Compared: 2023 Hyundai Elantra vs. 2023 Toyota Corolla

These two popular compact cars have duked it out for decades. Here's how they stand for 2023.

Mark Hacking | 

May 15, 2024 | 2 min read

Hyundai | Toyota

While some manufacturers have abandoned sedans in favor of crossovers and SUVs, two in particular are sticking it out. Both offer not just one, not just two, but multiple iterations of their bread-and-butter compact sedans.

The 2023 Hyundai Elantra and 2023 Toyota Corolla come in bare-bones, hybrid, and high-performance variants, though this comparison focuses on the non-hybrid sedan versions.

Both manufacturers have legitimate credentials in engineering econoboxes and electrified vehicles, and both have become global leaders in production-based motorsports competition. Which car takes the prize for your needs?

Hyundai

The 2023 Hyundai Elantra and Toyota Corolla Are Similarly Priced

There are three versions of the Hyundai Elantra from which to choose: the standard gas-powered model, the hybrid, and the high-performance Elantra N. The internal-combustion Elantra is available in four trim levels with the SE being the entry point, priced around $22,000. It's a front-wheel-drive sedan powered by a four-cylinder engine making 147 horsepower and linked to a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT).

There are six versions of the Toyota Corolla sedan available: three trim levels for the gas-only Corolla, and three trim levels for the Corolla Hybrid. There's also a lineup of Corolla Hatchbacks, as well as the track-ready GR Corolla fleet.

The base Corolla LE rolls across the finish line at just under $23,000. It features a 169-hp four-cylinder engine, a front-wheel-drive configuration, and a CVT.

Toyota

The Hyundai and Toyota Both Start Out Well Equipped

In terms of safety features, both models are impressively equipped. The Hyundai's base price includes blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert. Toyota includes neither of those on the entry Corolla LE, but it does feature adaptive cruise control, and road-sign assist.

Hyundai

The Elantra SE also has a driver-attention monitoring system and a Safe Exit Warning system to help prevent opening doors on cyclists. Safe Exit Warning alerts exiting occupants if a vehicle, or bicycle, is detected approaching from behind.

Toyota

Base to Base, the Elantra Wins the Fuel Economy Battle

The Hyundai Elantra SE edges out the Toyota Corolla LE in the fuel economy stakes. The Elantra returns 33/42/37 mpg city/highway/combined, according to the EPA. The Corolla LE delivers a shade less efficiency at 32/41/35 mpg.

All vehicle pricing includes MSRP plus destination charges (set at the time of publication), and will be rounded to the nearest thousand.

Mark Hacking

Mark Hacking is an award-winning writer with more than 20 years experience covering the automotive scene for some of the world's most popular publications. Mark holds an FIA International Race license and has his sights set on competing in the Rolex 24 at Daytona in the future. He was the first automotive journalist to race in the Ferrari Challenge series (in 2013) and the Jaguar I-PACE eTrophy series (in 2019).