Edmunds hybrid sedan comparison: 2025 Honda Civic vs. 2025 Hyundai Elantra

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Edmunds hybrid sedan comparison: 2025 Honda Civic vs. 2025 Hyundai Elantra

2024-12-04 19:57 Last Updated At：20:00

There’s big news for the 2025 Honda Civic: It’s now available as a hybrid. More than that, its new gasoline-electric powertrain replaces the Civic’s previously optional turbocharged engine, making the Civic Hybrid both a max fuel economy choice as well as a higher-performance one. It seems like a compelling pick for a small hybrid sedan. But it’s not the only one.

Hyundai has a similar mission with its 2025 Elantra Hybrid. This dramatically styled sedan gets its own update for 2025, resulting in edgier styling and additional technology features. Which one of these practical and high-mpg sedans is the better buy? Edmunds’ experts compare them to find out.

Although both are hybrids, the 2025 Civic and 2025 Elantra have very different types of gasoline-electric powertrains. We won’t get into the engineering minutiae, but the Elantra’s acceleration feel and engine sound will seem more normal to potential owners. The Civic’s low-speed acceleration is very smooth, but driving on hilly terrain can make the powertrain seem noisier than the Elantra’s.

The Elantra has the advantage in terms of fuel economy. Its Sport and Limited trim levels get an EPA-estimated 50 mpg combined. The Blue trim returns 54 mpg combined, although when you’re talking about mpg figures this high, the difference in terms of actual gas burned is minimal. That’s a critical point since the Civic Hybrid returns an EPA-estimated 49 mpg combined. So, advantage Elantra, but oh-so barely.

The Civic enjoys a significant advantage in acceleration. Its 200-horsepower powertrain zipped it from zero to 60 mph in 6.6 seconds at the Edmunds test track. For context, that’s quicker than the sporty Civic Si. The Elantra, working with just 139 horsepower, hit 60 mph at the Edmunds track in a pokey 9 seconds.

Advantage: Civic

The Civic interior has a premium look and feel, with plenty of soft-touch surfaces and switchgear that clicks and turns with a pleasing heft. You’ll feel like you’re getting your money’s worth. By contrast, the Elantra Hybrid has lots of scratchy, hard plastic with no soft-touch materials in sight. The design is interesting, but there’s nothing premium about it.

The Elantra’s back seat is a little roomier than the Civic’s, while the needle goes the other direction in terms of trunk space: 14.8 cubic feet for the Civic sedan and 14.2 cubic feet for the Elantra. The Civic is available with a hatchback trunk as well, which increases versatility. Edmunds also rated the Civic’s in-car storage higher than the Elantra’s.

Advantage: Civic

The top-of-the-line Civic Sport Touring has a 9-inch touchscreen boasting the Google built-in interface. This provides an enhanced version of Google Maps plus Google Assistant voice controls and various entertainment apps from the Google Play store. The system is easy to use and the Google elements could be considered an advantage over what you get in the Elantra.

However, the lower Civic trim levels have a smaller screen that lacks the Google built-in tech. This screen is more rudimentary in functionality, appearance and feature content than both the upgrade system and what you’ll find in every Elantra Hybrid. The Elantra Blue trim has an 8-inch touchscreen, while all other trims get a 10.25-inch touchscreen.

The Elantra’s driver aids and safety tech is superior, period. It has one of the most helpful systems Edmunds has tested. Alerts are visible and helpful, false alarms are few, and the adaptive cruise control system accelerates and brakes the car in a way that will seem normal for the driver. The Civic comes with nearly the same list of systems, but they don’t work quite as well and unobtrusively as the Hyundai’s.

Advantage: Elantra

The Civic Hybrid powertrain is only available in the upper Sport and Sport Touring trim levels. Pricing is therefore elevated to start at $29,845. The Elantra Blue starts at $26,250 and the amount of feature content isn’t that different between the two. Opt for the Elantra’s Sport trim and the price goes up to $28,225. For that you get the top-of-the-line infotainment system, digital instruments and wireless device charging. You have to buy the $32,845 Civic Sport Touring Hybrid to get those same features.

Basically, you get more features for your money with the Elantra. You also get a longer warranty.

Advantage: Elantra

These hybrid sedans are closely matched. The Elantra Hybrid could work out well if a low price is a priority for you. Otherwise, we think the Civic Hybrid is the better buy overall. Its quick performance and classier cabin make it more enjoyable to drive than the Elantra while still getting great mpg.

This story was provided to The Associated Press by the automotive website Edmunds. James Riswick is a contributor at Edmunds.

South Korea’s opposition parties submit a motion to impeach President Yoon over sudden martial law

2024-12-04 19:49 Last Updated At：20:00

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s opposition parties Wednesday submitted a motion to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol over the shocking and short-lived martial law that drew heavily armed troops to encircle parliament before lawmakers climbed walls to reenter the building and unanimously voted to lift his order.

Impeaching Yoon would require the support of two-thirds of parliament, and at least six justices of the nine-member Constitutional Court would have to endorse it to remove him from office. The motion, submitted jointly by the main liberal opposition Democratic Party and five smaller opposition parties, could be put to a vote as early as Friday.

Yoon’s senior policy advisers and Defense Minster Kim Yong Hyun offered to resign as the nation struggles to make sense of what appeared to be a poorly-thought-out stunt. The Democratic Party on Wednesday submitted a separate motion to impeach Kim, who it alleged recommended the martial law declaration to Yoon.

In his speech announcing the abrupt order Tuesday night, Yoon vowed to eliminate “anti-state” forces and continued to criticize the Democratic Party's attempts to impeach key government officials and senior prosecutors. But martial law lasted only about six hours, as the National Assembly voted to overrule Yoon before his Cabinet formally lifted it around 4:30 a.m.

The Democratic Party, which holds a majority in the 300-seat parliament, said Wednesday that its lawmakers decided to call on Yoon to quit immediately or they would take steps to impeach him.

“President Yoon Suk Yeol’s martial law declaration was a clear violation of the constitution. It didn’t abide by any requirements to declare it,” a party statement said. “His martial law declaration was originally invalid and a grave violation of the constitution. It was a grave act of rebellion and provides perfect grounds for his impeachment.”

Impeaching him would require support from 200 of the National Assembly's 300 members. The Democratic Party and other small opposition parties together have 192 seats. But the rejection of Yoon’s martial law declaration in a 190-0 vote included the votes of 18 lawmakers from Yoon’s ruling People Power Party, according to National Assembly officials. PPP leader Han Dong-hun and Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, also a member, criticized Yoon's martial law declaration.

Cho Jinman, a professor at Seoul’s Duksung Women’s University, said it’s highly likely that lawmakers will back Yoon’s impeachment motion given that some from the ruling party already voted down his edict.

If Yoon is impeached, he’ll be stripped of his constitutional powers until the Constitutional Court rules. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, the No. 2 position in the South Korean government, would take over his presidential responsibilities. Han issued a public message pleading for patience and calling for Cabinet members to “fulfill your duties even after this moment.”

The Constitutional Court has only six incumbent justices following three retirements. That means all six must approve Yoon's possible impeachment motion for it to succeed. They include those appointed after Yoon took office, so the Democratic Party is expected to speed up the process of exercising its rights to recommend two of the three new justices.

Yoon’s martial law declaration, the first of its kind in more than 40 years, harkened to South Korea’s past military-backed governments when authorities occasionally proclaimed martial law and other decrees that allowed them to station combat soldiers, tanks and armored vehicles on streets or at public places like schools to prevent anti-government demonstrations. Such scenes of military intervention had not been seen since South Korea achieved a democracy in the late 1980s until Tuesday night.

After Yoon’s declaration, troops carrying full battle gear, including assault rifles, tried to keep protesters away from the National Assembly as military helicopters flew overhead and landed nearby. One soldier pointed his assault rifle at a woman who was among protesters outside the building demanding that the martial law be lifted.

It wasn’t clear how the 190 lawmakers were able to enter a parliamentary hall to vote down Yoon’s martial law decree. Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung and National Assembly Speaker Woo Won Shik were seen climbing over walls. As troops and police officers blocked some from entering, they didn’t aggressively restrain or use force against others.

No major violence has been reported. The troops and police personnel were later seen leaving the grounds of the National Assembly after the parliamentary vote to lift the martial law. Woo said: “Even with our unfortunate memories of military coups, our citizens have surely observed the events of today and saw the maturity of our military.”

Under South Korea’s constitution, the president can declare martial law during “wartime, war-like situations or other comparable national emergency states” that require the use of military force to restrict the freedom of press, assembly and other rights to maintain order. Many observers question whether South Korea is currently in such a state.

The constitution also states that the president must oblige when the National Assembly demands the lifting of martial law with a majority vote.

A presidential official said that Yoon decided to impose martial law as a way to resolve a political deadlock and did it in the middle of night to minimize its negative impacts on the economy. The official requested anonymity to discuss sensitive nature of the issue.

Some experts say Yoon clearly violated the constitution in how he imposed martial law. While martial law allows “special measures” to restrict individual freedoms and the authority of agencies and courts, the constitution does not permit the functions of parliament to be restricted. But in following Yoon’s declaration on Tuesday, South Korea’s military proclaimed parliamentary activities were suspended and deployed troops to try to block lawmakers from entering the National Assembly.

Park Chan-dae, the Democratic Party’s floor leader, called for Yoon to be immediately investigated on charges of rebellion over the way he deployed troops to the parliament. While the president mostly enjoys immunity from prosecution while in office, the protection does not extend to alleged rebellion or treason.

In Washington, the White House said the U.S. was “seriously concerned” by the events in Seoul. A spokesperson for the National Security Council said President Joe Biden’s administration was not notified in advance of the martial law announcement and was in contact with the South Korean government.

In Seoul, the streets seemed busy like a normal day Wednesday.

Tourist Stephen Rowan, from Brisbane, Australia, who was touring Gyeongbokgung Palace, said he was not concerned at all.

“But then again, I don’t understand too much about the political status in Korea,” he said. “But I hear they are now calling for the current president’s resignation, so ... apparently there’s going to be a lot of demonstrations. ... I would have been concerned if martial law had stayed enforced.”

Natalia Slavney, research analyst at the Stimson Center’s 38 North website that focuses on Korean affairs, said Yoon’s imposition of martial law was “a serious backslide of democracy” that followed a “worrying trend of abuse” since he took office in 2022.

Associated Press writer Jennifer McDermott contributed to this report.