The Hyundai Elantra N is a great reason to just go for a drive

Driving is work. Like anything else worthwhile in life, it takes practice, patience, focus and sacrifice. So it’s no surprise that today’s youth has less interest in obtaining a license than ever before. Half of 16-year-olds had a permit in the 80’s. Now it’s down to a quarter of them. So the Hyundai Elantra N you see here is important – it’s meant to be a gateway drug into the brand.

I hope it doesn’t fall on deaf ears.

The 2025 Hyundai Elantra N Overview

I can’t imagine not wanting freedom as a teenage. The ability to go anywhere you want, at any time, is a thing that’s sadly taken for granted nowadays. I know my stuff here, because one way I paid my way through college was by working as a driving instructor for teenagers. You can imagine the stories. Like any other group of people, there were some winners and some losers from all walks of life.

But at least they were trying.

The issue is a big one for auto makers. They want you in a seat early on so they can sell you more expensive cars down the road. It’s no guarantee you’ll buy another car from them, but if you don’t drive, you’re buying from no one. So Hyundai came up with this: the Elantra N.

It’s a hot model of their very pedestrian regular Elantra, and it’s far more than adding the letter “N” to the trunk. There’s a sport suspension, complete with trunk bracing. More power from a turbo four (a lot more). An aggressive body kit. Sticky Michelin tires. A real hand brake that gets yanked up. You can even get a manual, though sadly our example here has the dual clutch. All for a price well under $40,000.

You’ll want to drive this thing for the sake of fun. So is it enough to wake those slumbering teens from their Ubers and Mommy-sponsored rides?

Performance Score: 7. My hair is on fire

There’s only one proper racing line, but in the Hyundai Elantra N you’ll find yourself swinging that butt and punching the throttle just for the hell of it. Actually now that I mention it, this thing is hell on wheels.

Engine

This engine was provided via donation – it started life in Hyundai’s Veloster N hatchback, which was killed in 2022. In the Elantra, it makes 11 more horses for a total of 286 – sort of. Press the N Grin System button on the steering wheel for a 20 second, 10 horsepower boost. If you’re thinking of Johnny Tran smirking out a “Too soon Junior!”, then you’ve got the idea.

This is a lusty little engine that’s deceptively fast for the price. It blows the doors off a Subaru BRZ, a VW GTI, and a WRX, despite being limited with its front-wheel drive launches. In fact, physics is its main rival – weight transfer means that the wheels with power aren’t the wheels with grip, and the Elantra N is going to fight you out of every corner. Still a hoot though – feels like a mini M3, and I’m not exaggerating. Even the throttle control is superb. 

Left in Comfort, the Elantra N plays the role of comfortable commuter well. Press that Sport button to turn it into rowdy and hilarious, with pops and bangs from the exhaust that rival even an F90 M5. This car became internet famous for getting someone pulled over in California for its stock exhaust sound, which is silly. It’s not that loud – but it’s enough to get attention. Even the bad kind.

Transmission

As DCTs go, this one isn’t memorable. It feels like an automatic and doesn’t really offer that crispness you might be looking for in a dual-clutch transmission. Using the paddles behind the wheel isn’t a very satisfying endeavor either – I forgot about them shortly after driving it for the first time.

Luckily, there is a solution: buy the six-speed manual. It’s almost as fast, but in a car with this much speed who cares if you lose a tenth or two in the quarter-mile? Its light and nimble go-kart feel would only be aided by a row-your-own option.

Steering and Chassis

This car is a lot of fun – call it a sponsor of going the most entertaining way around a corner.

Start with the steering, which offers directness and heft (though it’s a little lifeless). You’d be thrilled if your M4 had this rack.

What you wouldn’t be thrilled with is the torque steer. Driving this car fast takes careful planning. Though there’s an e-LSD at the front, it’s never going to match an all-wheel drive car for putting that torque down. As a result, you can’t push it to 10/10ths without the steering wheel doing a dance – extracting maximum potential isn’t really possible.

That’s okay, because there’s still a lot of potential. Aside from the brace in the trunk, Elantra Ns get an adjustable suspension that matches drive modes. In it’s firmest setting, it will knock your teeth out over bumps, but if the road is smooth you’re good, and it’s great at limiting body roll.

This car weighs in at about 3,300 pounds, making it one of the lightest I’ve ever driven. Combined with Michelin Pilot Sport tires, the chassis comes alive with feedback. This is a terrific performance drive that’s tossable and accessible, even at low speeds. If an M5 is Ivan Drago (I must blake you), then this is Apollo Creed, dancing about and offering a big show.

Who’d you rather hang out with?

Brakes

Hyundai gives you 14.2-inch front and 12.4-inch rear ventilated brakes, and they work well. The pedal is firm, and they offer the confidence you need to go fast.

The red calipers offer a big N logo in front, and though they aren’t covered completely like in a Porsche, it’s a nice upgrade. And shout out to the old school hand brake that you can yank up, a dying breed if ever there was such a thing. 

Lifestyle Score: 8. Calling it small would be an insult

The Elantra N features an important upgrade inside over its donor car – sport bucket seats. They are just a little bit tight for my 6’1 frame, but are a massive improvement over the stock seats and support you well during high G maneuvers.

Just one thing…they aren’t power adjustable. Aside from the indignity of reaching down and grabbing the bar to move the seat back and forth, power seats offer the ability to fit any size, not just stop at predetermined notches. At least they offer a lit N logo, à la BMW M seats.

The back seat offers enough space to serve a family of four with ease, and though there’s a brace along the the back wall of the trunk, they still fold down. This is a performance sedan you can easily daily.

Fuel Economy: 7. Flower power

The Elantra N will give you a combined 23 MPG, which is fine for a car aimed more at performance than efficiency. Flog it hard like I did, and you’ll see closer to 20 MPG.

In a hilarious twist of fate, the manual actually gets one MPG better, offering yet another reason to opt for the transmission that goes snick-snick.

Features and Comfort: 7. Korean cool

While there are a few cheaper touches, this car feels very Audi-esque in the way it’s designed. Easily on par with other brands at this price point, N touches add even more to the basic Hyundai experience.

I’ve got Seoul

It’s easy to be grumpy at some things missing here. Only the driver’s window gets an auto up/down button. If you want CarPlay, you must plug the phone in via USB, and it isn’t USB C even though your phone probably is by now.

But in other weird ways, Hyundai makes up for it. Look at those floor mats, with silver N badge. Never even seen that on another car. There’s Alcantara on all the seats, wuth blue stitching to match the outside paint. Check the digital dash that changes when you place the car in different drive modes, ambient lighting, Bose stereo, and a sunroof. 

Do I wish this car had a Bird’s-eye view when parking? Sure. But it has the features where it counts. Cheaper than the equivalent from Subaru, it’s a pretty good deal.

Here comes the boom

Perhaps the reason Hyundai skips some features is because there’s so much out here.

Painted in Performance Blue paint (the only option for $470), the Elantra N easily stands out from the base models. 19-inch N wheels, N body kit, that adorable gloss black spoilier – it helps make this car pop. The red trim along the bottom is on every N car regardless of color. Those big red N brake calipers and coffee can exhaust tips are aimed at the broccoli-headed crowd, so you’ll impress your gym mates with ease.

Is the look cartoonish? Perhaps a bit. But it’s better than the alternative of simply blending in.

Other sport sedans to consider

• 2024 Subaru WRX TR
• 2025 Subaru WRX tS
• 2021 Volkswagen Golf GTI
• 2022 BMW 228i Gran Coupe

The 2025 Hyundai Elantra N should be enough to save the segment, but there’s a lot to overcome

If we take a step back and look at this car, it’s easy to be confused. How does BMW make an M car? By taking their small sedan, adding power, a body kit, lowered suspension, special paint – you know the formula. Isn’t that exactly what Hyundai is doing here?

The performance is there. I’d even say the build quality is on par with its rivals. Hopefully that’s enough to convince everyone to point with pride when asked “Where’s your car at bro?”. It belongs in the same conversation as Subaru and Volkswagen. The brand is elevated, no excuse need be made.

But the broader issue: Will it get your teen out of that Uber and into the DMV? With a price of $37,070 and speed that can land a driver with an underdeveloped brain in jail, I’d say it’s out of reach. But only for a little while – it’s something to work toward. You know, delayed gratification. Hyundai will sell you an N Line Elantra in the meantime.

So this can be something that welcomes you into the brand. Perhaps Hyundai’s biggest issue is what comes next. Luckily I’ll have the answer is a few weeks.

For now, let’s hop in and go for a drive, eh?