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:

• 

  update on 2011 Elantra Limited - 2011 Hyundai Elantra
  By youngblood - March 16 - 12:22 pm

  Now have 13,500 miles with no change in gas mileage due to "break-in." On the highway, still get 33 mpg at 75-80 mph 35-36 mpg at 65 mph and 38-40 mpg at 55 mph. City driving (avg. 25 mph) is 22-24 mpg. Mileage is better with "regular" gas vs. 10% ethanol blend. No mechanical problems although I was told that rear wheels cannot be aligned - no adjustment possible. Ride is harsh and noisy at times. "Leather" seats are comfortable and showing no wear yet. Still get compliments on appearance of car.

• 

  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.

• 

  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.

• 

  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.

• 

  Windshield & Bluetooh - 2012 Hyundai Elantra
  By vancouverelan - March 8 - 12:01 pm

  I have read a number of the reviews and while my issue is not gas mileage (I get it, though), my issue is visibility. I have felt that the design/sleekness of this model makes the windshield posts more of a detriment to seeing left/right and I have to physically move more to ensure I dont hit anything when I am making a turn. Im 510 so its not like I cannot see but I have found this very disconcerting. For a year, my HTC paired on incoming calls & now it wont. Outgoing is fine, incoming - dead. No idea why.

• 

  Dont buy this car - 2012 Hyundai Elantra
  By lysandra25 - March 7 - 12:51 pm

  1. lied about mpg 2. 6,000 miles in my car started electronically malfunctioning, would get stuck in park/drive, would not turn off!!) 3. took it 4 times to the dealership over same issue....they claim its a loose wire from when it was built??? 4. this is a brand new car, not suppose to be happening. 5. spoke to hyundai and would not do anything to help out but offer a goodwill gesture? yeah thats what my warranty was for .... 6. car slips ALOT....highway and bumps, makes it feel very unsafe 7. not to mention no spare kit..you have to pay 400$ for the kit if you want it, unreal 8. moral of the story is i traded this crap in for a toyota 2013 corolla S and its BETTER.

• 

  Decent car serious problems - 2010 Hyundai Elantra
  By anonumos - March 5 - 7:48 am

  I bought this car used in May 2012. I paid too much, but thats my fault, not the cars. It had been throwing an engine warning off-and-on since I bought it, but the dealership mechanic could not find the problem told me it was fine. However, with 38k on the odometer, the engine has blown a main seal and is being replaced completely. It appears to be covered under warranty, but I felt no warning until oil started to leak all over the engine compartment. Engine still ran smoothly, good power, no problems...just oil everywhere. And now a replacement engine. Meanwhile I have a 2013 Elantra loaner with 100 miles on the clock. 2013 is a much better car.

• 

  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!

• 

  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.

• 

  R Spec Genesis WOW!! - 2012 Hyundai Genesis
  By luv2nou2 - February 23 - 10:36 pm

  429 HP! 429 HP! Unbelievable size engine for this beautiful car! Hyundai engineers out did themselves on the exterior design, moderate pass on interior (whats with the Accent Steering wheel?). Cant complain, you get a lot of stuff for this price! Lexus pfft! MB pfft! BMW pfft! For this price you cant go wrong! Outstanding value! Outstanding Warranty! This car averages about 21 MPG in our first 800 miles? Not bad for 429 HP!! Sound system is INCREDIBLE! 17 speakers put you in another world! Harmon Kaden, Bose & Fender have nothing on this Lexicon system.