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Not so long ago, people wouldn’t cross-shop the Subaru WRX with the Hyundai Elantra. One has a history of turbocharged all-wheel-drive fun on pavement and dirt. Others have a history often associated with car rental agencies and comfortable and quiet front wheel travel for small families. Friends, times are changing.
We now have the Hyundai Elantra N, packing 276 horsepower (205 kilowatts) into a relatively lightweight sedan package. The suspension is tuned, the steering is tuned, and even though it only turns the front wheels, it proves to be a very good sports sedan. Meanwhile, the new WRX for 2022 makes 271 hp (202 kW) and weighs about 200 pounds heavier, partly because of the much-loved AWD system. Both cars offer automatic shifting gearboxes (CVT for Subaru, eight-speed DCT in Hyundai), but this particular battle from Edmunds is a six-speed manual affair.
Things sound relatively the same on paper but surely Subaru’s AWD grip will dominate in the end, right? That might be true if it were a simple drag race, but the trail includes hard braking after a quarter mile and a 180-degree turn, ending with a sprint back to the starting line. The launch of the legendary Subie AWD is only part of the contest, so maybe the Elantra N has a chance.
Actually, that what we can be certain of is have a chance. Two races were held, with the first seeing the Elantra N sink horribly off the line while Subie just darted away, eventually crossing the quarter mile first. However, his lead noticeably dwindled through braking and turning, and then Elantra entered N never give up. It crossed the line ahead of the WRX just under the length of the car, a horribly dammed launch.
Racers changed cars for the second race, and this time the Elantra N was much better off the line while Subaru faltered. With an almost even start, you can probably guess how the rest of the race goes. This time Hyundai won in all metrics, including the quarter mile. No AWD? Apparently, that’s not a problem for the Elantra N – on dry pavement.
For now, it seems that Subaru fans will have to wait for the new WRX STI to arrive before regaining the bragging rights. Oh wait… we forgot that Subaru made the next generation of STIs. Yes, it’s awkward.
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