, along with mechanical refinements to reduce engine shake, suspension and steering tweaks, stability control system changes and more.

There are no powertrain changes. The SE and SEL and Luxury trims in the U.S. in addition to Essential, Preferred and Luxury trims in Canada feature a 2.0L four-cylinder engine and a continuously variable automatic transmission, sending power to the front wheels while generation 147 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque. The U.S. N Line and Canadian N Line Ultimate receive the turbocharged 1.6L four and seven-speed dual-clutch automatic, good for 201 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque, while the Elantra N boasts a turbo 2.0L four with up to 286 horsepower and 289 pound-feet, managed by either a six-speed manual or an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic. Meanwhile, a hybrid powertrain consisting of a 1.6L four, an electric motor and a six-speed dual-clutch automatic that rounds up a combined 139 horsepower is available in the U.S.-market Blue HEV and Limited HEV variants as well as the Canadian-market Luxury Hybrid.

Engine/Transmission	Output (hp @ rpm)	Torque (lb-ft @ rpm)	City/Highway/Combined (mpg)	City/Highway/Combined (L/100 km)
2.0L I4 / CVT	147 @ 6,200	132 @ 4,500	32 / 41 / 36 (SE) 31 / 40 / 34 (SEL/Limited)	7.3 / 5.7 / 6.5 (Essential) 7.6 / 5.9 / 6.8 (Preferred /Luxury)
1.6L I4 HEV / 6-speed DCT	139	195	51 / 58 / 54 (Blue) 49 / 52 / 50 (Limited)	4.8 / 4.5 / 4.7 (Luxury Hybrid)
Turbo 1.6L I4 / 7-speed DCT	201 @ 6,000	195 @ 1,500 to 4,500	28 / 35 / 31 (N Line)	8.3 / 6.8 / 7.6 (N Line Ultimate)
Turbo 2.0L I4 / 6-speed manual	276 @ 5,500 to 6,000 (286 with boost)	289 @ 2,100 to 4,700	21 / 29 / 24 (N)	11.0 / 8.1 / 9.7 (N)
Turbo 2.0L I4 / 8-speed DCT	276 @ 5,500 to 6,000 (286 with boost)	289 @ 2,100 to 4,700	20 / 27 / 23 (N)	11.8 / 8.6 / 10.4 (N)

 

During our winter test of a lightly equipped Elantra, we managed a fuel consumption average of 31 mpg or 7.5 L/100 km.

Pricing ranges from $22,775 to $30,600 for the 2024 Hyundai Elantra in the United States, freight and delivery charges included, while the Elantra N is priced from $34,850 to $36,350. In Canada, the refreshed Elantra is priced from $23,774 to $33,124, which includes freight and delivery charges, but not dealer fees. Canadian Elantra N pricing isn’t available yet, but that of the 2023 model runs from $39,474 to $41,074.

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Why You Should Buy a 2024 Hyundai Elantra

• As with previous model years, the 2024 Hyundai Elantra serves up a decently sized cabin, while rear-seat occupants benefit from plenty of legroom and easy entry/exit.
• Fuel economy is up there with the best in the compact-car segment. Actually, it’s among the most fuel-efficient among non-hybrid compacts, and the hybrid’s combined rating matches that of the Corolla Hybrid. The Elantra N trails the Toyota GR Corolla and Volkswagen Golf R regarding combined fuel economy, but barely.
• The 2024 Hyundai Elantra’s infotainment system is easy to use, and keeping physical climate control switchgear is a blessing as they’re much less distracting to operate while driving.
• The Elantra’s lineup is varied, with a powertrain choice for all types of buyer needs and wants. As usual, the Elantra offers a high level of features for the price, as even the base trims get lane keep assist, automatic high beams, cruise control and an 8.0-inch infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, while the Canadian market gets heated front seats as standard as well, and the U.S market gets blind spot monitoring. Available features include a power sunroof, leather seating, the aforementioned 10.25-inch touchscreen with navigation, a 10.25-inch driver instrument cluster, dual-zone climate control, a heated steering wheel, an intelligent key with remote start, adaptive cruise control and much more.

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Why You Shouldn’t Buy a 2024 Hyundai Elantra

• Although the Elantra’s cabin is spacious, its low roofline means some occupants might feel a little claustrophobic inside. And because of the raked windshield, the front pillars are wide and obstruct outward visibility.
• The base 2.0L engine and continuously variable automatic are fine for the daily commute, but the transmission is slow to react, since it’s programmed to maximize fuel economy—which it does. However, that sluggishness to react to our right foot on the gas pedal can get a little irritating. Switching to Sport mode fixes this, though. The Elantra N is by no means slow, but its road and exhaust noise can get tiring if we’re considering the car as a daily driver.
• Not a big deal, really, but an inside trunk handle to close said trunk would be nice, which would prevent us from getting our hands dirty during wintertime. It would probably cost $2 a car to add a plastic grab handle. Do it, Hyundai.
• The hybrid powertrain costs more than the Corolla’s. Since we’re talking about the Toyota, it offers four trim levels in hybrid configuration, compared to two for the Hyundai in the U.S. and one in Canada. The Corolla Hybrid is also available with AWD, not the Elantra.

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Final Word

Why is it important for the 2024 Hyundai Elantra to have strong brand recognition? Because most of its competitors do as well. The Honda Civic and the Toyota Corolla nameplates have been around for what seems like forever, while the Nissan Sentra, Volkswagen Golf GTI and Volkswagen Jetta nameplates appeared in the late seventies or early eighties. The Subaru Impreza debuted in 1993, the Mazda3 has been around since 2004, while the Kia Forte was introduced for 2010, so they’re fairly recent. This marketing longevity appears as a testament to quality and durability, and Hyundai can now be proud to say that the Elantra nameplate, which was introduced for the 1991 model year, is becoming synonymous for those qualities as well. It’s a strong contender in the compact-car segment that can’t be overlooked by shoppers.

Which one offers the best bang for the buck? The U.S.-market Elantra SEL is listed at $24,725, while the Canadian-market Elantra Preferred with the Tech Package—the one we tested—is the best value at $27,774.