2018 Hyundai Elantra vs Toyota Corolla

What's the difference?

The Hyundai Elantra Active is a good buy if you’re after a small sedan that will do its duty diligently while being backed by a strong ownership plan. So, if you like it, and you can get a good deal, it might be a contender for you.

But it does fall short on some fundamentals, including the latest safety equipment and technology - and if you’re paying retail, you’ll be getting the short end of the stick. Bargain hard, or - better yet - maybe wait for the updated model.

Toyota seems to be mostly waking up to what it takes to cut through in the contemporary car market. While the local arm sits on a pretty big pile of brand loyalty forged over years of delivering a solid-if-unspectacular product, its lunch is danger of being eaten by the various mouths of its rivals.

Have a good look at a Hyundai from 10 or more years ago - an attempt to clone Toyota's middle-of-the-road approach. Now they're a distinct brand with a strong focus on styling, dynamics and equipment. Toyota has grabbed two of those values and is lurching towards getting the third right.

Toyota will sell a squillion of these and probably for the first time I won't be wracking my brains trying to remember what it's like to drive. And while it's missing a few obvious bits and pieces, and the hybrid is very slow, the new car confirms how good TNGA is. Maybe, just maybe, Toyota is finally breaking free of building boring cars.