I have decided to log my experience as an Elantra N owner because...well because I feel like it.
Why did I buy one?
As a Fiesta ST owner, the thing I liked most about it was the fun per dollar ratio. In 2014 I paid $19K for the Fiesta new – GTIs, Focus STs, Civics and WRXs were a lot more. During my eight years of ownership, the car was used primarily for autocross, back-road blasts and as my DD, so a replacement would have be practical as well as sporty while not breaking the bank.
One important thing to note is that I wanted the DCT transmission. While my wife can drive a stick quite well, she prefers not to. Whenever she needed to take my car, she hated the stiff suspension and the manual transmission. For me, longer autocross courses that required third gear were an issue for me, I may have speed shifted into first more than once. I liked the idea of a modern, well-designed DCT.
Right off the bat, that meant that the cheaper Honda Civic SI and WRX were off the table. The Si only comes with a manual and the WRX is a CVT. (I hear it's a good CVT, but it's not what I wanted.) The Volkswagen GTI is close, but you have to step up to Autobahn to get 19-inch wheels and all of the goodies inside and suddenly you're over $40K. The Mazda 3 turbo is in the hunt, and while it offers all wheel drive, hatchback, and plenty of power and torque, it just it wasn't racy enough compared to what Bierman is doing at Hyundai.
Another consideration was a limited-slip differential. This made a big difference once added to the Fiesta and I didn't want to go without. Lucky for performance car fans, most cars in this category now have a limited-slip of some type. The EN has a pretty sophisticated and adjustable limited-slip, as well as adjustable dampers, adjustable exhaust, adjustable shifting and more. My honest opinion is that if you add up all of the technology, features, adjustability, and performance hardware, the Elantra N is a $40 or even $50K car being sold for $34K.
So what about the Civic Type R, they will both be in DS. Well. the 2022 redesign promises a more sophisticated look, but it will be priced well above the EN. My guess is that if you want all of the interior features you'll have to move to the Integra Type R, and that'll be even more expensive. If I was buying a track weapon, no doubt the CTR is a better option. But I'm using this car for road trips with the family from time to time so the DCT and more relaxed and fun to drive nature suit me better. (If I hit the lottery, a CTR TC will be my first purchase.) Arguments can be made for plenty of other cars I'm sure, but I wanted a new car with a strong warranty and I'm not interested in modifications at this point, so the EN was a clear winner for me.