Best Small Cars Showdown!
2011 Hyundai Elantra vs. 2012 Ford Focus

Which is the best new small car? Both the 2012 Ford Focus and the 2011 Hyundai Elantra can make a strong claim to the title. Here's how they measure up, on cost, gas mileage, road tests, styling and interior. By Nick Chambers

Hyundai Elantra vs. Ford Focus: Test Drive

2011 Hyundai Elantra:
For a vehicle in this class, the Elantra performs reasonably well. With its four-wheel disc brakes, independent MacPherson struts, beefy front stabilizer bar and 148 horsepower, 1.8-liter engine, the Elantra is certainly far from underpowered and takes what's thrown at it respectably. However, at high speeds the Elantra felt a bit mushy and slow when changing lanes and at low speeds the brakes felt too grippy.

2012 Ford Focus:
The engineers at Ford spent a lot of time refining the handling of the Focus, and it shows. With an industry first application of standard torque vectoring control at this price point, the Focus makes you feel like a racing pro when you hit a corner too hard. The Focus also benefits from beefy front and rear stabilizer bars, a 160-horsepower, 2-liter engine, and available four-wheel disc brakes.

And the winner is: Ford Focus
While the Elantra is a respectable handler compared to other vehicles in this class, the Focus feels more like a race-tuned higher-end vehicle than a typical small car — giving even the least-experienced drivers the confidence to take almost anything the road throws at them.

Related: 2012 Plug-in Prius Test Drive