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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  6 speed manual ..... - 2012 Hyundai Accent
  By myfj40 - August 7 - 10:32 am

  This is a great little car, but lacks power when the A/C is on. If you try to pull a hill in lower gears with the Air on you have to really wrap it out or it will bog down when you upshift. I have owned this car 3 weeks and put on 800 miles so far....gas mileage is NOT as good as my 2000 Corolla with an Automatic. I have averaged around 34 highway so far. And that is including some pretty flat interstate driving.....My corolla has actually gotten over 40 when the conditions are right !!! I am really hoping that I can get much better mileage once it cools off and I dont have to run the air......

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  Annoying engine vibration - 2011 Hyundai Elantra
  By stellasmom - August 6 - 9:07 am

  I bought my 2011 Elantra in January. My mpg averages 27 in the city and as high as 37 on a 600 mile trip. Im not getting the advertised mpg. My major compliant is that the cars engine vibrates at idle with the air conditioner on and the engine is hot. Very annoying. The steering wheel vibrates and the drivers side seat vibrates. I took it to dealer service dept to have this checked out and was informed that there was no fix. The car has no idle adjustment. Ive owned cars this size all my life and its been since the 70s that Ive owned a car that vibrated. Obviously the engine is not powerful enough to carry the load of the air conditioner. Cute car, but dont let looks fool you.

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  Hyundai proves again that they are a company to be noticed.... - 2012 Hyundai Accent
  By twbmusic - August 5 - 7:39 pm

  Awesome! Is the word to describe Hyundais latest redesign of its entry level vehicle.... First of all let me say that finding a vehicle that fits a over 6 tall male and a 5 female can be a challenge, especially from a driving position point-of-view. No problems here...seat, steering wheel, interior headroom and leg room are all generous....I can even fit in the back seat comfortably! The 138 hp direct fuel-injected engine is very willing and has plenty of passing power on the highway. In my opinion, the car rides as nice or better than Hyundais own redesigned Elantra (which is not direct fuel injected). Fit and finish both inside and out are class equal to its competition.

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  good value - 2008 Hyundai Accent
  By sbrothers - August 3 - 9:51 am

  this is not a great car, but it is a good solid well built reliable car. our 5-speed manual averages about 34 mpg per tank full. we have had minor problems: check engine light (loose gas cap?) and tire warning light that kept coming on---dealer said they reset the onboard computer. other than basic oil and filter changes we have had no other expenses in about 3 years of driving.

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  great car (25000 miles in 10 months) - 2010 Hyundai Elantra
  By hale1 - August 2 - 11:14 am

  I was a little suspect with Hyundai because of their reputation from their early years, but when I was car shopping the civic, toyota, and chevy cobalt did not compare in bang for the buck. I just wanted a gas friendly car to replace my z71. The worst mpg I have ever got is 29mpg with 36mpg on my recent trip from sc to fl. I made it from olrando to columbia sc on one tank of gas! interior is excellent given the class of car and the ipod hookup is great. The only two concerns I have had are: the light colored seats stain REALLY easy.. even from a water spill and my transmission has done a few quirky things while accelerating. Nothing to make me think it is going to break, just a hard shift.

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  Great little car! - 2006 Hyundai Elantra
  By phil110 - July 23 - 2:40 pm

  I used Edmonds to locate this car so thought Id return the favor and write a review. If youre looking for a good reliable fuel efficient ride, this is it. I purchased this car a few months ago with 95K on the clock. Ive just turned 106k and other than routine maintenance have had absolutely no trouble.

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  paint issues/update - 2011 Hyundai Elantra
  By bhamcarguy - July 22 - 8:43 am

  Just a brief update...in general I like the car..the local dealer scratched my car in 2 places and made some mistakes while repairing the initial paint quality issues. The main areas involved are under the doors and where the water drains around the trunk lid. Unfortunately, this has esclated in the local dealer contacting the regional Hyundai mfg representative to go over the car with me before repairs go any further. Ive never had any issues of this nature with a brand new car and needless to say Im disappointed (so far) with the local dealers repair and the paint fit and finish. Other than the paint, I generally like the car.

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  Two Hundred Eighty Seven Thousand Miles and Runs Great - 2007 Hyundai Accent
  By warren_j - July 11 - 2:53 pm

  First the bad. The hatchback latch spring gets stuck so after pulling it to open the rear door, I have to manually place the latch/handle back in place. I REALLY wish there had been cruise control on the Accent. The good. Everything else. This car has been driven an average 300 miles a day and it has been awesome. Outer paint looks new, engine runs great. Inner trim still looks great (but showing scratches and some fraying on the seats). Just took it to the dealer for a checkup, engine light on issue and an oil change ... $250 total bill. Ill drive it to Florida next week. Averaging 36-37 mpg with the 5 speed, compare that to my 31 mpg avg driving a 2007 Versa 6 speed.

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  2009 Elantra - 2009 Hyundai Elantra
  By johnyuhaschek - July 6 - 2:06 pm

  Fun Car to Drive, Smooth Ride, Comfortable Seats, Spacious for a small car, Great Sound System

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  Nice styling and yes you can get the advertised MPGs - 2012 Hyundai Elantra
  By acaneb1164 - June 29 - 9:05 pm

  I have the GLS with Preferred package (auto trans, a/c, bluetooth, steering wheel controls, etc.). I chose the Elantra after also driving the Cruze, Focus and Mazda 3. I have 1,200 miles on it. Regarding mileage: I see some with the 2011 model (same vehicle) saying they dont get the stated 29/40 mileage. I would guess that they didnt follow the break in period instructions in the manual - for the first 500 miles drive at a variety of RPMs between 2-4,000 RPM as much as you can. If you have the auto transmission you can do this with the shiftronic mode. After break in, I can get over 42 mpg at 75 mph with the a/c on. The 29 mpg in city is tougher but can be done.