2019 Kia Optima vs 2019 Hyundai Elantra

The 2019 Kia Optima, while not as groundbreaking as its 2011–2015 predecessor, still managed to capture attention with its appealing design. The car featured a trademark tiger-nose grille, sassy fender-vent trim, and an available black panoramic glass roof. With a variety of trim levels, buyers had options to find the right look at the right price. However, the availability of interior colors was limited, making it challenging to find the perfect combination. Prices ranged from $22,900 for the base LX to $35,790 for the SX Turbo with the luxurious Limited Package. The plug-in hybrid model was the most expensive, topping $42,000 with all options included. The SX Turbo trim, without the Limited Package, featured a blacked-out exterior, machined-face 18-inch aluminum wheels, red brake calipers, and extra-cost white pearl paint, giving it a stealthy sports sedan appearance. Inside, black leather with red inserts, a flat-bottom steering wheel, and upgraded instrumentation added to its racy look. Despite its appeal, the Limited Package upgrade was preferred for its added luxury touches.

The 2019 Hyundai Elantra, redesigned two years prior, initially had a tailored look inspired by the Genesis G80 sedan. For 2019, the Elantra received new styling forward of the windshield and front doors, redesigned wheels, and a new trunk lid, taillights, and rear bumper. The new design was described as kaleidoscopic and less appealing than the previous year. Inside, subtle changes improved the interior, with new air vents, a carbon-texture finish on some plastic housings, new gauges, and revised dashboard controls. The interior quality was high, with robust and solid-feeling components. The Elantra was available in two models: the 5-door hatchback GT and the 4-door sedan in SE, SEL, Value Edition, Eco, and Limited trims. Prices for the sedan started at $17,100, plus $885 for the destination charge. The Limited trim, with the Ultimate Package, added advanced safety features, a navigation system, a larger touchscreen, and other premium amenities, bringing the total to $26,690 including destination charges.

The 2019 Kia Optima offered five different engines, including hybrid powertrains. The base LX and sporty S trims had a 185-horsepower, 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine, while the mid-grade EX Turbo featured a 1.6-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder with 178 hp. Hybrid and plug-in hybrid models were also available, with the former returning 41 mpg in combined driving and the latter offering up to 28 miles of pure electric range. The SX Turbo test car had a 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine producing 245 hp and 260 pound-feet of torque. The 6-speed automatic transmission powered the front wheels, with manual shift gate and paddle shifters. Four driving modes—Eco, Comfort, Sport, and Smart—were available, with Smart mode adjusting vehicle behavior based on driving style. The car averaged 23.5 mpg on the testing loop, just short of the EPA's estimate of 24 mpg in combined driving. The SX Turbo trim featured a unique rack-mounted electrically assisted steering system, providing better feel at the wheel. However, the steering lacked crispness on mountain roads, reducing driver trust. The sport-tuned suspension offered a firm ride, but excess body motion on dips and whoops reduced confidence. Overall, the Optima SX Turbo was enjoyable to drive but not a performance sedan.

The 2019 Hyundai Elantra, equipped with a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine producing 147 horsepower, relied on a 6-speed automatic transmission to power the front wheels. Acceleration was acceptable, with Normal, Sport, and Smart driving modes available. Smart mode was supposed to adapt to driving style but was not very perceptive. Sport mode made the Elantra feel livelier but added unwelcome weight to the steering. The car averaged 29.3 mpg on the testing loop and 32.4 mpg after a week of driving, close to the EPA's estimate of 32 mpg in combined driving. Handling was decent, with the steering and brakes drawing no criticism but also no praise. The ride quality was busy due to the inexpensive torsion-beam rear-axle suspension. Overall, the Elantra was not terribly rewarding to drive but did not cause much aggravation either.

The 2019 Kia Optima provided comfort, simplicity, and ample storage for daily commuting. Controls were logically laid out, clearly marked, and easy to use. The car had a spacious 15.9-cubic-foot trunk and plenty of storage cubbies. The front seats offered various power adjustments, heating, and ventilation, with standard leather that looked good but felt stiff. The Limited Package upgrade provided Nappa leather, heated backseat cushions, and rear side-window shades. Backseat legroom was impressive, with good thigh support and a comfortable backrest angle. Rear air-conditioning vents and quick-charging USB ports were also provided. The Smart Trunk feature automatically popped the trunk lid when standing behind the car with the key fob, which was helpful when carrying items on icy pavement. Overall, the Optima was easy to live with, offering comfort, practicality, utility, and a bit of luxury with the Limited Package.

The 2019 Hyundai Elantra offered good front-seat comfort for a compact car, with height adjustment for both the driver and front passenger seats. Most trims included heated front seats, a leather-wrapped tilt-and-telescopic steering wheel, and dual-zone automatic climate control with a Clean Air ionizer system. Leather upholstery was limited to the Limited trim. Backseat comfort was less impressive, with hard plastic front seatbacks that were unkind to taller passengers' knees and shins. The backseat lacked air conditioning vents and USB ports, though larger feet could tuck under the front seats. Interior storage was decent, with a good-size center-console storage bin, a sizable glove box, a tray for smartphones, and big door bins. The Limited trim included a wireless charging pad. The Elantra's trunk offered 14.4 cubic feet of space, which was generous for a small car. The hands-free Smart Trunk feature popped the trunk when sensing the key fob near the back of the vehicle, eliminating the need to wave a foot under the bumper.

The 2019 Kia Optima came with a generous standard infotainment system, including an 8-inch touchscreen display with UVO technology, Bluetooth connectivity, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Siri Eyes Free, voice recognition, a USB port, and a reversing camera. The S and EX Turbo trims added satellite radio and UVO eServices, which ran on the smartphone's data plan. New for 2019, UVO eServices included a smartphone app for remote access to vehicle functions and remote start. The SX Turbo trim added a navigation system, HD Radio, and a Harman Kardon premium audio system. The infotainment system was easy to use, with a unique font choice and voice-recognition technology that offered some flexibility with commands.

The 2019 Hyundai Elantra, except for the base SE, came with a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system running Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and satellite radio with a free 3-month trial subscription. The Limited trim included an Infinity premium sound system with Clari-Fi digital music restoration technology. The Ultimate Package added an 8-inch display screen, a navigation system, and SiriusXM Data Services. The infotainment system was easy to use, with the right number of knobs and buttons to limit screen interaction. The Limited's Infinity audio system delivered impressive sound quality, and the instrumentation glowed white at night, with secondary switchgear illuminated in a soothing blue hue. The Value Edition and Limited trims included a free 3-year trial subscription to Blue Link services, offering a long list of safety and convenience functions compatible with smartwatches and smart home voice-assistant devices.

The 2019 Kia Optima included important driver-assistance and collision-avoidance systems as standard equipment, making it a great value for a family-size car. Standard features included forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, rear parking-assist sensors, and a driver-monitoring system. Upgrades included adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go capability and a surround-view camera system. The Optima's advanced safety features worked well, with subtle lane-keeping assist technology. The car received top-notch crash-test ratings, with the IIHS giving it top ratings except for an Acceptable rating for child safety seat LATCH anchor accessibility. The NHTSA gave the Optima 5-star ratings in every test assessment except for a 4-star rating for front passenger protection in a frontal-impact collision.

The 2019 Hyundai Elantra included important driver-assistance and collision-avoidance systems starting with the SEL trim. Standard features included forward-collision warning with automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning with lane-keeping assist, a blind-spot-monitoring system with rear cross-traffic alert, and a driver-monitoring system. The Limited trim added adaptive cruise control, pedestrian detection, automatic high-beam headlights, and a Safe Exit system. The Elantra received top marks from the IIHS, except for an Acceptable rating for LATCH child-seat anchor accessibility. The NHTSA gave the Elantra a 4-star overall rating, with 4-star frontal-impact and side-impact protection ratings for rear-seat occupants.