The Civic Type R and Elantra N both feature 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four engines, but as it happens, the Honda is that little bit punchier. With curb weight being pretty similar between the Civic Type R and Elantra N, it shouldn't be surprising to find out that Honda's compact hatchback is quicker in the quarter than Hyundai's compact sedan.
Edmunds recorded 14.0 seconds and 14.3 seconds at 105.0 miles per hour and 101.5 miles per hour (169 and 163 kilometers per hour). The dig to 60 miles per hour (97 kilometers per hour) was dealt with in 5.7 seconds by the manual-only Civic Type R and 5.9 seconds by the South Korean rival.
As mentioned, the FK8 cannot be had with anything other than a row-your-own sixer. That's not the case with the Hyundai, which comes with a manual by default or with a wet-clutch DCT by choice. To keep things fair, Edmunds pitted a manual-equipped Elantra R against the CTR.
Speaking of Edmunds, these folks never stop at zero-to-sixty and quarter-mile figures. They are famous for their U-drag format, which includes a hard braking zone, a 180-degree turn (hence the U in U-drag), and a pedal-to-the-pedal dash back to the start-finish line. The hairpin turn saw the Honda top 1.34 Gs compared to 1.31 for the Hyundai.
Total elapsed times? Make that 37.8 seconds at 118.8 miles per hour (191.2 kilometers per hour) for the pricier of two compact-sized thrillers and 38.6 seconds at 114.8 miles per hour (184.8 kilometers per hour) for the Hyundai Elantra N.
Photo: Edmunds on YouTube
Jonathan and Kurt raced against each other twice, with both taking turns behind the wheels of said cars. Vehicle testing director Jonathan Elfalan and senior vehicle test editor Kurt Niebuhr agree that both vehicles are fun, although the Civic Type R feels better where it matters. Considering that South Korea's largest automaker doesn't have the same experience as Honda with fine-tuning performance cars, it's hardly a surprise that Elantra N feels a tad softer than the yardstick among hot hatchbacks.
Looking at the bigger picture, you could argue that Elantra N is the better daily-driving machine. Its more compliant suspension and the optional double-clutch tranny make it a far more tempting daily, and more tempting still, it starts at $33,700 as opposed to a ludicrous $44,795 for the Honda.
Pictured on 245/35 by 19-inch Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S and 265/30 by 19-inch Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 rubber, the compact sedan and hatchback are finished in colors dubbed Cyber Gray and Rallye Red. Neither costs extra, while the trademark Performance Blue and Championship White add $470 and $455, respectively, to the tally. DFC is a reasonable $1,150 and $1,095, respectively.
The Civic Type R and Elantra N are members of a very exclusive club of manual cars, a club whose membership decreases with each passing year. As far as the US market is concerned, the Civic Type R and Elantra N are the only manual cars offered by Honda and Hyundai for the 2024 model year.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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