Where each one leads
BMW 318i
Ahead on none of the like-for-like measures.
Hyundai Elantra
- On Canada's official test the most frugal 2026 Hyundai Elantra uses 6.8 l/100 km, the 1999 BMW 318i 10.3.
Only measures that do not depend on how many cars were sold: pass and failure rates against cars of the same age, ratings, fuel use and CO₂. How we compare
At a glance
| BMW 318i | Hyundai Elantra | |
|---|---|---|
| Model years in the US safety record | 1984–2005 | 1990–2026 |
| New cars registered in Europe | — | 21,186 (2010–2022) |
| On the road in the Netherlands | — | 122 |
| In traffic in Finland | — | 222 |
EEA new-car registrations (CC BY 4.0) · DVLA licensed vehicles (OGL v3.0) · RDW (CC0) · Traficom (CC BY 4.0) · generations: Wikidata (CC0).
Reliability and problems
| BMW 318i | Hyundai Elantra | |
|---|---|---|
| New York safety inspections failed | — | 2.2% |
| … against cars of the same year | — | +36% |
| Illogical odometer records (NL) | — | 6.0% |
| US owner complaints | 90 | 8,732 |
| Most complaints about | Engine and engine cooling | Engine |
| Model year with most complaints | 1994 (14) | 2013 (1,314) |
| US recall campaigns | 4 | 59 |
| Manufacturer service bulletins | 47 | 2,216 |
| NHTSA defect investigations | 3 | 49 |
Complaint, recall and bulletin counts grow with the number of cars sold and are not adjusted for it. UK MOT: DVSA anonymised MOT results (OGL v3.0); New York: DMV inspections; complaints, recalls, bulletins and investigations: NHTSA (public domain); odometer: RDW (CC0).
Safety
| BMW 318i | Hyundai Elantra | |
|---|---|---|
| NHTSA overall rating | — | 5★ (2026) |
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program, most recent rated model year (public domain).
Fuel, emissions and price
| BMW 318i | Hyundai Elantra | |
|---|---|---|
| Official combined fuel use, Canada | 10.3 l/100 km (1999) | 6.8 l/100 km (2026) |
| Real-world use in Europe, petrol | — | 6.5 l/100 km |
| Official CO₂ of new cars in Europe | — | 139 g/km |
| Average power of new cars in Europe | — | 90 kW (121 hp) |
| Average mass in running order | — | 1,279 kg |
| Dutch list price when new (median) | — | €17,779 |
| Average odometer in Finland | — | 214,000 km |
Canada: NRCan Fuel Consumption Ratings, most frugal version of the latest year (OGL Canada). Europe: EEA monitoring of new-car CO₂ and on-board fuel meters (OBFCM), CC BY 4.0. Price: RDW catalogue price (CC0). Finland: Traficom (CC BY 4.0).