Hyundai improves fuel economy with the all-new 2021 Elantra, but even older models will show you savings at the pump.
The humble Hyundai Elantra underwent a massive makeover for the 2021 model year. While Hyundai has developed a reputation for being an incredible value over the past couple of decades, the new Elantra seems to be another leap forward for the company. Outside you’ll find smooth and flowing body lines with design cues that mimic that of expensive luxury cars. Inside, options for sporty bolstered seats or plush leather trim leave you forgetting you’re in an affordable car.
As if all of this wasn’t enough to get you excited, the sixth-generation Hyundai Elantra comes with an almost unimaginable warranty. Hyundai simply calls it “America’s Best Warranty,” with coverage for five years or 60,000 miles bumper to bumper, five years of unlimited mileage roadside assistance, and a jaw-dropping ten-year or 100,000-mile powertrain warranty.
To top it off, they even have a seven-year unlimited mileage anti-perforation warranty, guaranteeing your car against paint fade and natural decay. They even offer complimentary maintenance for the first three years or 36,000 miles.
The most substantial breakthrough for the new generation of the Hyundai Elantra is the incredible fuel economy ratings. The gas mileage numbers these mid-size sedans you could easily tote a small family around in are reporting are nothing short of amazing. That isn’t even considering the hybrid option new to the 2021 model year, either.
That’s not to say great fuel economy is a new idea for the Elantra lineup. Even if you aren’t in the market for a brand-new car, pre-owned Elantras from the current generation (2016-present) and prior still offer impressive fuel-sipping options. Let’s take a look at what each generation has to offer.
All-new 2021 Hyundai Elantra
The 2021 Elantra comes in several different trims. Each one has its own benefits, whether it be performance options, luxury upgrades, or affordability. However, every single one of them has impressive gas mileage.
We’ll start with the cheapest and work our way up. It’s worth keeping in mind that these are not hybrids, despite the numbers making you think they could be.
The Hyundai Elantra SE is the cheapest trim option available for 2021. It features a 147 horsepower 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder and starts at $19,650. Don’t let the price or the thoughts of a base model deter you, though. This trim still comes standard with things like wireless Android Auto and Apple Car Play and safety features like lane-departure warning and forward-collision avoidance.
What’s more, is the fact that this is the most fuel-efficient of the lineup. It has astounding EPA ratings of 33 mpg city and 43 mpg highway, the SE comes combined rating comes in at 37 mpg.
Next in line is the Hyundai Elantra SEL model. It shares the same engine as the SE but adds 16-inch alloy wheels, hands-free trunk release, a proximity key with push-button start, and a few other upgrades. Though it sees no increase in power, it is a healthy compromise if you don’t want to go with the absolute base model that is the SE.
With its starting price at $20,900, it is not that much of a step up in price from the SE. That being said, you aren’t sacrificing much in terms of gas mileage. The SEL is EPA rated at 31 mpg city and 41 mpg highway for a combined rating of 35 mpg.
Hyundai Elantra N Line & More
Next up is a bit of a departure from the economic field of thought. However, it does still manage to fetch some impressive fuel economy ratings. The Hyundai Elantra N Line is a performance-ish variant of the 2021 models. It offers a bit of a taste of the almighty Hyundai Veloster N while maintaining a mid-size sedan’s practicality.
It features independent rear suspension, an optional six-speed manual transmission, bolstered sporty leather-trimmed seats, 18-inch alloy wheels, and a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder outputting 201 horsepower.
Despite its lean toward performance, the N Line still gets an EPA rating of 25 mpg city and 34 mpg highway for a combined rating of 28 mpg. How spoiled are we that those numbers seem bad? The N line has a starting price of $24,100.
The final variant of the non-hybrid lineup is the Hyundai Elantra Limited. It is the most expensive with a starting price of $25,450. What the N line seeks to be in performance is what the limited does in class.
It features leather-trimmed seats, a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system, parking collision avoidance, smart cruise control, a wireless charging pad for your phone, and much more. It shares the same 2.0-liter engine the SE and SEL offer and has an EPA rating of 31 mpg city and 41 mpg highway for a combined rating of 35 mpg.
While these numbers are awe-inspiring, Hyundai managed to take it a step further. 2021 is the first year a hybrid variant of the Elantra became available, and its efficiency is bewildering.
2021 Elantra Hybrid Limited & Hybrid Blue
The 2021 Hyundai Elantra Hybrid variants offer even more jaw-dropping fuel economy options. While they are not the spitting image of performance, that’s not exactly why you’d get a hybrid in the first place. The Elantra Hybrid comes in two trim levels; blue and limited. Both feature the 1.6-liter GDI hybrid-assisted four-cylinder engine with an output of 139 horsepower.
The Elantra Hybrid Blue is the cheaper of the two options, with a starting price of $23,550. It comes standard with the same eight-inch touch screen display found in the standard Elantra SE with all the same features. It also has heated seats as standard, hands-free trunk release, and blind-spot monitoring.
The Elantra Hybrid Blue is the most fuel-efficient of the entire Elantra lineup, with a staggering EPA rating of 53 mpg city and 56 mpg highway for a combined rating of 54 mpg. To put it simply, these ratings are outstanding.
The Elantra Hybrid Limited is the more luxurious variant of the hybrid offerings. It features the 10.25-inch touch screen display found in the standard Limited model and heated/ventilated seats, and intelligent memory controls for seat positioning of different drivers. It also features similar leather-clad seats to the non-hybrid Limited model. Its starting price is $28,100.
While it does reduce efficiency from the Blue trim a tad, it still manages an impressive EPA rating of 49 mpg city and 52 mpg highway for a combined rating of 50 mpg overall.
If fuel economy is your concern, a 2021 Elantra of just about any trim is going to blow you away. Whether or not you go with a hybrid, there are plenty of efficiency options spanning a broad range of budgets.
Previous-generation Hyundai Elantra (2015-2020)
If you aren’t in the market for a brand new car but the Elantra still appeals to you, the previous-generation models also offer some remarkable fuel economy options. In the interest of staying in the middle of the road as far as this generation goes, we’re going to go over the several trim options available for the model year 2018 Hyundai Elantra.
Like the current generation, the SE variant of the previous-gen Elantra is the cheapest. It also features a 147 horsepower 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder engine. While it is a base model, the 2018 model year did come standard with some luxuries like Bluetooth and a six-speaker audio system.
It manages an EPA rating of 29 mpg city and 38 mpg highway for the automatic variant. The manual version sees a bit of a decrease with 26 mpg city and 36 mpg highway ratings. Not too shabby!
Next in line are both the SEL and Value Edition trim levels. They both offer upgrades from the base model like a seven-inch infotainment system, blind-spot monitoring with lane-change assist, and are capable of Sirius XM radio.
They also feature the 147 horsepower 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder. The EPA ratings of these trim levels come in at 28 mpg city and 37 mpg highway.
The Elantra Eco is a bit of a departure from the standard offerings in this generation. Its intended purpose is to be as efficient as possible, and it does a great job at it!
It features the same standard equipment of the SEL and Value edition but sports a 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with 128 horsepower. Its remarkable EPA ratings put it at 32 mpg city and 40 mpg highway, making it the most efficient offering of the previous generation Elantra lineup.
Previous-gen. Elantra Continued
Like the 2021 model year examples, this generation also features a flagship variant of the Elantra sharing the name Limited. It features Hyundai’s Blue Link automatic vehicle health system, automatic emergency braking, smart cruise control, and automatic lane-keeping technology.
Like the SE, SEL, and Value Edition, the limited comes with a 147 horsepower 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder. It also shares the fuel economy rating of the SEL and Value edition at 28 mpg city and 37 mpg highway.
Finally, the least efficient but most exciting (for the driver) variant of the previous generation Elantra is the Sport model. Like the N line of the 2021 model year, it features a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with 201 horsepower and an available manual transmission.
It also has optional upgrades to a premium sound system and an eight-inch touch screen with navigation. The performance aspect does cost you a bit of fuel efficiency.
However, it is still decent on gas mileage with EPA ratings of 22 mpg city and 30 mpg highway for the manual transmission models and 26 mpg city and 33 mpg highway for automatics.
While these examples don’t quite produce the same insane fuel economy ratings of the 2021 model year Elantras, they are still great on fuel.
Additionally, this generation Elantra can be found with relatively low mileage and in great shape for under $15,000 in many cases.
Additionally, buying a certified pre-owned one maintains the incredible warranty we mentioned before.
Hyundai Elantra: Affordable & Great Gas Mileage
The Hyundai Elantra continues to push the envelope in terms of what a mid-size sedan can do in terms of fuel economy. Even when you don’t consider the hybrid variants, their ability to breach 40 mpg with a standard gas engine across the past two generations makes them a staple of efficiency at remarkably affordable prices.
If you’re in the market for a new or used mid-size sedan, the Elantra is definitely worth looking into.
Photos: Hyundai
