2023 Acura Integra vs 2024 Hyundai Elantra

The 2023 Acura Integra was a testament to Acura's cohesive design language, seamlessly fitting into the brand's lineup with its pentagonal grille, JewelEye headlights, and sharply creased character lines. It replaced the ILX compact sedan, offering a more modern five-door liftback design reminiscent of the third-generation Integra. The vehicle's wide track and long wheelbase gave it a solid, planted look, while the embossed "Integra" name added a nostalgic touch. Inside, the Integra shared some similarities with the Honda Civic, but with enough unique features to maintain its premium feel. The interior boasted a 9-inch color touchscreen, a thin steering wheel, and excellent exterior visibility, although rearward visibility was less impressive. The A-Spec trims featured microsuede upholstery, which, while stylish, lacked breathability. Overall, the Integra offered a well-constructed interior, though it didn't quite match the bespoke refinement of its German competitors.

In contrast, the 2024 Hyundai Elantra showcased Hyundai's bold design approach, with dramatic exterior styling that sometimes took a few too many risks. The Elantra's side featured numerous hard creases, creating a disjointed look, though darker colors helped to mask these lines. The N Line trim, with its Exotic Green paint and dark gray wheels, exuded a wild, brash character. The 2024 refresh introduced a cleaner front end with a lower grille and connected headlights, adding a premium touch with stainless steel badges. The Elantra's body proportions mimicked a more expensive sports sedan, with a low, elongated profile and a fastback-like rear end. Inside, the Elantra offered a mix of analog and digital controls, with a thin center stack angled toward the driver. While the interior was mostly plastic, the design conveyed a sense of movement, and the build quality was commendable for its price point.

The 2023 Acura Integra marked a significant milestone with its turbocharged 1.5-liter engine, delivering 200 horsepower and 192 pound-feet of torque. This lively powertrain was paired with a six-speed manual transmission, available exclusively on the A-Spec with Technology trim. The manual transmission featured short throws and automatic rev-matching, making gear changes smooth and engaging. The Integra's handling was impressive, thanks to its wide track and long wheelbase, providing a planted feel through corners. The variable-ratio electric power-steering system offered a natural feel on highways and sharp responsiveness in corners. The Integra also featured three drive modes—Comfort, Normal, and Sport—allowing drivers to tailor the driving experience to their preferences.

The 2024 Hyundai Elantra offered a diverse range of powertrains, with four engines and five transmissions. The most common trims featured a 2.0-liter inline-four with 147 horsepower, paired with a CVT, providing adequate performance for city driving but lacking on highways. The N Line trim, with its 1.6-liter turbo-four engine, delivered 201 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque, offering a zippy and engaging driving experience. The Elantra N, with its 276 horsepower and 289 pound-feet of torque, was a standout performer, though it exhibited turbo lag and torque steer. The Elantra Hybrid, with its 1.6-liter engine and electric motor, prioritized fuel efficiency, achieving nearly 60 mpg on the highway. Overall, the Elantra offered a range of options to suit different driving preferences, from fuel-efficient hybrids to sporty performance models.

The 2023 Acura Integra's liftback design enhanced its practicality, offering 24.3 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats. However, the high lift-over height made loading heavy or bulky items challenging. The interior provided ample space for front passengers, with a logical dashboard layout and convenient storage options. Rear passengers enjoyed decent legroom, though headroom was limited due to the steeply sloped roofline. Despite these limitations, the Integra's rear seat cushions were notably comfortable.

The 2024 Hyundai Elantra featured a well-thought-out interior with a mix of analog and digital controls. The front seats offered good visibility and headroom, with a sunroof standard on N Line and Limited trims. Rear passengers benefited from generous legroom and two USB-C ports, though air vents were absent. The trunk provided 14.2 cubic feet of cargo space, with 60/40 folding rear seats for added versatility. The N trim's red X-brace limited seat pass-through, but overall, the Elantra's interior was spacious and functional.

The 2023 Acura Integra came equipped with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and a 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster as standard features. The Technology package upgraded the touchscreen to a 9-inch unit and added a head-up display, wireless charging, and wireless smartphone integration. The A-Spec with Technology trim also included a USB-C port for the front seats and two USB-A ports for the rear seats. The ELS Studio 3D premium audio system, with 16 speakers, provided an exceptional listening experience, making the Integra a technological standout in its segment.

The 2024 Hyundai Elantra featured a 10.25-inch touchscreen on SEL-and-above trims, while the SE had an 8-inch screen with surrounding shortcut buttons and knobs. The infotainment system offered customization options, though the icons were small and difficult to identify while driving. A Wi-Fi hotspot and digital key function were new options for 2024, and the N Line and Limited trims included an eight-speaker Bose stereo and wireless charging pad. Highway Driving Assist was standard on the Limited trim, providing accurate steering assistance on marked highways.

The 2023 Acura Integra set a high standard for safety equipment, offering a comprehensive suite of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) across all trim levels. Features included automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, and traffic sign recognition. The A-Spec with Technology trim added low-speed braking control and parking sensors. The Integra received a five-star overall safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

The 2024 Hyundai Elantra also received a five-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA and was named a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Standard safety features included forward automatic emergency braking, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, and auto high beams. Higher trims added cyclist detection, front cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, and a 360-degree camera system. Despite these features, the Elantra's performance in some IIHS crash tests was less favorable than previous models.