For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Acura Integra have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Hyundai Elantra doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.
The Acura Integra has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Elantra doesn’t offer knee airbags.
Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Integra A-Spec Technology/Type S has a standard Low-Speed Braking Control that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The Elantra doesn’t offer automatic braking for stationary objects directly to the rear.
The Integra A-Spec Technology/Type S has standard Parking Sensors to help warn the driver about vehicles, pedestrians or other obstacles behind or in front of their vehicle. The Elantra doesn’t offer a front parking aid.
Both the Integra and the Elantra have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Acura Integra is safer than the Hyundai Elantra:
|
Integra |
Elantra |
OVERALL STARS |
5 Stars |
4 Stars |
|
Driver |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
Neck Stress |
191 lbs. |
268 lbs. |
Neck Compression |
19 lbs. |
51 lbs. |
|
Passenger |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
4 Stars |
Chest Compression |
.6 inches |
.6 inches |
Neck Injury Risk |
27% |
42% |
Neck Stress |
151 lbs. |
177 lbs. |
New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does 40 MPH moderate front offset crash tests on new cars. In this updated test, results indicate that the Integra is safer than the Elantra:
|
Integra |
Elantra |
Overall Evaluation |
ACCEPTABLE |
MARGINAL |
Structure |
GOOD |
GOOD |
|
Driver Injury Measures |
|
Head/Neck Rating |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Chest Rating |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Thigh/hip Rating |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Leg/foot Rating |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Restraints |
GOOD |
GOOD |
|
Rear Passenger Injury Measures |
|
Head/Neck Rating |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Chest Rating |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Thigh Rating |
GOOD |
GOOD |
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Acura Integra is safer than the Hyundai Elantra:
|
Integra |
Elantra |
|
Front Seat |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
Chest Movement |
.9 inches |
1.2 inches |
Abdominal Force |
226 lbs. |
239 lbs. |
Hip Force |
301 lbs. |
327 lbs. |
|
Rear Seat |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
HIC |
239 |
345 |
Spine Acceleration |
60 G’s |
68 G’s |
|
Into Pole |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
Hip Force |
646 lbs. |
954 lbs. |
New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.
The Acura Integra achieved a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for the 2025 model year. This recognition was based on its impressive performance in the small overlap frontal crash test, updated moderate overlap front crash test, updated side impact crash test, headlight evaluations, and pedestrian crash prevention testing. The Elantra is not a “Top Safety Pick” for 2025.