2025 Hyundai Elantra vs 2025 Nissan Altima
The Hyundai Elantra wins clearly, 92.6 to 83.7, on fuel & range, tech & comfort, price. The Nissan Altima is ahead on safety and performance.
2025 Hyundai Elantra
The 2025 Hyundai Elantra is sold in the U.S. as a hybrid and gas midsize sedan with 7 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Elantra Hybrid B…
2025 Nissan Altima
The 2025 Nissan Altima is sold in the U.S. as a gas midsize sedan with 3 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Altima, is EPA-rated at 31 mp…
2025 Hyundai Elantra
Clear winThe Hyundai Elantra wins clearly, 92.6 to 83.7, on fuel & range, tech & comfort, price. The Nissan Altima is ahead on safety and performance.
| Category · weight | 2025 Nissan Altimaoverall 83.7 | 2025 Hyundai Elantraoverall 92.6 | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricew 4 | 81.9 | 100 | |||||||||||||||
Base MSRP of the trim (or the model's lowest trim). Lower is better. | |||||||||||||||||
| Fuel & rangew 3 | 57.9 | 100 | |||||||||||||||
EPA annual fuel cost and combined mpg / MPGe; EV range when both are electric. | |||||||||||||||||
| Safetyw 4 | 94.4 | 78.9 | |||||||||||||||
NHTSA 5-Star rating, WhichTrim Safety Signal (open recalls by severity), owner complaints, standard driver-assist features (from the press kit, or from what the manufacturer filed with NHTSA where there is none). Open park-outside / do-not-drive advisories cost 25 points. | |||||||||||||||||
| Space & cargow 2 | 100 | 94.8 | |||||||||||||||
Seats, cargo volume behind the 1st and 2nd rows, rear legroom. | |||||||||||||||||
| Performancew 2 | 100 | 80.8 | |||||||||||||||
Horsepower, torque and horsepower per ton. | |||||||||||||||||
| Tech & comfortw 3 | 75.6 | 100 | |||||||||||||||
Standard (1) and optional (0.5) infotainment, convenience, climate and interior features from the manufacturer's press kit. | |||||||||||||||||
| Warrantynot compared | No data | No data | |||||||||||||||
| Overall | 83.7 | 92.6 | |||||||||||||||
Trim vs trim · 6 of 7 categories compared
Nissan Altima: base trim S FWD · Hyundai Elantra: base trim SE FWD. Pick a trim in the tool to compare any other trim.
Where the gap is
the biggest differences, from the scorecard's own numbersWhere the 2025 Hyundai Elantra wins
- It is rated 54 combined against 31 (EPA mpg or MPGe).
- It costs $900 a year less to fuel on the EPA's estimate ($1,250 against $2,150).
- It lists more comfort and tech equipment (22.5 points against 17 on the press-kit count, standard = 1, optional = ½).
Where the 2025 Nissan Altima answers
- It has drawn fewer owner complaints (7 against 35 filed with NHTSA).
- It lists 26 standard driver-assist features against 20.
What they share
- 5 NHTSA stars.
- 5 seats.
Ranked by how far apart the two score on each measure, so a price gap and a horsepower gap are compared on the same scale. Every figure is on this page.
Specifications side by side
50 specs · manufacturer press kits| Spec | Nissan AltimaS FWD | Hyundai ElantraSE FWD |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | ||
| Base MSRP (excludes destination) | $27,000 | $22,125 |
| Engine Basics | ||
| Aspiration | naturally aspirated | naturally aspirated |
| Cylinder count | 4 | 4 |
| Engine displacement | 2,488 cc | 1,999 cc |
| Engine type (full description) | 2.5L 4-cylinder inline DOHC DIG | 2.0L MPI Atkinson DOHC 16-valve Inline 4-cylinder |
| Fuel injection system | gdi mpi | gdi mpi |
| Valve configuration | 4 valves per cylinder; CVTCS on intake and exhaust valves | DOHC 16-Valve |
| Engine Output | ||
| Horsepower | 188 hp | 147 hp |
| Torque | 180 lb-ft | 132 lb-ft |
| Fuel Economy | ||
| MPG (city) | 27 mpg | 32 mpg |
| MPG (combined) | 32 mpg | 36 mpg |
| MPG (highway) | 39 mpg | 41 mpg |
| Transmission | ||
| Final drive ratio | 4.828 | 4.892 |
| Transmission type | cvt | Smartstream Intelligent Variable Transmission (IVT) |
| Dimensions Exterior | ||
| Ground clearance | — | 5.3 in |
| Overall height | 56.7 in | 55.7 in |
| Overall length | 193 in | 185 in |
| Overall width | 72.9 in | 71.9 in |
| Wheelbase | 111 in | 107 in |
| Cargo | ||
| Cargo volume behind 2nd row | 15.4 cu-ft | 14.2 cu-ft |
| Total interior volume | 116 cu-ft | 114 cu-ft |
| Seating | ||
| Passenger seating capacity | 5 | 5 |
| Headroom | ||
| Front headroom | 39.1 in | 40.6 in |
| Second-row headroom | — | 37.3 in |
| Third-row headroom | 36.9 in | — |
| Legroom | ||
| Front legroom | 43.8 in | 42.3 in |
| Second-row legroom | — | 38 in |
| Third-row legroom | 35.2 in | — |
| Weights | ||
| Curb weight (maximum) | 3,253 lbs | 2,868 lbs |
| Curb weight (minimum) | 3,253 lbs | 2,725 lbs |
| Gross vehicle weight rating | 4,328 lbs | 3,858 lbs |
| Suspension | ||
| Front suspension type | Independent strut with coil springs, aluminum links, 25mm stabilizer bar | MacPherson Strut |
| Rear suspension type | Multi-link independent suspension, 26mm hollow stabilizer bar | Coupled Torsion Beam Axle |
| Steering | ||
| Steering type | Dual-Pinion Electric-Powered Steering System | Column-mounted Motor Driven Power Steering (C-MDPS) |
| Turning radius (curb-to-curb) | 36.1 ft | 17.7 ft |
| Brakes | ||
| Front brake diameter | 296 mm | 279 mm |
| Front brake type | Power-assisted vented disc | ventilated disc |
| Parking brake type | Foot brake / mechanical | Mechanical Cable |
| Rear brake diameter | 292 mm | 262 mm |
| Rear brake type | solid disc | solid disc |
| Wheels | ||
| Wheel diameter | 16 in | 15 in |
| Wheel material | steel | forged alloy |
| Wheel width | — | 6 in |
| Tires | ||
| Tire size | 215/60R16 | 195/65R15 |
| Fuel System | ||
| Fuel tank capacity | 16.2 gal | 12.4 gal |
| Minimum recommended octane | 87 | 87 |
| Connected Services | ||
| Connected services brand | NissanConnect Services Powered by SiriusXM | — |
| Shoulder Room | ||
| Front shoulder room | 58.2 in | 56.5 in |
| Second-row shoulder room | — | 55.6 in |
| Third-row shoulder room | 57.1 in | — |
Green marks the better value where the direction is unambiguous (more room, more power, lower price). Blank rows are specs the press kit does not publish.
Equipment, feature by feature
95 features · differences first, then sharedSafety16 differ · 31 listed
| Feature | Nissan AltimaS FWD | Hyundai ElantraSE FWD |
|---|---|---|
| Intelligent Forward Collision Warning | std | — |
| Lane Departure Warning | std | — |
| Lane Keeping Assist (LKA) & Lane Following Assist (LFA) | — | std |
| Safe Exit Warning (SEW) | — | std |
| Seat-mounted rear passenger side-impact supplemental air bags | std | — |
| Brake Assist | std | — |
| Driver and front passenger supplemental knee air bags | std | — |
| Easy-Fill Tire Alert | std | — |
| Electronic Brake Force Distribution | std | — |
| Intelligent Speed Limit Assist (ISLA) | — | std |
| Rear Automatic Braking | std | — |
| Rear Door Alert | std | — |
| Rear Sonar System | std | — |
| Safe Exit Warning & Rear Occupant Alert | — | std |
| Vehicle Security System | std | — |
| Vehicle Stability Management (VSM) | — | std |
| Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (FCA - camera only) w/ Pedestrian Detection | std | std |
| Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist (RCA) | std | std |
| Advanced dual front airbags w/ Occupant Classification System (OCS) | std | std |
| Driver and Front Passenger Side-impact airbags | std | std |
| Rearview camera w/ dynamic guidelines | std | std |
| Side Air Curtains (front and rear passengers) | std | std |
| Driver Attention Warning (DAW) & High Beam Assist (HBA) | std | std |
| Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) w/ Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) | std | std |
| Automatic High Beam Assist | std | std |
| Blind-Spot Collision-Warning (BCW) w/ Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist (RCA) | std | std |
| Electronic Stability Control System (ESC) | std | std |
| Hill Start Assist Control (HAC) | std | std |
| Vehicle Stability Management (VSM), Electronic Stability Control System (ESC) with Traction Control System (TCS) and Hill Start Assist Control (HAC) | std | std |
| Immobilizer | std | std |
| Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) | std | std |
Infotainment15 differ · 17 listed
| Feature | Nissan AltimaS FWD | Hyundai ElantraSE FWD |
|---|---|---|
| 8-inch color display with multi-touch control | std | — |
| 8-inch Display Audio system with 6 speakers, High Resolution Touchscreen, AM/FM/HD, Wireless Apple CarPlay & Android Auto | — | std |
| AM/FM with RDS and aux-in, 6 speakers | std | — |
| Bluetooth® hands-free phone system with Voice Recognition | — | std |
| Dual USB ports (1 USB charge + data, 1 USB-C charge) | — | std |
| Hands-Free Text Messaging Assistant | std | — |
| In-glass AM/FM antenna | — | std |
| NissanConnect® featuring Apple CarPlay® integration and Android Auto™ | std | — |
| Single front illuminated USB connection port (one Type-A) | std | — |
| Siri Eyes Free®/Google Assistant™ Voice Recognition | std | — |
| SiriusXM® with advanced audio features | std | — |
| Speed-sensitive automatic volume control | — | std |
| Streaming audio via Bluetooth® | std | — |
| Wired Android Auto | std | — |
| Wired Apple CarPlay | std | — |
| Bluetooth® Hands-free Phone System with Voice Recognition | std | std |
| Audio Controls (Volume up/down, Seek up/down, Mode) | std | std |
Convenience3 differ · 3 listed
| Feature | Nissan AltimaS FWD | Hyundai ElantraSE FWD |
|---|---|---|
| Remote engine start | std | — |
| 12-volt Outlet (below HVAC controls) | — | std |
| Power Windows with Driver's auto-down, illuminated power window switches | — | std |
Climate2 differ · 2 listed
| Feature | Nissan AltimaS FWD | Hyundai ElantraSE FWD |
|---|---|---|
| Manual Air Conditioning | — | std |
| PTC Heater | — | std |
Seating4 differ · 6 listed
| Feature | Nissan AltimaS FWD | Hyundai ElantraSE FWD |
|---|---|---|
| 1-piece bench folding rear seatback with fixed center headrest and outer headrests | — | std |
| 4-way manual passenger's seat | std | — |
| Seat folding release in trunk | — | std |
| Seating capacity: 5 | — | std |
| 6-way Driver's adjustable Bucket | std | std |
| Premium cloth seating surfaces | std | std |
Interior8 differ · 8 listed
| Feature | Nissan AltimaS FWD | Hyundai ElantraSE FWD |
|---|---|---|
| 4.2-inch color (TFT-LCD) | — | std |
| 5-inch meter display | std | — |
| Door scuff: Step Plate (plastic) | — | std |
| Steering wheel: Urethane | — | std |
| Inside Rearview Mirror – Manual Day/Night | — | std |
| Tilt and Telescopic steering column | — | std |
| Carpeted Floor Mats | — | opt |
| Trip Computer (Distance to Empty, Average Fuel Consumption, Average Vehicle Speed, Elapsed time) | — | std |
Exterior15 differ · 17 listed
| Feature | Nissan AltimaS FWD | Hyundai ElantraSE FWD |
|---|---|---|
| Dual LED Projector Headlights | — | std |
| 15 x 6.0J Alloy wheels | — | std |
| 16-inch steel with full wheel cover | std | — |
| 215/60R16 all-season tires | std | — |
| Active grille shutters | std | — |
| Bulb Rear Tail Lights | — | std |
| Dual Power, Two-Tone outside mirrors (Body color top + Black bottom) | — | std |
| Grille: Black | — | std |
| Intelligent Auto Headlights (LED with Daytime Running Lights and High Beam Assist) | std | — |
| Window Belt Moldings: Black | — | std |
| Automatic Headlamp Control | — | std |
| Rear Seat Heater Ducts and Rear Window Defroster | — | std |
| Solar Glass | — | std |
| Center High-Mounted Stop Light (LED) | std | — |
| Splash Guards | std | — |
| LED Daytime Running Lights | std | std |
| Compact Spar Tire T125/80D15×4T | std | std |
Powertrain4 differ · 5 listed
| Feature | Nissan AltimaS FWD | Hyundai ElantraSE FWD |
|---|---|---|
| 2.0L MPI Atkinson DOHC 16-valve Inline 4-cylinder (147 HP @ 6200, 132 lb-ft @ 4500) | — | std |
| Drive Mode Select: Normal / Sport / Smart | — | std |
| Idle, Stop & Go | — | std |
| Smartstream Intelligent Variable Transmission (IVT) | — | std |
| Drive Configuration: FWD | std | std |
Chassis6 differ · 6 listed
| Feature | Nissan AltimaS FWD | Hyundai ElantraSE FWD |
|---|---|---|
| Column-mounted Motor Driven Power Steering (C-MDPS) | — | std |
| Front brakes: Ventilated Disc 11.0" | — | std |
| Front suspension: MacPherson Strut | — | std |
| Parking Brake Type: Hand lever / Mechanical Cable | — | std |
| Rear suspension: Coupled Torsion Beam Axle | — | std |
| ZF Sachs monotube rear shock absorbers | std | — |
Highlighted rows are where the two differ. Wording is the manufacturer's own.
Safety record
NHTSA recalls, complaints, NCAPNissan Altima
Top recalls
- high Air Bags 26V526000 · 149 vehicles
- high Latches/Locks/Linkages 26V023000 · 26,432 vehicles
Hyundai Elantra
Top recalls
- critical Electrical System 26V308000 · 54,337 vehicles
- high Air Bags 26V254000 · 2,931 vehicles
Ownership
EPA, manufacturer warranty| Nissan AltimaS FWD | Hyundai ElantraSE FWD | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $27,000 (base trim) | $22,125 (base trim) |
| Price range across trims | $27,000 – $34,830 7 trims | $22,125 – $35,850 10 trims |
| Powertrains | GAS | HEV, GAS |
| EPA configuration compared | Altima | Elantra Hybrid Blue |
| Combined mpg / MPGe | 31 | 54 |
| EPA annual fuel cost | $2,150 | $1,250 |
| EV range | — | — |
| Basic warranty | — | — |
| Powertrain warranty | — | — |
| Roadside assistance | — | — |
Common questions
Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kitsWhich is better, the 2025 Nissan Altima or the 2025 Hyundai Elantra?
The Hyundai Elantra wins clearly, 92.6 to 83.7, on fuel & range, tech & comfort, price. The Nissan Altima is ahead on safety and performance. On WhichTrim's default weights the 2025 Hyundai Elantra scores 92.6 and the 2025 Nissan Altima 83.7. The weights are yours to change — move what you care about and the verdict recalculates on the page.
Which is cheaper, the 2025 Nissan Altima or the 2025 Hyundai Elantra?
The 2025 Hyundai Elantra starts lower — $22,125 against $27,000, a gap of $4,875 at the trims compared here. Both are manufacturer MSRPs before destination, options and dealer charges.
Which has the better safety record, the 2025 Nissan Altima or the 2025 Hyundai Elantra?
2025 Nissan Altima: 5 NHTSA stars, grade B, 2 recalls. 2025 Hyundai Elantra: 5 NHTSA stars, grade C, 2 recalls. Crash ratings come from NHTSA's own tests; the grade is WhichTrim's read of the recall record, and the two can disagree.
What are the biggest differences between the 2025 Nissan Altima and the 2025 Hyundai Elantra?
Where the 2025 Hyundai Elantra wins: it is rated 54 combined against 31 (EPA mpg or MPGe), costs $900 a year less to fuel on the EPA's estimate ($1,250 against $2,150), and lists more comfort and tech equipment (22.5 points against 17 on the press-kit count, standard = 1, optional = ½). Where the 2025 Nissan Altima answers: it has drawn fewer owner complaints (7 against 35 filed with NHTSA) and lists 26 standard driver-assist features against 20. What they share: 5 NHTSA stars and 5 seats.