Road Trip Rides: 2026 Hyundai Elantra

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The sedan world is shrinking, taken over by crossovers and SUVs; it’s been like this for over a decade.
However, for the compact sedans that still remain, there’s a lot of value to be had.
The Toyota Corolla, Mazda 3, Honda Civic and our featured Road Trip Ride, the Hyundai Elantra, provide excellent value for those on a budget and who don’t need as much cargo space.

The 2026 Hyundai Elantra comes in gasoline or hybrid variants, and there’s even a high performance version.
With unique looks and a wealth of standard features, there’s a lot to like here.

Key Info

Body type: compact sedan
Engine: Two-litre four-cylinder, 147 horsepower, 132 lb-ft. torque, CVT, front-wheel drive
Fuel economy: 6.9 per 100/km combined
Fuel tank size: 47 litres
Total range: 681 km per full tank of 87 octane
Cargo space: 402 litres
Towing capacity: N/A

If you’re carrying rear seat passengers, the two outside ones will be relatively comfortable with decent leg and knee space. Despite it being a compact sedan, the Elantra isn’t as cramped in the rear seats compared to the competition. I’d sit back there for a couple of hours!

On the cargo side, there’s enough space for four carry-on bags or backpacks for a weekend adventure. It’s not the most spacious in class but there’s ample space to work with.

On the road, the Elantra performs as expected from a compact sedan. It’s got polite road manners, is easy to drive and park. The CVT can get a bit noisy but it’s a decent trade off in place of a geared transmission to achieve low fuel economy figures. It happily sits in the middle of the road power-wise for its class, which helps its attraction point. The nearly 700 km travelled per full tank certainly helps keep you in motion longer on road trips and in day to day driving.

Inside, the Elantra remains unchanged with a smart layout that blends physical buttons and a digital presence. The seats are comfortable, the cabin doesn’t feel crowded despite it being a small sedan and the graphics are crisp on both the infotainment screen and instrument cluster.
The grab bar that separates the front two occupants is a bit odd considering it’s not a performance vehicle but does make for a good conversation piece.
Hyundai’s modern cabin design has been consistently impressive across their entire lineup for recent years and the comfort and design here certainly help.

3 Perks

Premium interior
Good fuel economy, available as a hybrid
Good rear seat space for its class

3 Irks

Hybrid comes with steep premium
Competing against longstanding name plates (Corolla, Civic, Mazda 3)
Very close in price to their compact crossover Kona, which may sway buyers