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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  Ive never had a more reliable car - 2004 Hyundai Sonata
  By cbutschek - May 13 - 12:32 pm

  Ive had this car for about 6 years now. It has never let me down. Not long after buying it, I rear-ended an old truck that should have, in all honesty, torn things up. The car started right back up and has been running flawlessly ever since. Ive never had a bad belt and, unlike my Ford, a broken a/c compressor doesnt affect engine performance. The serpentine belt started squealing a little shortly before the alternator went dead earlier this year, but I suspect a squeaky pulley rather than the belt. There is plenty of power and handles very well. I trust it to keep me and my family safe on the road, within reason.

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  From a practical enthusiast... - 2013 Hyundai Azera
  By tman27 - May 13 - 12:49 am

  I have no desire to race my car from stoplight to stoplight. I have no desire to zip thru canyons as fast as possible. I DO like to have ample power for typical driving situations (highway passing, merging, etc.). I DO appreciate a car that handles well. This car delivers on all fronts. Typically, I drive the speed limit +5mph in the city, and +8 to 10mph on the highway. Driving I-10 to LA westbound (against the wind) at an average of 80mph I observe 25 to 27mpg. Eastbound (with the wind) I see 29 to 30. Practical mileage with ample power, luxury, and incredible sound system to boot. Love this car. Side note: big guy 62", long legs, 250lbs and completely comfortable for long trips.

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  new 13 elantra limited - 2013 Hyundai Elantra
  By firemanjack - May 6 - 6:34 pm

  Nice car..Very comfortable to drive..Good on gas

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  Great Car - 2003 Hyundai Sonata
  By asetechcarter - May 3 - 7:00 pm

  I see all these people writing bad reviews on this car because they did not maintain the car! What is wrong with people these days???? Complaining about a timing belt as a repair? Come on people... That is just called maintaning your car!!!!! if you can not afford a tune up on a 4 cyl Hyundai you should not even own a car!!!! These are great cars if you take care of it!! Trust me i am an ASE master tech and work on these cars daily, and not for Hyundai!

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  Great car and gas mileage - 2013 Hyundai Elantra
  By borkel - May 2 - 2:24 pm

  This is my 4th Hyundai. Checked Gas mileage today on 120mi R/T...Temp 49deg Wind N20G30 mph...fairly level highway with speed limit varing 70 to 75 mph. Results northbnd 37.3MPG and southbnd..(tailwind). 43.3.For entire trip speed control set to speed limit. Checked by adding fuel and dividing miles and also the trip cmptr. Trip cmptr off by 2 tenths. actual mileage better. All of my previous Hyundai cars (2 Sonatas 1 Accent and now this one have easily exceeded the sticker mileage. Its not the car its HOW it is driven. Great car all around ..

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  Have owned this car for 1 year...My opinion - 2012 Hyundai Elantra
  By brittanyb00 - April 22 - 8:02 pm

  Overall, I am very pleased with this car. Just a quick breakdown: -Road noise is loud but not bad (to me at least) -I have gotten 28/38 MPG, after subtracting 2 from the reading it gives. I have changed my driving habits tremendously. -Owners now receive an MPG reimbursement card. After 11,000 miles, I was given $46 and can continue to get reimbursed when I visit the dealership.

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  ...its a SLEEPER folks! - 2013 Hyundai Azera
  By 3sons66 - April 11 - 11:33 am

  Wife purchased this car because "its sexy, looks like a Lexus, has more features than a Lexus, costs thousands less, has twice the warranty and offers a panoramic roof!".. Ok, cant argue with that. So with that she drove home a 2013 Hyper Silver with Black interior Azera with the optional "Tech Package" which gave her the HD Nav screen, Pano roof, heated/cooled seats, 550W Infinity sound system and a list of other features. I do have to say that Im impressed! Ive owned/driven 5-7 Series BMWs, Lexus ES, Toyota Avalon, Cadillacs and this car is truely amazing for the money. I cant believe they dont sell more of them. Quiet, smooth, enough power and SAFE - 9 Airbags including knees!

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  Great Car for the Money - 2013 Hyundai Azera
  By msticks - April 3 - 11:24 am

  As a longtime Infiniti driver, my friends gave me quite a hard time when I traded my Infiniti M35X for a 2013 Hyundai Azera with the technology package. Let them laugh as I laugh all the way to the bank. This is a luxury car in everything but name and price. For well under $40K I got a better ride, more features and much better fuel economy than the Infiniti I traded in. I test drove quite a few cars including Audis and BMWs but based on content and build quality I just couldnt justify $20 to $30K more for a name. Engine is smooth and responsive and the leather is as butter soft as in any other "Luxury" car that I could actually afford.

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  MY ELANTRA IS GREAT - 2013 Hyundai Elantra
  By latruck - March 26 - 3:23 pm

  Ive owned many different cars, from a caddy to a fiat. This is my first hyundai and I love it. Ive only owned it for a month but so far Im happy with my car and the all the people at hyundai dealership. Couldnt have had a better experience

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  Six Years and Still Happy Customer - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By danbro1 - March 21 - 3:35 pm

  Overall, I am VERY pleased with my 2006 Sonata LX. I purchased it new in 2006 and have had two minor warranty repairs, a power window malfunction and an ignition key issue. I change the oil and rotate the tires every 4M miles. I have about 55M miles on the car.