K4 vs Elantra (2026)
I've recently been driving both for work and I thought I would share my observations. I was driving the base model Kia LX and the middle model Hyundai Preferred with tech package. Both vehicles had under 1000km. I only drove them about 500km.
Keep in mind I am not a car reviewer, just an average guy. The family has owned 2 Elantras, and 2 Souls over the years.
Noise. The Elantra is a lot louder than the Kia inside the cabin. Conversations were noticeably more strained at higher speeds. This despite the Kia still having winter tires installed while the Elantra had all-season tires.
Shifting. I thought they had the same transmission. Shifting in the Kia was very smooth. In the Elantra it was very abrupt. Same with down shifting. I did not see a driving "mode" in the Elantra either that might explain this.
Cruise Control. One long hill with the cruise-control set to 105km/h the Elantra down-shifted and stayed at 3.5K RPMs for an uncomfortable amount of time. Basically related to the previous point.
The K4 had WIRELESS carplay. The Elantra with tech package did not! Also, the Elantra required a USB-A cable for WIRED carplay. The USB-C was power only. Cell phones have not come with USB-A cables (or chargers) for years now. For a "tech pacakge" this was an odd choice by Hyundai.
Lane-centering. I found the Kia did a better job. The Elantra would slowly drift from line to line. Not horrible but I found myself correcting more often than in the Kia.