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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  Very good value car! - 2003 Hyundai Sonata
  By dcharpentier - January 12 - 10:44 am

  Bought this car with 65K miles on it for 3000$ two years ago. It went through rough winters in Quebec and never let me down. It is a simple sedan but seems very reliable. The steering is numb and the automatic transmission lacks responsiveness but it is just a commuter car to go from point A to B. I feel that its consuming oil but for a vehicle of that age I am not surprised. Note for people in the north, it is prone to rust. Mine is in better shape than average here but it shows weaknesses. I can afford a better car but I dont want to let this one go. It is cheaper that its Japanese competitors of that era but I feel that it gives better bang for the buck.

• 

  temperatures and doors - 2006 Hyundai Accent
  By loved7373 - January 11 - 9:04 pm

  When temperatures are extremely high the central lock will not work, even opening the doors manually will not work either.

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  At least they are cheap. - 2002 Hyundai Accent
  By irclark - January 10 - 2:25 pm

  Pros: Cheap. Lots of interior space and head room. Good on gas. Actually did well in a freeway accident with a dump-truck. Cons: Very small and poor breaks (never balanced properly between front a rear causing rear breaks to lock up way before the fronts) Really scary in slippery conditions. poor handling (both body roll, and the suspension wore out quickly). Transmission (manual) would clunk or grind into gears between 1st and 2nd gear. Water leak into trunk which was found under warranty but they failed to fix it twice. Then the warranty expired and they said that I would have to pay for it. They did end up fixing it for free, but not without a fight.

• 

  230,000 mile road dog - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By guest101 - January 8 - 11:59 pm

  I bought my Sonata in 07 with 22,000 miles (previous rental). Overall I have LOVED my car, very dependable! There have been some little issues with sensors going off along the way, but just annoyances. My car has a ton of highway time, it has been a commuter for the last five years and never let me down. The only major mechanical fix $400 alternator repair at 217,000 miles. Otherwise just brakes battery, oil, tire maintenance. I give the interior a little lower rating as the quality seems a bit too plastic and I have broken visors, cup holder, center console etc-but my car takes a beating. Interior just hasnt held up as well as I had hoped.Seats are a bit uncomfortable for long drive

• 

  a steal - 2010 Hyundai Elantra
  By elantrablueman - January 7 - 8:49 pm

  Bought a leftover 2010 in Jan 2011 for 12,200, 13,200 otd. Have conv. package and love the xm radio. Now have 57k and the car has been near flawless. Had a minor brake light switch recall. Averaging 30.9 mpg annually. Keep records for taxes. Better mpg on hwy/trips. I change oil every 5k and keep on trucking. Still have original brake pads. Facing some big bills at 60 k: timing belt, trans fluid, probably brakes, too. Could go $1,200. However, with my new Michelins, I could go another 60k.

• 

  Still going - 1998 Hyundai Elantra
  By supgamer - January 4 - 9:52 am

  I bought this car about 6 years ago for $1600 with 76,000 mi, now I have over 213,000 on it and still going like a charm, everything is working properly. Some of the things I had to repair were: 1 clutch, 2 oxygen sensors, 1 crankshaft position sensor, radiator, 1 air blower, drivers side interior door handle ( used the one from the back door as still opens the door with minor difficulty), 3 out of 4 vent louvers, (cant remember anything else), and the usual things: 1 timing belt, 2 batteries, 1 tune up stuff, oil, 2 sets of tires, brakes, bulbs, etc.

• 

  7.2 L/100 Km, Not really - 2013 Hyundai Elantra
  By richiray - January 3 - 8:51 pm

  I am writing this review cause I am disappointed with my 2013 Elantra GLS. After driving for some weeks and going for three full tanks, I am not even close to the publicized 7.2 L/Km. I am getting between 8 and 9 L/100 km (city and highway combined). I drive very cautiously, never accelerate too aggressively or maintain the car idle for prolonged periods of time. I went to see the Hyundai dealer and they first mentioned that they could not do anything about it, that 9 L/100 Km was better than other drivers were getting. I had to push the dealership to do something and I they said that I needed to take the car for a road test and I needed to pay for the test. I accepted.

• 

  Love my 2013 - 2013 Hyundai Elantra
  By ed32 - January 2 - 10:54 pm

  I got this car back in august of 2012. I absolutely love it. The only problems Ive had is with my tires. My car seems to be a road hazard magnet (I had 4 nails in 3 tires at one point) It took the service department a long time to figure out why my tire pressure kept getting low but the day they did figure it out it was covered under the tire plan that I got when I first purchased the car. I have the Fuel Reimbursement so I have to qualms with that! Overall I drive 25-30 miles to and from work every day and im getting gas just about every week and a half.

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  41000 Leased Miles Review - 2011 Hyundai Elantra
  By vixyswillie - January 1 - 3:20 pm

  Review based on 41000 leased driving miles in SE Wisconsin. No major mechanical problems. One recall repair for defective airbag headliner support bracket. Scheduled maintenance costs low. Ride somewhat noisy and rough, including side-to-side jostling over stretches of rough roads. Poor performance in snowy/slippery conditions (could have been a tires issue). Maneuverability excellent. Feature set excellent - an amazing value for the money. Beautiful exterior styling - got lots of compliments on the car. Interior comfortable, fairly roomy and well designed. Outstanding fuel economy (low to mid 30s combined city/highway). I would recommend this car.

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  Engine blew out at 34K - 2006 Hyundai Elantra
  By vivient - December 31 - 5:31 pm

  Very disappointed in the car as well as manufacturer. Car was rarely driven and well maintained. Engine power was significantly pales when compared to a similar Toyota or Honda model. Brake pads do not last at all. Our cars radiator blew out at 34K and damaged the engine. Manufacturer refused to cover repair cost under warranty even though it has not expired, basically has been a big fat lie about warranty. Will not ever consider the brand again.