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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  3 years strong - 2012 Hyundai Accent
  By mdelarosa45 - June 26 - 4:41 pm

  I come from a family of mechanics and live in TX I have owned my hatchback accent for 3 years, bought it with 4 miles on the odometer. Now have 65k miles on it and have yet to have any mechanical problems with it, very little maintenance. Original tires wear out at 35k miles. I have driven this car icy conditions, the car handled very well, the front wheel drive and traction control did their job. Braking is very sensitive but stops good. Acceleration sucks. But Eco mode saves gas! This is a great city car, saves gas and handles curves relatively well despite it not being a performance vehicle, under 70mph it feels very safe handling. MY HYUNDAI IS A VERY RELIABLE CAR I WOULD RECOMMEND IT!

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  Great car for the money. - 2014 Hyundai Elantra
  By schbullitt - June 25 - 11:08 am

  I have only driven the car for 500 miles but, for the money, this is an excellent car. I bought the Sport model because I wanted the extra power and the car is very responsive. The car is extremely tight no body or suspension noises. My only complaint is the tires. I would have liked more of a performance tire or at least an option for one. The Hankook is okay but I can see me getting a better tire when these are half worn. I have read about these tires and according to reviews, they do not perform well in the snow. That remains to be seen. My wife, who really isnt into cars, loves this car. So, overall, I would highly recommend this car, especially when you factor in the price.

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  Wont buy another Hyundai - 2012 Hyundai Genesis
  By mmdv61 - June 21 - 11:00 am

  I have 33k on my 2012 Genesis. Since purchase in 8/2011 I have had the navigation replaced, the fuel injectors had to be cleaned because they were so dirty the car would stall in the middle of driving and now the oxygen sensor had to be replaced....stalling again, but this time the engine light went on so they could find the problem easier. Last time when it was stalling they couldnt find the problem until after keeping the car for 5 days. Now they recommend I buy fuel injector cleaner and put that in the tank every time I get an oil change in order to keep it from happening again. Even doing this, the car still has a rough idle at the start of the day.

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  Great car for the money. - 2013 Hyundai Elantra
  By kris66 - June 19 - 12:17 am

  I bought the 2013 model in August of 2012. If I drive normal speeds and on the interstate I will get around 39-45 mpgs. Around the city, 32-36. I have been to Myrtle Beach and Hilton Head the last two years and average around 42 mpgs on the trip. People need to understand mpgs matter when it comes to speed, weather, terrain and up keep of the car. I have a lead foot and I am happy with the mpg. People complaining about the rain and snow are dumb and probably just dont know how to drive. The electronic stability is great in this car. Handles above average in the snow.

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  Great value for money - 2011 Hyundai Genesis
  By bmwe32 - June 12 - 10:34 pm

  Purchased a CPO 2011 4.6 with all the options 6 months ago. Have put about 12K miles on it since then and love it to death. I can get 28 - 30 on the highway at speed if Im not obnoxious with it. You definitely dont want for power or luxury goodies in this one. I always said Id never buy anything that wasnt a BMW, but they arent made like they used to be and this one seems to be. If you detest the feel of most newer cars, check this one out. Steering that feels like your actually connected to something and isnt overly light. A ride that is communicative and design that is well thought out.

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  Excellent Customer Service - 2014 Hyundai Elantra
  By jcgarcia1 - June 9 - 5:20 pm

  I just buy my 2014 hyundai elantra sport my wife love this car. [non-permissible content removed]

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  After 21K Miles Update - 2013 Hyundai Elantra
  By jhunkins - June 2 - 10:13 am

  Been 18 months since I bought this car for commuting. Have seen a large number of negative reviews about this car so I thought that an effort to balance the scale was in order. Is it the greatest ever?...No, but it is rock solid and does what it is supposed to do. My observations at the 20K mile point: - Gas mileage = never been below 32mpg regardless of driving habit, season, hills, etc. On freeway, it easily surpasses 40mpg. - Electronics = Stock sound system better than average and much better than the crappy JBL system in my wifes Highlander limited. - Road noise/bumps = Yes, it is noisy and you feel every bump but it is an economy car. Have not seen the issues presented here.

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  2015 Genesis - 2015 Hyundai Genesis
  By jsinterested - May 30 - 1:58 pm

  I read the recent review posted by the "professional critic" and I must say that I completely disagree, and consider he is delusional when it comes to back seat leg room. I compared the new 2015 Genesis against each of the following cars the Audi A6, The Mercedes E350, the BMW 535i and the Lexus. After test driving the 2015 Genesis, hands down the new 2015 Genesis AWD 3.8 fully loaded, out performs, out classes in all areas all of these cars. I have personally been driving for the last 40 years Mercedes, BMW, Range Rover, and Lexus, and this new 2015 model is a game changer...period!

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  Not quite ready for Prime Time - 2015 Hyundai Genesis
  By alfredf - May 22 - 3:26 pm

  Nicely executed exterior design, quiet and composed ride, but clear cost cutting everywhere else with a plain-jane interior that neither feels luxurious or sporty, cheap plastic switchgear abound, ventilated seats that bearly ventilate even on the hightest setting, surprisingly cramped rear seats, a smooth but gutless powertrain and truly mediocre fuel economy. The only bright spot is the panoramic sunroof. Oh, did I mention the Hankook tires in a $45K "luxury" car?

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  2013 genesis 3.8L Sedan - Little things - 2013 Hyundai Genesis
  By choctawchuck - May 21 - 8:15 pm

  Just purchased the car, used, with 27K miles. Have driven about 1500 miles so far. Positives: I do like the looks and the way the Genesis drives - quiet and comfortable, plenty of power. Complaints: Interior pieces break off - AC vent direction knobs came loose and blew out Gas mileage takes a dive (avg 14) if you accelerate much. You have to be real careful with the acceleration to reach the 18 MPG city advertised low end I have not driven car long enough to judge the reliability, so gave it a 3 for now, especially since some little plastic interior pieces have broken already.