Ride and Handling
Now things start to get tricky. Frankly, there is so little to complain about between these two that this is more an exercise in nitpicking. Both ride comfortably on rough roads, remain stable on the highway at high speeds and respond well to steering inputs. Anybody looking for a humble compact car will be well satisfied by composed handling and excellent shock absorption.
The 2012 Civic’s cheap, tinny, sound insulation a thing of the past, it soaks up rough roads better than should be expected of a compact car. The Elantra GT is also supple over most roads, although there is one notable exception. One stretch of the 401, whose lanes are shifted to accommodate construction, routes you right over recessed drainage covers. Travelling over those at speed, the thump was adequately shushed, but upon rebound from the shock, the back end shifted, dancing away from the impact ever so slightly but distinctly. Because of my affinity for Mustangs, I proceeded to hit every single one of those drain covers that I could find and giggled fitfully with every wiggle; however, some drivers might not find the Elantra GT’s behaviour quite so entertaining.
    2013 Honda Civic & 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT. Click image to enlarge |
Beyond ordinary highway driving and smoothing out potholed streets, the Civic continues to shine, and proves why it was the car that so many tuners flocked to during the heyday of the Fast and Furious. The steering is sharp and quick, with decent feedback as you push it around an onramp. Push some more, and while progressing into understeer, the chassis still feels lively and balanced, the Civic’s multi-link rear suspension showing greater control than the Elantra GT’s torsion beam setup in back. Lift your foot off the throttle, and the back end actually comes around, but smoothly. This kind of behaviour, in a $25K compact car? Surprising, indeed.
The Elantra GT, at a slight disadvantage with smaller wheels, delivered the expected grip and managed the turns effectively but without any sense of occasion. None of Hyundai’s three steering modes offer anything but the vaguest steering sensation, although moving from Comfort through Normal and onto Sport provides progressive levels of weight. After testing, we wouldn’t trade the Civic’s well-balanced steering for any number of steering weights. Give me one good steering weight with adequate feel over three options with poor feel any day. A lesson to Hyundai: spend your money on one good steering setup instead of a button to choose between three bad ones.
Now, while steering feel is well down the list of priorities for most compact car shoppers, all other things being equal, it can have an influence on the overall sense of vehicle control and comfort. And, for those that seek a more enthusiastic driving experience, the Civic is the clear choice, with the option to move up to a true performance model in the razor-sharp Si.
