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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  I love my car - 2012 Hyundai Accent
  By jg523 - September 23 - 7:50 am

  Ive had my Accent for a little over three years now, and Ive gone over 80,000 miles in her. She has not given me ONE problem with the engine. Even when I havent taken her in for regular service in WAY too long or have been driving her long distances with a lot of weight, she is entirely reliable. Now, shes had trouble with other people hitting her, but even those repairs have been perfect and shes back up and running in no time and with no after effects. She also gets great gas mileage on one 8-hour interstate driving trip recently I filled up before leaving and then only once more when I got close to my destination. My husband is 64" and even he fits comfortably in the car.

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  I really enjoy my new Elantra - 2014 Hyundai Elantra
  By red_rider28 - September 22 - 12:38 pm

  I purchased the Elantra SE on June 8th and so far I have put about 4700 miles on it. It is a very comfortable car for my commute of about 50 miles round trip daily. I have taken several long road trips of over 300 miles with no issues. Over all I could not have asked for more from Hyundai. I am a loyal customer as I also own a 2012 Hyundai Accent SE.

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  Class - 2011 Hyundai Equus
  By livi - September 20 - 9:33 pm

  My Equus Ultimate is one of the nicest cars Ive owned. Quiet, handles well and very nice design. Had the S Class Mercedes but stepped out of the box for the Equus. People said "skeptical paying that for a Hyundai" but after riding in it and enjoying the amenities, nothing else said. Case closed. One guy stopped who had a Rolls Royce said he was considering buying an Equus. People often ask what is it (wing emblem on hood) and "heard about it, nice car." I have not been disappointed. It is truly a very nice car and the Equus Connect customer service is top notch, every question answered and any concern taken care of immediately. Love my Equus -- class extraordinaire.

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  2011 Equus Ultimate IS Just That... - 2011 Hyundai Equus
  By bsdtwd - September 18 - 9:38 pm

  Recently a purchased 2011 Equus Ultimate with 40k miles. Pearl White with cashmere leather. Amenities too numerous to list. Super quiet, the design is fantastic and turns heads due to its rarity on the road. No complaints. Adaptive cruise and lane departure system work flawlessly. The Lexicon Sound is unmatched. Save $20-30,000 by indulging yourself with a fine Equus with an engine that will go forever. No timing belts or broken engine mounts like MB or Audi.

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  Equus Ultimate trumps S600 or 750 - 2011 Hyundai Equus
  By bsdtwd - September 12 - 9:24 pm

  Yes its a Hyundai! The best part is the $20000 or more you get to keep in your pocket when you choose this fine car. Front/ Rear cameras, Adaptive cruise, Alcantara head liner, powered sun shades all around, a refrigerator, recliner and a LCD screen in back. Not to mention a remote for the reclining, vibrating, heated and cooled rear passenger seat. 1000 pounds lighter makes a big difference too. 28 MPG on highway!

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  I have been SCAMMED by Germans !!! - 2014 Hyundai Equus
  By htcrack - September 9 - 9:53 pm

  After owning 14 Equus about 10month, I feel like I havebeen scammed by Germans more than 15years.

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  Hyundai is Reliable!!! - 1999 Hyundai Accent
  By eddie1700 - September 7 - 8:55 pm

  Hello, I just felt impelled to write a review of this car. It is a Hyundai accent 1999, it is a little reliable rider IÂ’ve seen plenty of friends with BMWs and Fords all go down before my ride. I take regular maintenance serious and this car has not let me down. Currently has 150,000 plus miles and I keep track of mileage with highway and city driving I still average 35mpg its amazing very efficient. It might not be the most attractive ride out there but makes up for it in swag points that for sure. Plenty of room in the interior for hauling basics, and again its reliability is incredible.

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  Hyndai Rewards Card for Mileage issues - 2013 Hyundai Elantra
  By adveragedriver - September 6 - 5:59 pm

  This is less a review of this model than of Hyundia in general. In this case, Im talking about the program to repay customers for when they overstated their EPA estimated mileage. 1st, they "average" the mileage between city and highway. Not so bad, except that they "round" the result to favor themselves. By high school math, whenever you get ".5", it gets averaged upwards. They average it downwards. Thus, for my 2013 Elantra, they were off by "1.5" mpg, so the averaged it to 1 mpg instead of 2. Then they make it very annoying to collect. For example, they dont send you a check, they use a "debit" card which you cant use without looking up your VIN #. Who carries that around?

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  Look out BMW ! - 2015 Hyundai Genesis
  By wacman - September 4 - 9:00 am

  While I only have 1700 miles on my new Genesis as a BMW owner I can say Look Out 5 series ! This car comparably equipped is $20,000 under MSRP to a BMW 535! And, the 5 has less room to boot ! Getting used to less road feel is the only major difference between the two. You need to drive both and decide for yourself. Then ask the banker what the better value is ! Get all three packages and cruise on down the road!

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  My Elantra is a great car - 2008 Hyundai Elantra
  By billbond - August 31 - 9:57 am

  I bought my 2008 Hyundai Elantra brand new. I have never had a more dependable car. I have never had a tune up and I now have 145K miles on it and it runs great. Just got back from a 10 hour (each way) vacation trip and we had no issues.