There are plenty of compact cars for buyers to pick from, and Consumer Reports has taken a look at a number of them. The 2020 Toyota C-HR and 2020 Hyundai Elantra GT are two small hatchbacks, but they have very different rankings on Consumer Reports’ compact cars list. Here’s a look at some of the biggest differences between the two.

The Hyundai Elantra GT’s rating from Consumer Reports

Consumer Reports took a look at both the 2020 Toyota C-HR and the 2020 Hyundai Elantra GT, and there really was no contest. Consumer Reports gave the 2020 Toyota C-HR an overall score of 61 out of 100. It got a road test score of 64, a predicted reliability of three out of five, and a predicted owner satisfaction of one out of five. It also ranked the vehicle 13 out of 16 on its list of compact cars.

The 2020 Hyundai Elantra GT received much better scores from Consumer Reports, with an overall score of 81 out of 100. In addition, it got 79 out of 100 for its road-test score, five out of five for its predicted reliability, and four out of five for its predicted owner satisfaction. Consumer Reports named the 2020 Elantra GT No. 1 on its list of 16 compact cars.

How do the exteriors compare?

Both vehicles are small although their exterior designs are slightly different. Consumer Reports says the Toyota C-HR has “avant-garde styling” and is somewhere between a hatchback and a subcompact SUV. It has four doors, but the rear door handles are hidden to make it look like a coupe. This also makes it difficult to open those doors and use the rear seats. In addition, it also found that the C-HR’s rear and side visibility are really bad. 

The Hyundai Elantra GT is a four-door hatchback that combines the engine and transmission from the Elantra sedan with a chassis designed for performance. It does have some rear blind spots.

Comparing the powertrains of the 2020 Hyundai Elantra GT and Toyota C-HR

The 2020 Hyundai Elantra GT starts to separate itself from the 2020 Toyota C-HR with its engine options. Consumer Reports says that the Toyota C-HR has an “agreeable ride” with good handling but has some big problems as well. It doesn’t offer all-wheel drive, and it has very slow acceleration, going from 0 to 60 mph in 11.2 seconds. The 2020 C-HR has a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, producing 144 hp. It’s paired with a continuously variable transmission. Its fuel efficiency is rated for 29 mpg overall.

Consumer Reports says that the Elantra GT is sporty and “a pleasure to drive.” It also has two engine options, one for each trim. Like the C-HR, the Elantra GT also just has front-wheel drive. The base Elantra GT has a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, generating 161 hp. It’s paired with a six-speed automatic transmission. This smaller engine is relatively speedy, going from 0 to 60 MPH in 8.7 seconds. It has a fuel efficiency rating of 27 mpg overall.

The 2020 Elantra GT N Line trim has a more powerful 1.6-liter turbo four-cylinder engine, producing 201 hp. The N Line comes standard with a six-speed manual transmission but a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission with paddle shifters is available. The turbo engine has 26 mpg overall fuel efficiency with the manual transmission and a bit better at 28 mpg with the automatic transmission.

Safety features

The Toyota C-HR does include more advanced safety systems as standard features, although the Hyundai Elantra GT has more features available. All three C-HR trim levels come standard with the Toyota Safety Sense-P group of features. This includes a pre-collision system with pedestrian detection, lane departure alert with steering assist, automatic high beams, and full-speed range dynamic radar cruise control.

While the Elantra GT has more safety features, many of them are optional, and the two trims have different available features. The base trim offers lane change assist and blind-spot collision warning with rear cross-traffic collision warning. The N Line has optional forward collision-avoidance assist with pedestrian detection, smart cruise control with stop and go, lane-keeping assist, high beam assist, and driver attention alert.

The 2020 Hyundai Elantra GT beats the 2020 Toyota C-HR on price as well. The Elantra GT starts at $20,650, while the C-HR has a starting price of $21,295. Both vehicles have their similarities, but the Elantra GT is a better choice than the C-HR when comparing engine options, acceleration, available advanced safety features, and price. However, it doesn’t offer as many standard safety features as the C-HR.