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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  review of 2012 hyundai elantra - 2012 Hyundai Elantra
  By mrmcgoo1 - October 18 - 5:25 pm

  vehicle is excellent. the problem is the dlr. capitol hyundai-columbia,s.c.. poor attitude,not interested in help customer. the problem is in the managment of the dlr ship. not qualified.

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  low maintenance and fuel efficient - 2006 Hyundai Elantra
  By sshegls - October 14 - 11:12 am

  Overall this car is great. Bouht it when it was new in 2006 because it has a 5 star safety rating and was inexpensive around 13,000. I had horrible credit but hyundai is great at approving financing. Ive only had to do oil changes and one set of tires. Have 36000 miles all highway. I drive long distance and car is very comfy on highway and its "get up n go" peppy. the ac and heat is fanominal in this car and the hotest/coldest ive ever seen. I still have original light bulbs and only used 3 tanks of gas to drive ny to fl as i commute. car is especially smooth with michellin tires and quiet. There is no wind noise at all. I replaced the radio with a sony and sound quality is 10 times better.

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  2011 Hyundai Elantra Ltd. Review - 2011 Hyundai Elantra
  By md2011 - October 13 - 10:33 am

  Bought this car in March of 2011 (Traded in my 09 Elantra GLS). Over the time I have had the vehicle I have been very impressed in the advancements over the previous model. Great performance, comfort, design, mpg the list goes on and on. A couple cons I do have is them removing features that were in the 09 Elantra such as glove box light, double storage in the arm rest dual map seat back storage and top of dash storage. As a sum they have done an excellent job on this vehicle and also requires less maintance than the 09 such as new timing chain and lifetime transmission fluid. Been very impressed! Best bang for the buck with all the features! Intend to keep this car for many years!

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  Exactly what I wanted! - 2012 Hyundai Accent
  By catdaddy74 - October 8 - 1:43 pm

  Ive had my 2012 Hyundai Accent SE (mocha bronze) for 5 days now and I absolutely love it! It is roomy and comfortable with plenty of power when I need it. The engine is quiet and still feels powerful when I turn on the A/C. Reviewers like to say its not as sporty or fun to drive as the other hatchbacks in its class. Personally, I find it plenty sporty with a very smooth ride and quiet cabin. I never thought I would consider a Hyundai let alone step foot inside a dealership but Im glad I did. I am thoroughly satisfied and impressed with this little gem of a car!

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  Very good, but not excellent - 2012 Hyundai Elantra
  By albertyoun - October 5 - 11:06 pm

  I previously leased a 2010 Elantra GLS. Wow, the 2012 Elantra Limited is a huge improvement. I shopped around, and did my research. There is no better car available for $23k. I liked the styling of the Mazda3 but the ride is terrible. (Who cares about "handling" when that Mazda rattles your teeth on smooth pavement?) If you want a compact car with leather, nav, and a backup camera (essential features for me), then this is your car.

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  Stripes Earned - 2011 Hyundai Elantra
  By patsd - October 5 - 10:03 am

  We have 6000 miles on it now.. I just drove from Chicago to NY, with my wife, our baby, and about a ton of baby gear. The MPG calculator never beat 37... but when we arrived I realized: we drove over 800 miles and stopped for gas twice, putting in ten gallons both times. The tank has more now than when we got on the road. Thats 40 mpg (at 70-80MPH). But MPG was not why we bought this car. We test drove everything in the class, and the handlings not quite as tight as the Focus or the 3, but its also not so far off the pace to justify the price difference. The cars balanced and stable, and theres plenty of fun to be had. And while saving money, you get more space and features. Great Car.

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  Awesome Car Totally - 2012 Hyundai Accent
  By luvmyaccent - October 4 - 8:47 pm

  Had this car for two weeks and love this car, got mocha bronze hatchback. this car is everything i want and needed in a car, 36 miles per gallon so far, drives will, a/c is great, stero is nice lots of room, But No spare tire or jack, went to discount tire got a tire and rim for $93.00 brand new full size and fits in spare spot. This car has great pickup and fun to drive, price was under $17,000. The bronze mocha is a hard color to find. I got mine smile, only bad thing is the visalabilty out of the rear window. no regrets on getting this car at all, I love it. Test drive one and you will fall in love with it

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  2012 Elantra Limited - Fantastic Value - 2012 Hyundai Elantra
  By mrbill1950 - October 2 - 2:10 pm

  Traded in my 2006 Caddy STS (the money pit) last Friday for a 2012 Elantra Limited with all the bells and whistles. Things I love: push button start nav system great radio with XM, backup camera, etc. All the things that made the Caddy special are here in the Elantra. Whats missing - climate control AC, power seats. I can live without both. The one thing that bothers me - when I opened the trunk and lifted the floor I found NO SPARE TIRE - just a compressor and a bottle of tire sealant. This Im not happy about. The car drives well, and I dont think that theres anymore road noise than in the Caddy. Nice peppy engine, great brakes, but rather numb steering.

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  Truly Awesome - 2012 Hyundai Genesis
  By lwelch1973 - September 29 - 11:54 am

  I previously owned a Mazda RX-8, so I cant really compare these two vehicles, since they are from two different categories. However, after pricing other brands: Audi, Acura, VW, BMW, Infiniti, and Nissan, there were no other vehicles at this price point that offered the style, performance, safety, and technology. To get what comes standard with the Genesis 4.6, I would have had to add several option packages, putting the price of the vehicle at or above $50K. Also, check out everything about a car and research before I buy it. I really went through this car looking for where they used the cheap parts to save money. I couldnt find anything. Very well done Hyundai.

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  FOUND MY CAR - 2012 Hyundai Genesis
  By microboss - September 28 - 6:48 pm

  I traded a Lincoln Town Car 2003, that I owned for 8 years - and I wanted a more stylish car, with the same comfort and ride as my Lincoln Town Car. The 2012 Genesis Sedan comes as close as I could get for the money I wanted to spend. More surprising though is the technology, the get up and go of the v8 is awesome. I love the body design of the car. My grandson loves the car. The interior is smooth, sharp, and the exterior is distinctive. I love the Genesis Wings - to be sure, I am a happy camper. Got my Genesis from San Tan Hyundai, Gilbert Arizona - great buying experience and I got a great deal.