Not so long ago, folks wouldn't be cross-shopping the Subaru WRX with a Hyundai Elantra. One has a history of turbocharged all-wheel-drive fun on both pavement and dirt. The other has a history often associated with rental car agencies and comfortable, sedate front-wheel-drive trips for small families. Friends, the 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 though it spins just the front wheels, it's proven to be a surprisingly good sports sedan. Meanwhile, the new-for-2022 WRX checks in with 271 hp (202 kW) and a curb weight about 200 pounds heavier, due in part to its much-loved AWD system. Both cars offer auto-shifting gearboxes (a CVT for Subaru, eight-speed DCT in the Hyundai), but this particular showdown from Edmunds is a six-speed manual affair.
