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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  Has been a GREAT little car - 2001 Hyundai Elantra
  By paulnbedford - May 31 - 1:56 pm

  We bought our Elantra new in 2001 and maybe thats the difference from everyone elses experiences on here, but our has been a great little car only letting us down once. Turned out to be the spark plugs and wires needed to be replaced. Ive never seen a car jerk back and forth and act that way before in my life. Sure enough thats what the dealership said it replaced and it ran great afterwards. Unfortunately at the time it was bad enough you couldnt even drive the car though and had to be towed in. Fortunately though it was under warranty! Weve both said wed buy another Hyundai again without hesitation. Its been the best car weve ever owned other than our old Dodges from the 70s.

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  Love my Genesis, but have two (minor) issues - 2015 Hyundai Genesis
  By genesisnewbie - May 31 - 9:57 am

  I bought the 3.8 with the Signature and Tech packages, plus AWD, since Ill be driving in snowy mountains in the winter. Ive had it for 3 months now, and absolutely love it. Im amazed at how much value the Genesis offers. Unless you really need superior "racing" performance, it can go toe-to-toe with BWM, Audi, Mercedes, Lexus, etc., but for $10K-$12K less. I wouldnt say those brands are in trouble, but they are definitely under attack.

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  Love this car! - 2015 Hyundai Genesis
  By tml65 - May 27 - 12:13 am

  The 5.0 Ultimate is fast, quiet, and has a killer sound system. It is the only car I have ever owned which was delivered with no problems at all. I love everything about the car. I am glad that I read the positive reviews of the new 2015 model and decided to go for a test drive.

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  Very Satisfied with First Car - 2004 Hyundai Accent
  By prymal1 - May 13 - 3:13 pm

  Bought in December 2014 at 157 000 km, owned for 5 months, driven 20 000 km, selling because leaving the province and the country. Wheel bearings and wiper assembly were the only critical maintenance done during the last 5 months. Started and drove fine in the cold and the snow in Montreal. Spent money on it like you would any used car for little things here and there.

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  best buy in the 40k segment - 2015 Hyundai Genesis
  By quanva - May 12 - 9:13 am

  the second gen is an huge improvement over the first gen. I did not own a first gen but ive spent weeks with a rental Even the basic signature is miles ahead of the 2014. overall i love the car, hyundai did drop the ball on a few things but none were enough to move on to another and most can be corrected in the aftermarket. Im referring to the lack of foglights for the V6, which they admit is the volume model(they can be sourced and installed)the amber DRL, its very 2004 and has NO PLACE in a in my case 47k vehicle, the canadian version somehow uses the LED strip for its DRL the car is very quiet,great interior room (im 67) you cant go wrong

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  What is Edmunds thinking!!! - 2015 Hyundai Genesis
  By llpowelljr - May 7 - 10:43 am

  Edmunds, I have no idea what the B rating is about , but your the experts. Granted , this is my first time in the 35,000-$45,000 segment, This is by far the best Car Ive ever owned. To step up to this level in automobile was so important. So I wanted value above all. and this car offers that and some. Ive read all the reviews, and looked at other brands as well.Its very responsive but not as spirited as some german brands, but very complete in performance for only its 2nd Generation. Future is bright for this car and Hyundai/Kia. It offers way to much for your money that the others brands will have to adjust. Well done Hyundai!!!

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  Best car Ive ever bought. - 2015 Hyundai Genesis
  By rpkelly - May 5 - 1:00 pm

  Hyundai has come a very long way, and the 2015 Genesis sedan puts it in the elite company of Mercedes, BMW and Lexus. I purchased mine yesterday and was amazed at the fantastic electronics package, the amazing comfort and overall stylish look. I traded in my 2007 Lexus which I had purchased new and in all honesty, cant hold a candle to the Genesis. We had looked into buying the Lexus LS460 which this Genesis is comparable to in all ways except for being about $25k less in price.

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  Superb vehicle - 2015 Hyundai Genesis
  By howidee - May 3 - 10:37 am

  Hyundai hit a home run on 2nd Gen Genesis redesign. This is truly a very well designed and executed vehicle with phenomenal value. I traded in a 2012 Azera for 3.8L Genesis and could not be happier. This vehicle is a thrill to drive. It starts with closing the door and hearing this solid quiet close, then experiencing a very serene ride and sharp handling for a vehicle this size. The sound level is amazingly quiet, like being in a vault. Safety features are state of the art and an indicator of what is to come.

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  2013 Hyundai Elantra - Do Not Buy - 2013 Hyundai Elantra
  By sweenangel - April 27 - 2:06 pm

  This is by far the worst purchase I have ever made. The paint began to chip almost immediately followed by the steering wheel and gear shift. Then I got a flat tire and found that the car did not come with a spare tire. When I complained to Hyundai corporate I was told I should have reviewed the window sticker. Forgive me for assuming that the hole where the spare tire should be would contain a spare tire. The dealer did not point this out and they did not offer to sell me one. I hit a small pothole recently and the entire wheel cracked like it was made out of paper. The window sticker they chastised me for not reviewing carefully had incorrect gas mileage. Avoid at all costs.

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  Love it and Hate it - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By rrankin90 - April 23 - 12:10 am

  I have owned this car since 2011. It only had 7,000 miles when I purchased it. Obviously Grandma Moses owned it first! I love the ride, drive, and comfort of seats for rides lasting less than four hours. Anything over that and my back begins to hurt. The only thing I can actually say that I HATE about the car is the constant need to replace light bulbs. From headlight bulbs, break lights, and the bulbs over the license plate. Ugh!!! Many are easy to change and Ive made my own way of changing them. Others... Not so much. Almost two hours to change the high mount bulb in the back window. Other than that I love it and will definitely buy another!!!