Overall? Not too bad of a car.
I’ve owned my 2025 Elantra N for a few months now, and from what I can tell, it’s got its fun upsides and minimally noticeable downsides.
The design of the car as well as its exterior looks are great! The interior is also a really nice performance touch for its price point. The bucket seats and steering wheel are pieces that in a huge fan of.
The performance of the car is really great! Its lightweight design and (decently) powerful turbo I4 make it a really great competitor for its class. The active exhaust system is another thing I LOVE that’s in my car and use it almost practically on the daily, I can never get tired of it. The performance brakes are something I LOVE in my car that have saved me a lot from crazy drivers on the road i have to deal with sometimes. The tires that were chosen are a great choice by the N division too! Every turn I make feels confident and smooth. And the NGS button? A very smart idea that I’ve used when I really needed to. Overall, the cars amazing! However…
The cars engine feels like it can go more, DO MORE. 300-350 HP should’ve been what it can make instead of 286 temporary with NGS and 276 without. The interior creaks a little if slight pressure is put on it. The whole “Octane learning” thing is something that I understand yet find to be too repetitive. Like I get that it’s for “track use” and unlocks all the power but that’s almost like paywalling a car that you BOUGHT. I’m not saying it should be removed or that it’s BAD, but it should be fixed to be made easier for the car to learn. And the radiator (while being great as is) COULD do a hair better in terms of keeping the engine and oil temp at optimal temperature levels. Of everything I’ve noticed, to me, this is what’s the most important factors I’ve seen in it.
Besides that, it’s an amazing car that I feel is really good for its price and performance range. While a lot can be improved on it, it still is a really great car by a company that finally took bravery steps in the right direction. The N division was their smartest move yet.