Hyundai Elantra vs Chevrolet Malibu

Every year, compact cars get better and better. As early as the mid-2000s, it occurred to some automakers that commuters desired features like heated leather seats, navigation, and keyless entry in smaller cars. A daily driver that's good on gas and easy to park shouldn’t also be deprived of basic creature comforts. And from that climate, Hyundai began its ascension into value-oriented vehicles that don’t feel cheap. The culmination of that quality-small-car campaign is the 2017 Hyundai Elantra. It builds on a very competent outgoing generation with some of the best styling, ergonomics, safety, and technology you can find for short money.

The Elantra has come a long way since its humble beginnings in the 1990s, and while the hotly contested small-car market has come a long way since then, it's the Elantra that appears to have made the most progress. But is a tech-laden redesign enough to take on the likes of the Ford Focus, the Toyota Corolla, and the Honda Civic?