2020 Honda Civic vs 2020 Hyundai Elantra

The 2020 Hyundai Elantra retained its bold geometric styling from the previous year, which was a departure from its earlier Genesis Jr. design cues. This design was a precursor to the more angular 2021 model. The Elantra was available in five trims: Essential, Preferred, Luxury, Ultimate, and Sport, with prices ranging from $17,099 to $27,549, excluding a $1,825 destination charge. The Elantra Ultimate, with its black paint, highlighted the car's angular features and chrome detailing, resulting in a stylish appearance. Inside, the Elantra's interior was updated with silver trim accents, giving it a more upscale look, though it still featured some hard plastics typical of a mainstream compact car.

The 2020 Honda Civic was a standout in Honda's lineup, offering a sharp design across its sedan, coupe, and hatchback body styles. The sedan featured an elongated, elegant body with a svelte roofline, while the hatchback had a quirky tall rump. The Civic's exterior was visually stimulating, with wide, arcing headlights and sweeping LED taillights accentuating its low and wide stance. The 2019 updates to the grilles, bumpers, and wheels carried over to 2020, with the Civic Si models receiving additional enhancements like matte-black 18-inch wheels and LED lighting options. Inside, the Civic's simple yet high-quality interior featured soft-touch materials and a well-organized centre console, with new dash accents and sport seats for the Si trim.

The 2020 Hyundai Elantra offered a base 147-horsepower, 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine paired with a new continuously variable transmission (CVT), replacing the previous six-speed automatic. The CVT, known as the "Intelligent Variable Transmission," featured a chain belt and wide-ratio pulley system for improved efficiency and responsiveness. However, real-world fuel efficiency fell short of expectations, averaging 8.0 L/100 km compared to the anticipated 6.8 L/100 km. The Elantra Sport trim, with a 1.6-litre turbocharged engine producing 201 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque, offered a more engaging driving experience with its independent rear suspension. The standard Elantra's torsion beam axle rear suspension detracted from ride quality, making it less inspiring to drive.

The 2020 Honda Civic provided a range of engine options, starting with a 2.0-litre inline 4-cylinder engine producing 158 horsepower and 138 lb-ft of torque. A six-speed manual transmission was standard, with a CVT available on most trims. The 1.5-litre turbocharged engine, available on higher trims, delivered 174 to 180 horsepower, offering better mid-range acceleration and responsiveness. The Civic Si featured a 1.5-litre engine with 205 horsepower and 192 lb-ft of torque, while the Type R boasted 306 horsepower and 295 lb-ft. The Civic's powertrains were smooth and responsive, with the Si and Type R providing thrilling driving experiences. The Si's adaptive dampers and precise steering enhanced handling, though the shorter final-drive ratio impacted fuel efficiency slightly.

The 2020 Hyundai Elantra was among the roomier compact cars, comfortably accommodating four adults, with a fifth person fitting for short trips. The test car featured power driver's seat adjustment, leather upholstery, and a sliding centre console armrest. Upper trims included dual-zone automatic climate control and heated front seats, though rear passengers lacked air conditioning vents. The Elantra's trunk offered 407 litres of space, nearly matching some midsize sedans, and included a convenient interior grab handle for easy closing.

The 2020 Honda Civic provided ample interior space, with the hatchback offering additional sound insulation. The EX hatchback featured an eight-way power-adjustable driver's seat, and the centre console offered configurable storage options. Rear passengers enjoyed generous space, though rear air vents were absent. The Civic's trunk capacity varied by body style, with the sedan offering 416 litres, the coupe 343 litres, and the hatchback 728 litres behind the rear seats, expanding to 1,302 litres with them folded down.

The 2020 Hyundai Elantra came standard with a touchscreen infotainment system, Bluetooth, and a USB port. The base Essential trim featured a 5-inch screen, while the Preferred trim upgraded to a 7-inch display with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and SiriusXM. The Ultimate trim added an 8-inch touchscreen, navigation, a wireless charging pad, and a premium Infinity sound system. The infotainment system was user-friendly, with shortcut buttons and volume/tuning knobs, and the Infinity sound system impressed with its audio quality.

The 2020 Honda Civic's infotainment system was outdated, with a slower interface and complex operation compared to newer Honda models. Bluetooth was standard, and a 7-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto was available on most trims. The Civic Si introduced Active Sound Control, which could be turned off, and featured a 450-watt, 10-speaker stereo. The Civic also offered LaneWatch, a camera-based blind-spot monitoring system, and Honda Sensing, which included advanced safety features like adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assist.

The 2020 Hyundai Elantra offered advanced driving assistance systems on the Preferred trim, including forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, and lane-keeping assist. The Ultimate trim added full LED headlights, adaptive cruise control, and pedestrian detection. The Elantra earned a Top Safety Pick from the IIHS with LED headlights and a four-star overall rating from the NHTSA, though there was a concern about rear-door intrusion in side-impact tests.

The 2020 Honda Civic came with Honda Sensing, which included forward collision warning, emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, and adaptive cruise control. The Civic earned a Top Safety Pick rating from the IIHS for all body styles except the Type R, which wasn't tested. It received a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA, with a four-star rating for the passenger frontal crash on the coupe.