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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  Real life fuel consumption far lower than EPA ratings - 2013 Hyundai Elantra
  By marc_bar - September 10 - 6:48 pm

  There are a lot to like on the new Elantra 2013 but fuel consumption is certainly not one. Ive always paid attention to the gas mileage I would get on my cars compared to the EPA ratings and Ive always notice close proximity among them. In my new Elantra 2013 however, the actual gas mileage on a combined 70% street / 30% highway can not get above 23 mpg. It is way too far from the claimed 29/39/33 EPA ratings. To my disappointment though, the fuel consumption I am getting seems to be pretty much in line with the Consumer Reports testing experiencing 20mpg on city driving.

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  What the Elantra is really Like (very good overall) - 2013 Hyundai Elantra
  By basst95 - September 8 - 9:11 am

  Overall, this is a very good car. Your view of this car will vary depending on what type of vehicle you are coming out of. You need to take a good test drive of the Elantra before making a final decision. The materials in the car are on level with an economy car but the styling overshadows some of the hard plastics. The fit and finish are on par with cars at least a class up. There is no other car that packs the value of the Elantra. As a package daily driver, you cannot go wrong with the Elantra GLS w/preferred pkg.

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  Horrible drivers seat! - 2013 Hyundai Accent
  By ccraig90 - August 31 - 12:04 pm

  My 2013 Accent has the most uncomfortable drivers seat I have had in 45 years. My husband has the 2008 Accent with lumbar support and I have no problem driving his. After only 30 minutes of driving mine I have a backache and headache. I have tried numerous fixes (pillows, lumbar screens, towels) and nothing has helped. I contacted Hyundai and I got a case number and was told to call my dealer. His recomendation was to but a new $1000 seat or trade up to an Elantra. (is he crazy?). This is our 7th Hyundai and we loved them. Why were the seats redesigned without the lumbar support? And why doesnt Hyundai offer me any suggestions?

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  worse car i have ever bought - 2007 Hyundai Elantra
  By ruddym - August 29 - 8:28 am

  I got my 2007 Elantra 5 years ago and it was new when I bought it. there is now miles on the car the car is falling apart. like the rack & pinion, the clock spring. i would never buy anothe hyundai elantra again!!!!!!!!!

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  First 2013 review! 44mpg highway @ 80mph - 2013 Hyundai Accent
  By slow_jim - August 28 - 9:31 am

  We test drove the Honda Fit and Kia Soul but neither got anywhere near the mpg of the Accent. I have a 40mi all-highway daily commute so I wanted something that was economical and comfortable. I typically do around 75-80 and use cruise control often. The Fit was buzzy on the highway (4000rpm) and materials quality was extremely cheap. The Kia was VERY quiet and comfortable on the highway but we just didnt need that much space. My wife has a 2010 Insight which is essentially a wagon, so for road trips or large loads we take her car. The Accents 6th gear helps immensely with gas mileage. With cruise control set to 80mph and eco mode ON, I am averaging 44mpg hwy at a quiet 2500rpm. Very happy

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  Warrenty about up and car falling apart - 2008 Hyundai Sonata
  By spencer_sc - August 23 - 11:25 am

  I really liked my car at first. It is coming up on 5 years old (warrenty about up) and has been to the dealer 3 times in the last 5 months. Twice for check engine lights and once for ignition problem. Twice I could not get the car to start. I thought I got a good deal but I am a little worried I will be spending a lot of money to fix soon. I would stay away from Hyundai and spend a little more to get a quality car.

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  Great small car - 2013 Hyundai Accent
  By davidd10 - August 23 - 11:20 am

  This is a great small car that looks good and gets good gas mileage. Would highly recommends this for someone thats looking for nice power and mileage.

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  Audio Fails - 2011 Hyundai Elantra
  By hatelantra - August 23 - 3:17 am

  We drive 200 miles a day to commute. We have 62,xxx on our 2011 Elantra and the audio system has failed. Its not the fuse, we checked that. The dealer told us since we have so many miles on our car that it is no longer under warranty. He said it went out of warranty at 36,xxx. I dont care how many miles you have on a car, the audio system should not go out like this. We have owned the Accent, Tiburon, Sonata and have previously been happy Hyundai owners. This one has thoroughly spoiled my view on the Hyundai manufacturers for not standing behind their product. I read that a salesman on here who drives a lot had the same problem. Never buy this new Elantra!!!

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  Best car Ive ever had - 2010 Hyundai Accent
  By rose313 - August 22 - 2:07 pm

  I bought my 2010 Accent GLS with 25k miles on it and I now have 40k after 9 months. This has been the best 9 months of driving Ive ever had. I wanted a cheap car that was okay on gas and wouldnt fall apart. I got so much more than I expected. I have not had any serious problems. I got the headlights replaced under warranty because one was clouded and had water in it, and I got the starter replaced also under warranty. There is plenty of space for myself, my tall boyfriend, and a ton of bags and suitcases for when we go on trips. I get exactly what Edmunds suggests for gas mileage. I love the steering wheel audio controls, the XM radio, and the comfy seats. So much value in one little car!

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  advertised gas mileage problem, reliability zero - 2011 Hyundai Elantra
  By araz0001 - August 20 - 3:18 pm

  I bought it in July 2011 and i investigated some problems. First of all, if you like drive fast, it doesnt dispose of buying that car because when the ECO is not seen, its fuel consumption is very bad and it is not economic about fuel consumption.The second one is about noise. After 6 month the noise emerged and while i am using it, the noise is increasing. It specifies itself when you are on the damaged road.The other one is that the car is very light. If you are going with 60 mile per hour and suddenly apply brakes the car will fly. The back of the car is dancing. Thats why in that car safety is zero!