Predicted 5-Year Cost to Own: $30,117
Compared to Segment Average: -$1,073
Even if it didn’t have sharp “look at me” styling, the all-new 2021 Hyundai Elantra would shine as an example of how upmarket safety and convenience features, together with superb refinement, have begun trickling down into the realm of the affordable compact car. As such, the well-built and highly refined Elantra has claimed the title of Best Compact Car in the 2021 KBB 5-Year Cost to Own Awards.
How does the Elantra do it? Several ways. It starts below $20,000. It has excellent resale value. It has a good standard safety suite with features like automatic emergency braking and blind-spot monitoring. It also gets 43 mpg on the highway. For even better fuel economy, the Elantra Hybrid is rated by the EPA at an impressive 54 mpg combined. There’s also a new sporty new Elantra N Line, which is available with that rarest of features — a manual transmission. Like all Elantras, the N Line is backed by an outstanding 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty.
We think the new Elantra has better proportions than the Sonata. It’s 2.2 inches longer and an inch wider than the previous model, and its wheelbase has grown by 0.8 inches. These changes are felt most noticeably in the second row.
Also worth noting: The 5-seat Hyundai Elantra is a KBB Best Buy winner, our top Compact Car for 2021. Our editors said the suspension was tuned with a deft touch. And the accelerator, steering, and brake pedal all worked with a well-oiled precision that brings an unexpected grace to the compact car segment. These attributes further underscore the Elantra’s winning performance in the 2021 KBB 5-Year Cost to Own Awards.
More 2021 Hyundai Elantra
Build and price your own 2021 Hyundai Elantra to see this week’s Fair Purchase Price, 5-Year Cost to Own, and more, or check out the Elantras for sale today at dealers near you.
You can also see more compact cars or check out the full list of this year’s 5-Year Cost to Own Awards winners.
