Compared: 2024 Hyundai Elantra vs. 2024 Nissan Sentra
These two compact sedans offer value and efficiency.
Hyundai | Nissan
QuickTakes:
If you're in the market for a compact sedan, the 2024 Hyundai Elantra and the 2024 Nissan Sentra offer efficient powertrains and approachable, familiar designs inside and out. One of these two economical people movers may be right for you.
Enthusiasts will appreciate the performance-oriented Elantra N, but Nissan lacks a direct competitor. If you prize performance, the Elantra N is impressive. However, this comparison focuses on the Elantra's mainstream gasoline-only trim levels.
Hyundai
The Sentra Undercuts the Elantra on Price
The 2024 Hyundai Elantra has four trim levels. The base SE starts at $23,000. The middle-tier Elantra SEL with its larger touchscreen begins at $25,000, while the Limited — with Bose audio and synthetic leather seats — starts at $28,000. The N Line — which starts just under $30,000 — gets a more powerful engine and a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission with paddle shifters and some sporty styling cues throughout.
Nissan
The 2024 Nissan Sentra has just three trims. The entry-level Sentra S has a base price of a little over $22,000. The Sentra SV with its adaptive cruise control system starts at $23,000. The SR model, which gains sporty features such as 18-inch wheels and LED lighting, starts at just under $25,000.
Hyundai
Elantra Can Get a Bigger Screen, While Sentra Has More Driver-Assistance Tech
Across all trims, the Elantra has a larger infotainment screen than the Sentra. Base Sentra S trims get a 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system, while SV and SR models get an 8.0-inch unit. The Elantra gets an 8.0-inch screen on its base SE trim and a 10.3-inch screen on its upper SEL, Limited, and N Line trims.
Additionally, the Elantra gets a 10.3-inch digital instrument cluster on its SEL and Limited trims, while the Sentra tops out with a 7.0-inch unit. It's worth noting that while all trims of both cars support wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, the only one to do so wirelessly is the Elantra SE with the 8.0-inch touchscreen.
Nissan
Nissan fits adaptive cruise control to its mid-tier SV, but it takes adding a $1,750 package to the Elantra SEL for this feature. The Sentra introduces a surround-view camera system starting with its mid-tier SV trim, while on the Elantra, this feature is exclusive to the Limited trim. Elantra Limited models also get a blind-spot camera system.
Both vehicles are available with a Bose eight-speaker premium audio system, but the Sentra makes this available starting with its mid-tier SV trim. In the Elantra, it's only fitted in the top Limited trim.
While the two vehicles are similar in length, the Elantra has 3 extra inches of second-row legroom, with 38.0 inches to the Sentra's 34.9.
The Elantra comes with Hyundai's exceptional five-year or 60,000-mile limited and 10-year or 100,000-mile powertrain warranty. Nissan's warranty is three years or 36,000 miles of limited coverage and five years or 60,000 miles of powertrain coverage.
Hyundai
The Elantra Has the Edge When It Comes to Fuel Economy
Every 2024 Hyundai Elantra has a 2.0-liter four-cylinder making 147 horsepower paired with a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). The 2024 Hyundai Elantra SE models see 32/41/36 mpg city/highway/combined, while SEL and Limited trims see a slight dip, coming in at 31/40/34 mpg. The 201-hp four-cylinder in the N Line is rated for 28/35/31 mpg.
Nissan
The 2024 Nissan Sentra gets a 149-hp 2.0-liter four-cylinder that's also teamed with a CVT. S and SV trims see 30/40/34 mpg, while the SR returns 30/38/33 mpg.
All vehicle pricing includes MSRP plus destination charges (set at the time of publication), and will be rounded to the nearest thousand.
