Overview & Reviews

A relative newcomer to the American marketplace, Hyundai is a Korean automaker with a product line that has improved greatly over the past decade. Hyundai cars and SUVs provide a high level of content for an affordable price, and are currently backed by one of the industry's longest warranties.

In 1947, Chung Ju Yung founded the Hyundai Civil Engineering Company. Mere months later, the outfit was bombed in the Korean War. However, the company regained its footing to distinguish itself as one of Korea's leading construction enterprises during the 1950s.

By the late 1960s, Chung had turned his attention to the automobile industry. The Korean government at that time believed that it made more sense to import vehicles than produce them domestically, and had made its opinion known. Still, Chung opted to follow his own convictions, and in 1967, he founded the Hyundai Motor Company.

The company quickly established an alliance with one of the industry's oldest automakers, signing a two-year contract with Ford in 1968 to share assembly technology. Hyundai's first car, the Cortina, was created from that partnership. The manufacturer's first car to be designed and built in Korea was the compact Pony (although the car was based on Japanese technology courtesy of Mitsubishi). The vehicle made its debut in 1974, and the following year Hyundai began exporting it to overseas markets.

Hyundai entered the U.S. market in 1986 with the introduction of its subcompact Excel. The car was an immediate hit, with its supreme affordability being a primary selling point. More than 100,000 Excels were sold stateside in the first seven months. By 1988, Hyundai had begun to produce cars using its own technology. The midsize Sonata was the first fruit borne of this endeavor.

Unfortunately, Hyundai's nascent image was soon tarnished by the poor durability and reliability of its vehicles. Sales tanked. However, rather than abandon the American market in the '90s, Hyundai chose to invest heavily in new product designs and improvements in overall quality and reliability. In 1998, Hyundai also purchased Kia, another Korean automaker, to expand its business and economies of scale.

It all started to pay off by the start of the new millennium, with the 2001 Elantra in particular showing massive improvements in overall quality, reliability and performance. Other models followed suit and the desirability of Hyundai cars increased sharply. Providing an extraordinarily long warranty period didn't hurt either.

Today's lineup is indicative of Hyundai's complete turnaround. Hyundai has a vehicle for nearly every segment, including the economical Accent subcompact, the popular Elantra compact, the midsize Sonata sedan (also available as a hybrid), sporty Genesis and Veloster coupes and a couple of stylish SUVs. Hyundai has also expanded into the entry-level and premium-level luxury sedan markets with its Genesis and Equus sedans. Having gone from being the butt of late-night TV jokes in the 1980s to a well-respected manufacturer of quality vehicles, Hyundai has created a very inspiring rags-to-riches story.

User Reviews:

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  So far so good - 2008 Hyundai Elantra
  By charmeming - July 21 - 7:01 pm

  I bought this car almost 2 years ago. It has about 28,000 miles on it. As others have mentioned, I have experienced some instances of the trunk popping open seemingly on its own. I think that it may be because there is a button on the remote which possibly gets pushed, but cant be sure. Additionally, the ESC sometimes shuts off on its own especially when its rainy. I live in Columbus, OH where it ices rather than snows and the ESC did kick in a few times, works well when its on and kept me from sliding into the curb once. I think that the interior is much nicer than other cars in the same price category. The trunk is roomy it handles nicely and is quiet compared to other cars.

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  1 year 100,000 mile warranty - 2008 Hyundai Elantra
  By GERALD PARRY - July 20 - 5:54 pm

  I bought a 2008 Hyundai elantra a couple years ago. I thought the car was great at first and paid an extra couple grand for the 10 year warranty and even spent the extra for lo jack and sealant to protect my cars finish for 5 years. That right there doesnt say much for Hyundai interior or exterior if they are only giving a 5 year warranty. They would not cover suntan lotion eating through my paint because it was on my bumper. My transmission fluid turned brown after just 13k. Thats normal they said. My battery has a dead cell after just 17k (26 months) this was not covered even though it is not a wear and rear item. Who ever heard of a 1 year warranty on a batter especially for a new car?

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  Outstanding Value - 2010 Hyundai Genesis
  By Rick - July 20 - 3:28 pm

  I purchased my Genesis 2 mos ago after researching price, quality, and driving experience. I looked at Volvo S80, Buick LaCrosse, and Ford Tauuus Ecoboost. None of them came close to content or price except maybe the Buick. I love the clean lines, quiet ride, and the acceleration of the V-8. I have 2000 miles on it and it is great.

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  Great car - 2010 Hyundai Elantra
  By Dan - July 20 - 3:00 pm

  This is my second elantra, my first was purchased new in 2008, a GLS model. I traded the 2008 for a 2010 SE model because I wanted the safety features and black interior the 2010 had. They are both great cars! The 2008 GLS was a wonderful ride and very dependable, it was hard trading it in. I love my new one, it is a rougher ride because of the sport-suspension but you get used to it. I test drove many cars before I bought my elantras but always came back to them. You get a lot for your money and a great warranty, it is definitely a great buy.

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  Great little car at an awesome price. - 2009 Hyundai Elantra
  By tshedd - July 20 - 2:20 pm

  This is our first Elantra. Came down to Focus SES and this. Liked the drive and price of this better. It gets good mileage (about 30 avg). Ive driven manuals all my life, but struggled with this clutch a bit, stalling much more than 96 Accord. It does not do well in snow, I siped the tires and it helped a bit. I think it is the tires. I like the tighter steering and well thought out interior. I wish they had made it easier to use iPod. I feel the car at high speeds is working too hard. Noisy at highway speed. Love the reliability and ownership cost of this little car. After Cash for Clunker paid 10,800.

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  Blown Away - 2010 Hyundai Genesis
  By Bob - July 19 - 9:55 am

  That says it all. Blown Away. One doesnt have to say "for the price" when comparing to the Infiniti, Lexus or Benz, all of which I test drove and in the case of Infiniti, owned, prior to buying the Genesis. I bought the 3.8 after driving both, and figured the 6 to be plenty for my 48 years. Maybe at 25 Ive have opted for the 8, but at 25 I probably wouldve chosen something a little sportier. Bags of room, bags of features. Nav is great, but will probably take some studying of the manual to work it all out. I need to learn to skip over paragraphs that tell you how to insert a CD, and the like! Overall, very pleased and impressed.

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  The sleek slate metallic hatchback - 2010 Hyundai Accent
  By don - July 18 - 6:30 pm

  Great car great everything. On a trip I got 39 mpg. Around town I get 33-34. I shift with the selector indicator for gear!

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  Very Pleased - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By fortythieves - July 17 - 9:59 am

  I purchased this car used with 25k miles. I have 71k miles on it now after 1.5 years of ownership. Very pleased with my purchase. Low cost of ownership - only performed routine maintenance. This is my commuter vehicle and spends most of its time on the highway. Still enjoy looking at the exterior to this day. Looking at dollars and cents, it was a smart purchase for me and my young family. Plenty of space for things, especially when you consider all of the things you need to haul for young children.

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  Genesis Sedan 4.6 Budget Rental car - 2010 Hyundai Genesis
  By Larry Hatch - July 16 - 2:29 pm

  My wife and I recently rented a car from Budget in Seattle for a 2 week trip to San Francisco. We reserved a Ford Focus. We got bumped up to a Genesis 4.6 Sedan. Wow! I fell in love with the car immediately. Loaded car. Drove like a dream. No matter how hard or easy I drove it I was never disappointed. We actually were disappointed to have to give it back to Budget at SFO and walk away. I would buy one without hesitation if I were in the market. I drive a 2003 Crown Vic LX Sport Model. The Genesis was the closest to a new version of the car I drive at home. Keep up the good work Hyundai. I will be looking for a clean used one in a couple years.

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  Awesome - 2010 Hyundai Genesis
  By Carla - July 16 - 11:51 am

  I upgraded from a 2005 Sonata. Ive had it less than a week. I LUV the Genesis! This is my first luxury car and it has navigation too.