Why drive a 2017 Honda Civic when a 2017 Hyundai Elantra is on the market? It’s the equivalent of buying food from Taco Bell while in Mexico instead of eating an authentic dish from a local restaurant — something you just don’t do. If you do, you’re paying for something that’s not only going to be more expensive, but also of lesser quality. And this culinary metaphor applies to the Civic. After all, it’s more expensive than the Elantra, and can’t even come close to matching its supreme quality. Heck, Elantra even starts with ‘e’ and ends with ‘a,’ just like enchilada. Yet another delicious homemade dish that isn’t found on the Taco Bell menu.
Wait, don’t go! I know you want to get your hands on that sweat-inducing, stomach-destroying, yet oh-so-delicious 25-layer, quadruple-steak, extra cheese, double-stuffed burrito from your nearest Taco Bell (I mean, who doesn’t?). But, you need to read why the Elantra is better than the Civic before you go. The primary reasons are price and value.
The Elantra is on the Dollar Menu
Compared to the price of the 2017 Honda Civic, the Elantra might as well be considered the next big hit on par with the KFC/Taco Bell establishment’s value menu. With a starting MSRP of just $17,150, you’re getting an immense amount of value-for-your-dollar when you buy. The 2017 Honda Civic? That comes at a depressing starting MSRP of $18,740. Even the highest trim of the Civic can’t compare. At a starting MSRP of $26,600, it’s over $4,000 more expensive than the Hyundai Elantra Limited trim.
Regardless of which trim you buy on the Civic, you’re going to end up paying way more than you have to. This fact alone makes the Elantra a much more appealing purchase. But, the super-sized ass-kicking the Elantra gives the Civic doesn’t stop with just the price.
The Elantra Comes with All the Toppings
Just like any good Mexican dish should, the Elantra comes with all the toppings. By Mexican dish I mean car, and by toppings I mean features. But, if you want to sprinkle cheese and load sour cream, guac, and salsa onto the hood of your Elantra and turn it into a giant metal burrito, I won’t stop you.
Take a look at the Limited trim Elantra, for example. It has a 7-inch touchscreen display with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay capability. SiriusXM radio will help you find your favorite tunes, and Hyundai’s famous BlueLink Car Telematics system is on board as well. Leather seats, leather-wrapped steering wheel, and a 3.5-inch TFT monochromatic multi-information display are also present. Hyundai thought of everything, including door handle approach lights. Hey, it’s the little things that count.
While the Civic shares some similar features, the Elantra is able to either one-up the shared ones, or provide more for less. While Honda has a lot of optional packages, they only include three or four features at a time at most. Hyundai made sure the three packages the Elantra has add on a substantial amount of features, regardless of which one you get. Again, proving the Elantra provides better value-for-your-dollar.
If looking through Honda’s website wasn’t equivalent to navigating (on foot) through rush hour traffic blindfolded, I’d provide more examples. But, even expert reviewers like Edmunds take note of the Elantra’s abundance of features compared to the cost.
What does all this mean? Simply put, the Elantra provides much better value and savings. For new car owners, that’s the whole enchilada.
