Hyundai Elantra vs Toyota Prius: Specs Compared

Running cost over five years: at the EPA's 15,000-mile-a-year assumption the Toyota Prius burns about $1,100 of fuel annually against $1,150 for the Hyundai Elantra. That $50 yearly gap compounds to roughly $250 over five years and $400 over eight — often more than the price difference between two trims of the same vehicle, and the single largest running-cost line item separating these two.

City versus highway split: the Toyota Prius is the stronger commuter at 59 mpg city, while the Hyundai Elantra pulls ahead on the interstate at 58 mpg highway. If most of your driving is stop-and-go traffic the city figure is the one to weigh; for long-distance highway mileage the reverse is true, and the two vehicles effectively swap places depending on how you drive.

Powertrain choice: the Hyundai Elantra is recorded with 4 distinct engine configurations (2.0, SIDI, SIDI; Hybrid), the Toyota Prius with 4 (SIDI & PFI; Hybrid, SIDI & PFI; PHEV, Hybrid). Across 93 recorded Hyundai Elantra configurations and 43 for the Toyota Prius, the wider the engine spread the more the real-world fuel efficiency depends on which version you actually buy, so check the specific model year and drivetrain rather than the headline number.

Drivetrain and class: the Hyundai Elantra is offered with Front-Wheel Drive, the Toyota Prius with Front-Wheel Drive, All-Wheel Drive, Part-time 4-Wheel Drive. All-wheel drive typically costs one to two mpg combined against the same vehicle in front- or rear-wheel drive, which is worth remembering when the gap between these two is small. The EPA classes them as Midsize Cars and Midsize Cars respectively — the class drives the interior volume, cargo space and passenger space each one is measured against.

Tailpipe emissions: at their cleanest configurations the Toyota Prius emits 50 g/mile of CO2 versus 165 g/mile for the Hyundai Elantra. Emissions track fuel consumption almost exactly, so the cleaner vehicle here is also the cheaper one to fuel.