2025 Hyundai Elantra Hybrid Is Efficient In More Ways Than One

There’s an old myth that the second-cheapest bottle of wine at a restaurant is always the best. Well, what about the second most-efficient car in America? That title is held by the 2025 Hyundai Elantra Hybrid, which is bested only by the Toyota Prius, arguably the most well-known hybrid ever made. Though it can’t quite match the Prius’ 57 mpg combined figure, the Elantra Hybrid actually beats the Toyota on the highway with a rating of 58 mpg. And just like the aforementioned wine, the Hyundai is cheaper… by thousands of dollars, in fact.

The seventh-generation Elantra was released back in the 2021 model year, but it received a facelift for the 2025 model. Hyundai made some visual changes to the exterior and some modest improvements to the interior. Crucially, the Elantra Hybrid retained its excellent powertrain, which yields up to 54 mpg combined. With its frugal efficiency, reasonable price tag, impressive feature roster, and pleasant driving experience, the Elantra Hybrid might be one of the best value commuters on the market. CarBuzz spent a week driving the top Limited trim, including a road trip to Hyundai’s newest factory in Georgia, and we ended up loving it.

Exterior Looks: No “Geeky” Hybrid

The Elantra Hybrid received the same facelift as the gas Elantra, sharpening the headlight shape and breaking up the grille into two segments. Overall, the new design looks a little more aggressive than the pre-facelift model. There’s also a new bumper design in the back, but the change isn’t too drastic. Every trim level comes in seven colors, five of which are available at no extra cost. Our tester’s Electronic Gray was subtle, but there are some bolder options, like Intense Blue and Ultimate Red ($500).

Even the base Blue trim rides on alloy wheels, likely to reduce weight for fuel economy, but they are tiny, dark gray 16-inch units. The SEL Sport (previously called the SEL) and Limited models get the same 17-inch blade-style wheels, which greatly improve the curb appeal, though we wish the two trims had different wheel styles to differentiate themselves.

Interior & On-Board Technology: Cheap And Cheerful

Hyundai didn’t make any major changes to the Elantra’s interior during its facelift, which is fine because the interior still feels competitive. This is an affordable vehicle, so you can expect to see extensive use of hard plastic materials and cheap-feeling surfaces. That being said, Hyundai kept those to a minimum, especially on the top Limited trim, which features premium-appointed X-Tex leatherette heated/ventilated seats (plus a power driver’s seat with memory) and nice cloth on the door cards. The Blue and SEL Sport models come with manual cloth seats. Using different materials and colors, Hyundai breaks up the cabin to make it feel nicer than the price tag would imply.

The base Elantra Hybrid Blue trim comes decently equipped, above what you get in the standard gas Elantra SE. Standard features include a proximity key with push-button start, dual-zone automatic climate control, a one-piece folding rear seat, dual USB ports (one USB-C and one USB-A), hands-free smart trunk release, and a slew of safety features like forward collision avoidance, blind-spot collision warning, safe exit warning, and more. Upgrading to the SEL Sport makes minor improvements to the interior, such as a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, wireless phone charger, auto up/down windows, and a few other niceties.

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The Most Efficient Hyundai Hybrid In America

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The Limited takes the Elantra to a more luxurious level with leatherette seats that are heated and ventilated with memory and lumbar on the driver’s side. It also adds Hyundai’s excellent Highway Drive Assist (HDA), which makes highway driving easier with stronger lane-keep assist and smart cruise control with stop and go. This trim also gains 60/40 split-foldingrear seats and a sunroof. In terms of space, the Elantra’s 38 inches of rear legroom is among the best in the class, alongside its platform stablemate, the Kia K4. The trunk is decently sized with 14.2 cubic feet, though there are larger options in this segment.

Infotainment: Everything You Need

The base Blue trim pairs an eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system with a 4.2-inch gauge cluster. This setup is simple, but nice because it retains physical buttons along with knobs for volume and tuning. The SEL Sport and Limited both get dual 10.25-inch displays, which are nicer to look at but lose the tuning knob. Six speakers come standard, but the Limited adds an eight-speaker Bose audio system with a subwoofer that sounds decent, but not as good as the Harmon Kardon system in the Kia K4. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, but they are only wireless on the base eight-inch touchscreen.

Performance: 50 MPG Made Easy

The hybrid is one of three powertrain options available on the Elantra for 2025. It pairs a 2.0-liter Atkinson cycle four-cylinder engine with an electric motor to produce 139 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque. Just 104 hp and 109 lb-ft come from the engine, while the electric motor contributes 43 hp and 125 lb-ft. Power is sent out to the front wheels only via a six-speed dual-clutch transmission, an odd choice given that most hybrids in this segment use a planetary gearset (also known as an eCVT). It’s not the most powerful option in its class, but the Elantra Hybrid gets over 50 mpg combined in all trims, and is one of the most frugal cars at any price point.

Performance Impressions

The Elantra Hybrid is no speed demon – that’s not what it was designed for – but it’s quicker than you might expect. We recorded a 0-60 mph run in just 8.4 seconds. Hyundai doesn’t quote a time for the gas-only Elantra, but we did the same sprint in a sluggish 9.58 seconds in the Kia K4, which has the same engine and continuously variable transmission. We attribute the hybrid’s quicker time to its vastly higher torque rating. There are quicker rivals out there, like the Honda Civic Hybrid and Toyota Prius, but they are both more expensive than the Elantra Hybrid when fully loaded. The Elantra also stands out from competitors due to its dual-clutch transmission. While it lacks the smoothness of an eCVT, some drivers might prefer the sound and feeling of actual gear changes.

Ride and Handling

This is far from the best-handling Elantra (that honor goes to the Elantra N), but it has decently exciting steering that weights up in sport mode and a chassis that’s good enough to be transformed into a track weapon by Hyundai’s N division. We were perfectly satisfied by the Elantra’s ride comfort, especially on the highway where HDA made a trip from Florida to Georgia seamless. The cabin is pretty quiet on the highway too, making the Toyota Corolla Hybrid seem deafening by comparison. The Honda Civic is more entertaining to drive, but as we alluded to and will detail later, it’s pricier at the high end.

Fuel Economy Info

In the base Blue trim, the EPA rates the Elantra Hybrid with outstanding fuel economy figures of 51/58/54 mpg on the city/highway/combined cycles. The combined figure is bested by the Prius, rated at 57 mpg, but the Elantra Hybrid has the highest highway fuel economy of any new car on sale. Opting for the SEL Sport or Limited trim with the larger wheels hurts the Elanta’s fuel economy a little, bringing the numbers down to 49/52/50 mpg city/highway/combined. We still observed 53 mpg on the highway over hundreds of miles and around 51.8 mpg in mixed driving, proving the Elantra Hybrid is even more frugal than the EPA says. This car has a tiny fuel tank that holds just 11 gallons, but in Blue trim, that should easily net you around 600 miles between fill-ups.

Verdict & Pricing: Amazing Money Saver

Not only is the Elantra Hybrid more efficient than virtually every car on sale, it’s cheaper to buy as well. The Blue trim starts at just $25,450 (excluding $1,150 destination), making it nearly $3,000 less than the cheapest Prius. The Civic Hybrid and Corolla Hybrid are slightly less expensive, but come with less standard equipment. We like the SEL Sport for $27,425, but recommend spending up on the more luxurious Limited trim for $29,800. This trim has no options, and comes with everything we’d want in a commuter for under $30,000. A Civic Sport Touring Hybrid will run you $32,295, while a Prius Limited is even pricier at $35,365. The Corolla Hybrid XLE is a bit cheaper at $28,190, but is far less premium than the Elantra Hybrid Limited.

If you are shopping for an efficient commuter at a great price, the 2025 Elantra Hybrid is among our favorites. It blends stylish looks, peppy performance, and outstanding fuel economy at an affordable price. Driving enthusiasts may prefer the Civic Hybrid, but it’s more expensive on the top end, offers fewer amenities, and can’t match the Elantra’s fuel economy. The Toyota hybrids are either more expensive or less well-appointed, leaving the Hyundai as the best balance in the class. There’s almost nothing we dislike about the Elantra Hybrid.