Hyundai Elantra vs Honda Civic: MPG, Fuel Cost, Recalls and Safety
On EPA ratings the 2025 Hyundai Elantra's best version gets 54 mpg combined against 49 mpg for the Honda Civic.
Hyundai Elantra
54mpg
Best 2025 version: 1.6L 4-cyl hybrid · FWD · 6-speed automated manual · Blue
Honda Civic
49mpg
Best 2025 version: 2.0L 4-cyl hybrid · FWD · CVT · 4-door
The cheapest Hyundai Elantra to fuel costs $1,200 a year at EPA's prices, $100 less than the cheapest Civic. NHTSA lists 2 recalls for the 2025 Elantra and 2 recalls for the Civic.
Side by side
| 2025 model year | Elantra | Civic |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel economy (EPA) | ||
Best combined rating | 54 mpg (clearly better) 1.6L 4-cyl hybrid · FWD · 6-speed automated manual · Blue | 49 mpg 2.0L 4-cyl hybrid · FWD · CVT · 4-door |
Best gas rating Gas engines only; hybrids and diesels excluded | 36 mpg | 36 mpg |
Hybrid or plug-in available | Hybrid 54 mpg | Hybrid 49 mpg |
AWD or 4WD available | No | No |
Lowest annual fuel cost 15,000 miles at EPA fuel prices | $1,200 (clearly better) | $1,300 |
5-year fuel cost vs average new vehicle Cheapest-to-fuel version (EPA) | Saves $5,500 (clearly better) | Saves $5,000 |
| Safety (NHTSA) | ||
Safety recalls, 2025 model year Counts depend on sales and time on sale | 2 | 2 |
Owner complaints, 2025 model year Filed with NHTSA so far | 34 | 91 |
NHTSA overall crash rating Range across tested versions | 5 stars | 5 stars |
Rollover risk Range across tested versions; lower is better | 10.1% | 9.5% (clearly better) |
Marks the clearly better figure. Small gaps (under 2 mpg or 5%, $100 a year in fuel) and overlapping crash-test ranges are not marked, and recall and complaint counts are not scored because they depend on how many were sold.
Best combined rating by model year
The best-rated version of each, every model year since 2016. The Elantra rated higher in 6 and the Civic in 4 of the 11 years both were sold; they tied in 1.
- Hyundai Elantra
- Honda Civic
2025: Hyundai Elantra 54 mpg · Honda Civic 49 mpgTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
| Model year | Hyundai Elantra | Honda Civic |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 31 | 35 |
| 2017 | 35 | 36 |
| 2018 | 35 | 36 |
| 2019 | 35 | 36 |
| 2020 | 36 | 36 |
| 2021 | 54 | 36 |
| 2022 | 54 | 36 |
| 2023 | 54 | 36 |
| 2024 | 54 | 36 |
| 2025 | 54 | 49 |
| 2026 | 54 | 49 |
Recalls by model year
Safety recalls NHTSA lists for each model year. Counts depend on how many were sold and how long each model year has been on the road.
- Hyundai Elantra (left bar)
- Honda Civic (right bar)
2026: Hyundai Elantra 2 recalls · Honda Civic 1 recallTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
| Model year | Hyundai Elantra | Honda Civic |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 2 | 5 |
| 2017 | 4 | 6 |
| 2018 | 1 | 6 |
| 2019 | 1 | 4 |
| 2020 | 3 | 5 |
| 2021 | 7 | 4 |
| 2022 | 8 | 4 |
| 2023 | 4 | 4 |
| 2024 | 2 | 3 |
| 2025 | 2 | 2 |
| 2026 | 2 | 1 |
More on each model
- 2025 Hyundai Elantra MPGEvery version and a fuel cost calculator
- Hyundai Elantra by yearMPG, recalls and complaints
- 2025 Honda Civic MPGEvery version and a fuel cost calculator
- Honda Civic by yearMPG, recalls and complaints
Questions
Which gets better gas mileage, the Elantra or the Civic?
For 2025, the Elantra. Its best version is rated 54 mpg combined; the Civic's best is 49 mpg.
Which is cheaper to fuel?
The Elantra. At EPA's assumptions its cheapest version costs $1,200 a year against $1,300, a $500 difference over five years.
How do they compare in NHTSA crash tests?
The 2025 Elantra is rated 5 stars overall and the Civic 5 stars. Rollover risk is 10.1% for the Elantra and 9.5% for the Civic.
Sources and method
- US EPA fuel economy data (fueleconomy.gov), file dated Sep 18, 2026, and EPA fuel prices.
- NHTSA recall file dated Sep 27, 2026 and owner complaint file dated Sep 26, 2026; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings.
We compare the best-rated version of each model unless a row says otherwise. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.