Let’s say you drive a Hyundai Elantra and you really, really like it — so much so that you actually love that car. While this may be true, there are a number of other cars you could consider for a test drive if your Elantra needs replacing.

Hyundai Elantra SE is a compact sedan that seats five and has a starting price of $23,870 including freight. It’s powered by a 2.0-liter engine that produces 147 horsepower and drives the front wheels through a CVT automatic transmission. A combined 139 horsepower hybrid version is also available, starting at $26,695. According to Car and Driver, the non-hybrid Elantra does 0-60 mph in 8.1 seconds, while the hybrid does it in 8.4 seconds. Quarter-mile times were also similar, with the non-hybrid doing the run in 16.3 seconds at 88 mph, while the hybrid took 16.5 seconds at 85 mph. The Elantra’s trunk space measures 14 cu. ft. Our review of the non-hybrid Hyundai Elantra praised the car’s memorable styling and better-than-promised fuel economy.

Standard equipment on the non-hybrid Hyundai Elantra SE includes 15-inch alloy wheels, automatic LED headlights, and dual fold-away power side mirrors on the outside. Its EPA-estimated fuel economy is 31 MPG city and 40 MPG highway. Inside, you get solar glass, USB ports front and rear, manual climate controls, a tilt-and-telescopic steering wheel, remote keyless entry, a 4.2-inch gauge cluster, power windows, cloth seats, an eight-inch touchscreen display, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, Bluetooth hands-free phone with voice recognition, and steering-wheel-mounted controls.

You love your Hyundai Elantra, but you want more cargo-hauling capacity. If that’s the case, we would suggest a test drive in the 2026 Kia K4 hatchback. The K4 hatch is a full 11 inches shorter than the K4 sedan, which our review found to be stylish and distinctive with a well-equipped cabin. Yet it still holds a massive 59 cu. ft. of cargo with the rear seat folded. With the rear seat up, you get 22 cu. ft. behind the second row, lots more than the Elantra’s trunk holds.

The Kia K4 is built on the same platform as the Hyundai Elantra, which means its base engine is the same 2.0-liter, 147-horsepower four-cylinder with a CVT that comes in the non-hybrid Elantra. Car and Driver tested the K4 hatch with the upgraded, 1.6-liter turbocharged engine available in the K4 (as well as the N Line Elantra). It got a 0-60 mph time of 7.0 seconds with the turbo, along with a quarter-mile time of 15.5 seconds at 92 mph, an improvement over the two lower-powered Elantras. 

Standard equipment on the 2026 Kia K4 hatchback, which starts at the higher EX trim level for $26,235 with destination, includes the 147-horsepower four-cylinder, 17-inch alloys, LED headlights and taillights, plus heated and power-adjustable side mirrors. EPA-estimated fuel economy is 28 MPG city and 34 MPG highway. Interior amenities include a 12.3-inch touchscreen display, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, dual-zone automatic climate control, SynTex seat trim, heated front seats, a rear-seat armrest, power windows, a six-speaker audio system, and a wireless phone charger. 

The 2026 Honda Civic is another car you should test drive if you love your Elantra. Like the Kia K4, it comes as both a sedan and a hatchback. It is also available as either a non-hybrid or a hybrid in both body styles. While the sedan can carry 15 cu. ft. in its trunk, the hatch offers 25 cu. ft. behind the rear seat, expanding to 46 cu. ft. with the rear seat folded. Our review of the Civic Hybrid hatchback found it to be competitively priced in these trying times.

The Civic’s standard, non-hybrid powerplant is a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine producing 150 horsepower, driving the front wheels via a CVT. The hybrid adds an electric motor and a direct-drive transmission to put down 200 horsepower. Car and Driver performance testing generated a 0-60 mph time of 8.9 seconds for the non-hybrid and 6.1 seconds for the more powerful hybrid. The Civic Si model gives you the option of a six-speed manual transmission and a turbocharged engine producing 200 horsepower without an electric motor, achieving 0-60 mph in 6.6 seconds in Car and Driver testing.

The entry-level Civic LX sedan starts at $25,890, including destination and handling, while the Civic Sport hatchback starts at $29,090; hybrid versions are priced a bit higher. Its EPA-estimated fuel economy is 32 MPG city and 41 MPG highway. The Civic Si sedan lands at $32,690 for the manual fans. Standard equipment inside the Civic LX sedan includes cloth seats, a four-speaker audio system, automatic climate control, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, a seven-inch color touchscreen, and push-button start. Outside, there are 16-inch wheels and LED headlights.

The Mazda 3 is another car that’s worth a test drive. Similar to the K4 and the Civic, the Mazda 3 gives you a sedan and a hatchback. Like the Civic, the Mazda 3 offers one specific model with a six-speed manual transmission — the Mazda 3 Hatchback 2.5 S Premium. Another option is all-wheel drive, which is available with both of the engines offered in this car. Trunk space is 13 cu. ft. in the sedan, with the hatch offering 20 cu. ft. behind the back seat and 47 cu. ft. with it folded. Our review of the Mazda 3 showed it to be elegant in its simplicity. 

The Mazda 3 emphasizes performance over fuel economy, offering either a 2.5-liter, 186-horsepower four-cylinder engine or a 2.5-liter turbocharged, 250-horsepower version. The turbo comes only with all-wheel drive. Performance testing by Car and Driver reported a 0-60 mph time of 7.0 seconds for the non-turbo FWD versions. The AWD turbo model pulled a 5.6-second 0-60 time, which is very quick for compact cars like these. 

Pricing for the Mazda 3 starts at $25,885 including freight for the Mazda 3 Sedan 2.5 S. Its EPA-estimated fuel economy is 27 MPG city and 36 MPG highway. Adding AWD raises the price to $31,645 for the 2.5 S Carbon Edition, while adding the turbo increases it to $38,770 for the 2.5 Turbo Premium Plus. Standard inside the Mazda 3 Sedan 2.5 S are Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, air conditioning, remote keyless entry and push-button start, cloth-trimmed sport seats, and an eight-speaker audio system. Outside, there are 16-inch alloy wheels, rain-sensing wipers, and LED headlights and running lights. 

The 2026 Toyota Corolla is another car in this series that comes as both a sedan and a hatchback. While there are no manual transmissions available on the Corolla, all-wheel drive is available on certain models.

The standard powertrain for the Corolla is a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine producing 169 horsepower, driving the car’s front wheels through a CVT. The hybrid models feature a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine paired with three electric motors, delivering 138 net combined horsepower. All-wheel drive is available on two hybrid versions of the Corolla sedan, the Hybrid LE and the Hybrid SE. Car and Driver performance testing of both Corollas got a 0-60 mph time of 8.2 seconds for the non-hybrid hatchback and 9.0 seconds for the AWD hybrid sedan. 

The pricing structure for the 2026 Toyota Corolla begins at $24,420 (including delivery, processing, and handling fee) for the LE sedan, Toyota’s cheapest model available in 2026, with the entry-level hatchback SE landing at $25,875. EPA-estimated fuel economy for the LE sedan is 32 MPG city and 41 MPG highway. Standard interior equipment on the LE sedan includes fabric upholstery, a front center console, a tilt/telescopic 3-spoke steering wheel with controls for various functions, USB ports front and rear, remote keyless entry, automatic climate control, an eight-inch multimedia touchscreen with six speakers, and wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Exterior features include 16-inch steel wheels with P205/55R16 tires, intermittent windshield wipers, heated and powered outside mirrors, and LED headlights, taillights, and stoplights.

If you love your Hyundai Elantra because it gives you the simplicity of purely basic transportation without any of the complexity of multiple body styles, manual transmissions, or all-wheel drive options, then the 2026 Nissan Sentra is definitely worthy of a test drive. Our review of the Nissan Sentra revealed that it still carries the affordability torch. 

The all-new 2026 Nissan Sentra is no-frills transportation. It offers a single powertrain: a non-hybrid 2.0-liter inline-four producing 149 horsepower that drives the front wheels through a CVT. Car and Driver tested the new Sentra’s performance and recorded a best 0-60 mph time of 8.3 seconds, with the quarter-mile run in 16.5 seconds at a trap speed of 85 mph. EPA-estimated fuel economy numbers for the 2026 Nissan Sentra are 30 MPG city and 38 MPG highway.

The pricing structure of the 2026 Nissan Sentra definitely starts at the lower end of today’s available vehicle choices, with the Nissan Sentra S priced at $23,845, including shipping and handling. The range of standard exterior equipment on this Sentra model includes 16-inch steel wheels with full covers and all-season tires, LED headlights, and a power cargo area release. Inside, there’s a 12.3-inch infotainment system, cloth seating with manually adjustable front seats, an intelligent key with push-button ignition, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, a reconfigurable seven-inch LCD instrument cluster, Google Assistant and Siri Eyes Free, and illuminated steering wheel controls.