CARS.COM — Hyundai is not exaggerating with its Value Edition trim level on the 2017 Hyundai Elantra. The Value Edition checked nearly all of the boxes for convenience features among similarly priced competitors and was also the least expensive in our test at $21,360 with destination, far under the $23,000 price cap of Cars.com's 2017 Compact Sedan Challenge.
The 2017 Compact Sedan Challenge
Results | Safety Features
Standout Features
Other sedans in our test had a smart entry system where you walk up to the car with the key in a pocket or purse and simply grab the door handle to unlock the car, but the Elantra does it on the cheap. It's the same with a moonroof, heated front seats, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which — using a compatible smartphone — mirrors navigation and other smartphone functions to the car's multimedia display. Add in the hands-free trunk that automatically releases when the smart key is detected behind the Elantra and a killer 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty, and "Value Edition" may be an understatement.
What's Missing
As far as convenience features, not a whole lot was missing. The Elantra Value Edition even had a blind spot monitoring system, though it lacked a forward collision warning system with automatic emergency braking that others offer at this price — only the most expensive Limited trim can be equipped with forward collision warning, and it's optional.
Editor's note: Cars.com's What You Get series is a component of our multicar comparisons where we spend a week testing a class of vehicles to find the best one. Each car meets a price limit, which is set by Cars.com, for the comparison. The 2017 Compact Sedan Challenge tested the 2017 Chevrolet Cruze, 2017 Honda Civic, 2017 Hyundai Elantra, 2017 Kia Forte, 2017 Mazda3, 2017 Subaru Impreza, 2017 Toyota Corolla and 2017 Volkswagen Jetta.
