Hyundai Elantra

The 2022 Hyundai Elantra is a small sedan that was just redesigned last year. The sleek and modern styling is a standout in the class, and even at its affordable price, it comes with an impressive list of standard features. A rather anemic base engine and an overabundance of hard plastic inside kept it from claiming the distinction as the MatoCar Top Rated small sedan, but it's still a competitive choice among rivals such as the Honda Civic, Kia Forte and Mazda 3.

Happily, if you decide to go with the Elantra, you are not locked into the standard engine. There's the N Line model, which has a 201-horsepower turbocharged engine that's pretty strong for this class of car. Or if fuel economy is a priority, there's the Elantra Hybrid that gets up an estimated 54 mpg in combined driving. Then there's the new Elantra N. We originally thought it would come out for 2021 but its arrival got pushed to this year. Under the hood is a turbocharged four-cylinder that puts out a stout 276 hp. This motor, along with a sport-tuned suspension with adaptive dampers, makes the N an absolute blast to drive on curvy back roads.

Want to know more? Read our Expert Rating below to get our test team's full analysis of the Elantra's comfort, technology features and more.