• The 223 hp Honda Civic Si starts at $27,300
• Hyundai’s 276 hp Elantra N starts at $32,295
• Buy the Honda Civic Si instead and go to the track

It looks like the one-car having, daily-driving car enthusiasts are spoiled for choice when it comes to new cars. Honda just unveiled their 2022 Honda Civic Si to rave reviews, after all. Oh, and Hyundai just dropped the 2022 Hyundai Elantra N, a performance sedan with the spirit of the Veloster N hot hatch. Sound familiar? However, one costs more than the other, and it’s time to decide if it’s worth it.

The 2022 Hyundai Elantra N is $5,000 more than the Civic Si

If you haven’t figured it out by now, that car is the 2022 Hyundai Elantra N sedan. It’s got a lot going for it for the extra cash, however. That number, by the way, is $32,295 MSRP. For that money, you’re getting a lot of Hyundai Veloster N bits, including a standard manual transmission. We’d be remiss to not bring up the brand’s dual-clutch unit, a $1,500 extra which Hyundai has poured a lot of time into developing and promoting.

Those two transmission choices also power the same engine, a turbocharged 2.0L four cylinder right out from under the hood of the Veloster. That motor produces a hefty 276 hp and 289 lb-ft of torque through either of those gearboxes and straight to the front wheels, just like the 2022 Honda Civic Si. That hefty figure also has to move a good bit of heft, with the 2022 Hyundai Veloster N clocking in at 3,106 lbs.

How much will the 2022 Honda Civic Si cost?

As for the 2022 Honda Civic Si, well, it’s effectively less than the Elantra N in just about every measurable way. The engine is half a liter smaller than the Elantra’s 1.5L. It’s still got a turbo, which helps the 2022 Honda Civic Si make a healthy 200 factory-rated horses. We say factory because dyno evidence from Hondata suggests Honda fudged the numbers a bit, and the Si actually makes 223 hp. Regardless, it also makes 192 lb-ft of torque.

Like the 2022 Hyundai Elantra N, the VTEC-powered 2022 Honda Civic Si also sends its power to the front wheels via a 6-speed manual as standard. Only this Civic Si’s gearbox is standard because it’s the only one you can get. The Civic is also cheaper and lighter than the Elantra, at 2,952 lbs and a starting price of $27,300. And therein lies the issue. The Honda is cheaper, and because of the Elantra’s weight, both cars will feel largely the same, with the Hyundai pulling a little harder on account of the extra torque.

The Si sedan is a VTEC-powered bargain

If you ask us, the Elantra N just isn’t worth the extra money. The Civic Si is less, and less is more in the world of sub-300 hp hot sedans and hatches. We’d recommend saving that $5,000 or so and spending it on options for your Si, or better yet, getting yourself to your first track day.