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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  Great car for the money and forgiving - 2005 Hyundai Elantra
  By aldvin - March 15 - 12:04 am

  I have had this car since it was new. I had to skip maintenance at times due to have a very small budget. Something I never recommend for any car if can be avoided, however this car has forgiven every time I have done it. I used to drive 1000 miles a week, and not once have I had to worry if I would get to where I needed to. I now have 174k miles on it and still get 29 mpg combined highway city driving. The only problem I have had is breaks...my fault...and had to rebuild top of engine due to my mistake with timing belt...again my fault. I have had a badly charging battery start in cold weather. I will keep this car until the tires fall off compared to a car payment.

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  Very Happy With My 2012 Elantra - 2012 Hyundai Elantra
  By argonvalyn - March 11 - 11:21 pm

  I had a 2002 Elantra which I got brand new and traded it in after 10 years of great reliability towards a 2012 Limited Edition Elantra. Ive had the 2012 for a year now and I love it. I typically average about 35mpg or more and there are some weeks when I average 43 mpg or higher! Admittedly, there are a couple weeks when I average only 29-31 mpg, but I am VERY pleased with my gas mileage. The car itself is fun to drive and the interior design is beautiful. The Bluetooth is very handy, the seats are comfortable, and the car accelerates fairly quickly. My main concern would be the absence of a spare tire...and the fact that the limited edition tires cost a small fortune to replace.

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  Best bang for your buck - 2007 Hyundai Sonata
  By figopete - March 10 - 11:32 am

  Ive owned 3 Hondas (1 Acura), currently have a Nissan, Porsche and my Hyundai Sonata. Guess which car we take on long trips ? Yes, Hyundai Sonata. Also its my wifes daily car. Its very reliable, no major problems at all so far. It currently has over 170,000 miles on it. Only six years old. NONE of my Hondas including my Acura lasted over 170,000 without a major problem. Neither did my Nissan or Porsche. Its very quite, comfortable, good power. We bought it after careful research comparing Accord and Camry which were WAY overpriced. Few problems Ive encountered is the replacing of bulbs often and Im not a fan of drivers seating position adjuster. Besides that nothing to grip about.

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  130,000K miles, and its perfect! - 2004 Hyundai Elantra
  By petarvn1 - February 26 - 11:22 pm

  This car was bought for my eldest brother when he started college. He got this car in 11 with 101K miles on it. Since then, another 30ishK miles have come and gone, and its as fresh as ever. It does show its age (fuel tank has hairline fracture in it, has needed a lot of engine parts replaced recently) but for a car driven like this one, its not bad at all! The manual gets better MPGs than our 40K mile 06 auto elantra, and it looks just as good! Just one problem with this car, and thats the trunk. Its large, but not as larger as the hatchs. Overall, a great 1st car (especially for $4995!) Only problem right now is a missing trim piece that fell off due to bad glue!

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  Best car ive never owned - 2006 Hyundai Elantra
  By petarvn1 - February 26 - 11:08 pm

  I know, the title is weird, but hear me out. My brother got one of these when he got a job. It was a mechanic owned, 35,000 original mile elantra with no problems with it (other than a CD that was stuck in the Stereo.) The car is very comfy to ride in the front, but rear hedroom is not too great for anyone over 6 foot. Its also a good looking car, for what it is. The cars achilles heel is the Slushbox they call an automatic. We happen to have an 04 manual as well, and its MUCH more fun to drive. other that that, its just a great comuter car. 5K miles in 5 months, with no issues. Maintenence is pricier than youd expect though.

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  Great Value, Great Car, Well Kept Secret - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By 2006sonata - February 23 - 9:45 am

  We bought our Sonata new in Pittsburgh. Its been a really fantastic vehicle. In 2006 they changed the body style, and it still looks fresh. We got the V6, and this car will really move. Mechanically weve had no issues, but we havent hit the 60K mile mark yet. If you need a good second car, or a first car for a new driver, you wont regret buying one of these. Been fantastic. (I only hope it can go as long as my 2001 Jeep Cherokee - truly an awesome SUV if ever there were one).

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  2013 Equus Review - 2013 Hyundai Equus
  By equusowner1 - February 15 - 12:46 pm

  I purchased a 2013 Equus in December of 2012. The car have lived up to all of my expectations. I looked at BMW, Mercedes, and Audi and non of them could come close to the features of the Equus for the price. I could of spent $40,000 or $50,000 more for one of their cars with similar features. One of the biggest difference in the Equus vs. the other manufactures is the engine! Try to buy a german manufacture car with 429 Hp. You better bring your check book! I changed the logo on the trunk and no one knows what it is. The car gets a ton of looks and compliments. Save yourself a fortune and get this car, you wont be disappointing.

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  Fun to drive and very efficient too! - 2013 Hyundai Elantra
  By bleese - February 12 - 5:31 pm

  Weve owned our Elantra for a year now and we love driving it daily. Its sporty and very quick to respond to sudden turns and stops. We dropped from a Honda Accord to this car and at first were worried about the size, but after a few days, we quickly feel in love with it. The savings on gas is amazing, the trunk space is massive and at 62" tall, I have plenty of leg and head room in either the driver or passenger seat. It handles well in all weather conditions and is super quiet. We havent had any issues and never mind taking it in for an oil change with inspection since the warranty is so extensive. I recommend this car to anyone needing a solid, dependable vehicle.

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  Second time Elantra owner. - 2013 Hyundai Elantra
  By 2ndtimeowner - February 12 - 4:40 pm

  Just traded our 2010 Elantra.Why ?Why not. new style new color . and the best fact we liked our last Elantra . The dealership and I dont say this much but,they made it work. really. we only had 35,500 miles on last car ,gave us great trade in . and in the end walked into new car as if it was nothing. trade in covered loan ,payment stayed the same .. But most of all we liked the service ,and also the car .. the 2010 was a big question mark for us . our first hyundai. We owned Honda,toyota , many times over the years . But this elantra . These two Elantras are the best bang for the buck. saved alot of money . The 2013 is no question a nicer car.

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  Excellent Value! - 2002 Hyundai Accent
  By aair13 - January 31 - 10:38 pm

  As a Honda guy i wasnt very fond of getting a Hyundai. Bought in 2011 with 163000 and boy am i glad i did. Gets me 39mpg all highway. I drive it about 50 miles daily. I have the 4 door with the 1.6L auto. Mine does have a small noise in muffler but mechanic told me this was common on that year. Plus i dont mind cause it sounds cool, lol! Great car! Parts are easy to find and cheap. I recommend it!