The Honda Civic Si is done, at least temporarily, after the 2026 model year, leaving the Type R as the last manual available from Honda. And while its “dying breed” status may now justify the price for some, two great manual performance sedans still cost over $10,000 less: the Subaru WRX and the Hyundai Elantra N.
Neither offers quite as much performance as the Type R, nor its practicality. Still, in these times when consumers are more price-sensitive than ever, the Type R’s hefty premium over the others is likely to be questioned now more than ever. Let’s explore the other options and how they compare.
Hyundai Elantra N
276 HP For $35,300
2024 – 2025 Hyundai Elantra N 7th Gen (CN7) FaceliftHyundai
It’s hard to argue against the Elantra N. It’s easily one of the best performance values on the market. And even compared to the simpler WRX, the Elantra N is absolutely loaded with performance hardware, some of which even the Type R can’t match.
First, the basics. It packs a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four that produces 276 horsepower and 289 pound-feet of torque and posts a mid-5-second 0-60 mph time. The package backs it all up with big brakes, adaptive dampers, a front electronic locking differential, and a solid variety of other suspension upgrades and bracing, plus summer performance tires wrapped around sportier wheels.
As far as these items go, the Honda has them all too, plus its 2.0-liter turbo four produces a significantly higher 315 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque. If you believe Honda’s official claim of 5.3 seconds for the 0-60 mph time, then all that extra power doesn’t give you much of an advantage. But Car and Driver managed a 4.9-second time, which is a nice bit of extra performance over the Hyundai. The dual-clutch version of the Elantra N gets it back to matching that sub-5-second time.
As someone who’s driven both cars on the street and on track, and lived with both for a week each, the Civic Type R feels a bit stronger and more composed, but it wasn’t a huge performance difference, in my opinion. Honda certainly wins in the transmission department, though, with a better-feeling shifter than the Hyundai.
2024 – 2025 Hyundai Elantra N 7th Gen (CN7) FaceliftHyundai
But speaking of that dual clutch, Hyundai offering it is another advantage over the Type R, which takes a “take it or leave it” approach to transmissions and requires every Type R driver to use three pedals. Also, on the topic of things the Type R can’t match, the Elantra N has a sweet-sounding multimode exhaust system. The Civic Type R’s uncommon tri-outlet exhaust setup unfortunately doesn’t provide much in the way of sound, and no driver adjustability either, only getting an exhaust valve that opens at higher RPMs for better exhaust flow.
Anyone wanting a Type R with a more sonorous exhaust note would need to shop the aftermarket, or go for the Type R’s more luxurious sibling, the Acura Integra Type S. The Acura has a more characterful exhaust, likely because it doesn’t have to meet the same Japanese noise regulations as the Honda. Also, while some enthusiasts push back on the idea of sounds piped through the speakers, the Elantra offers more customization, with several different sounds to pick from, including one that makes it sound like the Elantra TCR race car.
2026 Hyundai Elantra N TCR Edition Interior View DashboardHyundai
Otherwise, the Hyundai and Honda offer pretty similar setups. Both offer suitably amped-up exterior styling, including rear spoilers, though the Civic’s is much bigger. Inside, both offer unique, aggressive bucket seats and mostly the same creature comforts. The Hyundai offers longer warranty coverage: a 5-year, 60,000-mile bumper-to-bumper and a 10-year, 100,000-mile powertrain warranty. Honda gives you the typical 3-year, 36,000-mile bumper-to-bumper and 5-year, 60,000-mile powertrain coverage.
Lastly, the price difference is the big nail in the coffin for the Type R. The Type R is a whopping $11,995 higher than the Hyundai. That $12,000 savings could be used in the aftermarket to make the Elantra N far higher performing than the Type R, be used to buy an entire second fun car, or buy a winter beater with better practicality to make up for what you’re missing by not getting the Type R’s hatchback.
Subaru WRX
271 HP For $32,495
2025 Subaru WRX tSSubaru
The Subaru WRX offers a slightly different but still strong proposition against the Type R. For those who want all-wheel-drive with a manual-transmission sedan, the WRX is the only game in town. Even if you expand your criteria to include hatchbacks, your options increase by exactly one: the Toyota GR Corolla starting at $40,520, which is higher performing but also more cramped.
Even if you don’t care about having all-wheel-drive, the WRX’s case is still very compelling. For an even lower price than the Hyundai, $32,495 plus $1,195 destination, you get 271 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque from an even larger 2.4-liter turbocharged boxer-four-cylinder. The six-speed manual isn’t quite as nice as Honda’s. It doesn’t have the auto-rev-matching capability the Honda and Hyundai offer, but it still has a nice, notchy shifter.
Unlike the Civic Type R, the WRX has an automatic transmission option. The unit is a CVT, and the company brands it as the Subaru Performance Transmission.
2025 Subaru WRX tS, Rear 3/4 View, LowSubaru
The WRX feels significantly slower than the Type R, admittedly, with a decent downgrade in torque from the Elantra N. Thanks to the Subaru’s all-wheel-drive grip, the 0-60 time of 5.7 seconds is in the same range as the Elantra N. It’s mainly when you’re already rolling that the WRX’s powerband and low 6,000 rpm redline make it feel slower than the others. Thankfully, owners report that the engine responds well to modifications and makes more power easily. Thanks to that giant $14,900 savings over the Type R, you’d have plenty of spare cash for those parts.
That base WRX also comes with less-sophisticated handling hardware. If you want Brembo brakes, the STI-tuned suspension with adaptive dampers, or sportier Recaro seats, you’ll have to go up to the tS trim for $44,995, which erases nearly all the WRX’s savings. At that point, spending less than $2,500 more for the much faster Type R is a no-brainer as long as you don’t mind front-wheel-drive.
The WRX also faces a similar problem in the interior, with the base trim offering fewer features than the Type R, like no heated seats, moonroof, or premium stereo. To get all these features, you’d need at least the Premium grade for $33,995 plus the $1,865 option package that adds an 11-speaker Harman Kardon sound system and a power moonroof. The vehicle still offers great savings, but it’s slightly worse than the higher-performing Elantra N.
2015 Subaru WRX STI interior frontSubaru
Exterior styling is another pain point of the WRX, with most enthusiasts not in love with the crossover-esque unpainted fender cladding or the mostly unpainted rear bumper. The biggest objection some have to the Type R’s styling is the big wing, which you can easily fix with an inexpensive aftermarket wing-delete kit.
Which Should You Buy?
2024 – 2025 Hyundai Elantra N 7th Gen (CN7) FaceliftHyundai
Pricing Comparison
Honda Civic Type R
Hyundai Elantra N
Subaru WRX
Starting Price
$47,395
$35,300
$32,495
Destination Fee
$1,195
$1,295
$1,195
Total Price
$48,590
$36,595
$33,690
Difference From Type R
–
-$11,995
-$14,900
If you need all-wheel drive and/or just want something fun to drive, the base or Premium trims of the WRX are probably the right choice. But the WRX knocks itself out of the running if you want to match all the performance goodies the Type R has. For everyone else, the Elantra N is the unbeatable manual performance sedan value, giving you the most performance per dollar, the longest warranty, and the most fun character.
If value isn’t important to you, or you’re willing to invest in the higher price tag of the Honda upfront, you do get rewarded with a car that’s still fantastic and one that appears to be holding its value very well, and is poised to continue that trend into the future as manuals get more endangered. We’re lucky to have all three of these cars still available in America at these prices. Get them while you still can.
Sources: Honda, Hyundai, Subaru
