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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  transmission failure at 9 years - 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By jasmine - May 22 - 11:49 pm

  transmission failed less than 10 year. Had to replace it for $3500. It has 130k mileage now, with a market value slightly higher than the cost. Hunydai custom service does not care.

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  disappointed - 2001 Hyundai Elantra
  By jsadams - May 10 - 10:00 am

  Ive had my Elantra for 12 months. It has been in the shop 5 times,IÂ’ve been told it is not fixable. This car was a big mistake. Engine problems, clutch and many more problems. Another problem with the car is I have filed the Lemon Law and after months of calls, Hyundai has agreed to repurchase the vehicle, but that comes with a stiff penalty, the user fee was more than expected.

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  Dont buy it - 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By ck - May 8 - 8:10 am

  Owned less than 1 year. Dealership closed so the cheap oil changes and factory warranty..kiss goodbye. Had 1 electrical prob. rt off. They fixed it. Then this week the engine light and ESC light came on. Called for a tow. They said theyll town to nearest dealer who is 2 hrs away. Called dealer to discuss issue and car rental. Mechanic there treated me like dumb female told me the lights did not mean much. So scared they would not cover costs I canceled tow. Then car died on BUSY hwy 2 days later suffering from same issue. Brand new car. Customer service stinks. Warranty not much better.Buy another make!!

• 

  Swindled - 2012 Hyundai Veloster
  By bds2 - April 15 - 9:37 am

  Had it in 6 times to fix the Blue Link, twice for the satellite radio, once to repair power mirror, once to replace defective door panel, theyre refusing to fix bubbling paint on door saying its "commercially acceptable" and are calling the new grinding in the transmission when reversing "characteristic of the vehicle. Car is only 3-1/2 months old and has been nothing but problems. Filed an arbitration claim with BBB but am now told the nearest office to hear the claim is a 5 hour drive away one way. Dont buy a Hyundai since they require you sign a BBB arbitration clause, unless you have a BBB site closer than 5 hours away.

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  Bad gas mileage - 2005 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Winter - April 15 - 7:46 am

  My driving experience is the SUV handles fine, the check engine light has been on since two weeks after purchase have never had time to take it in. Not a vehicle for commute the gas mileage sucks for this I go through over $100 a week in gas. It handles well in snow though I bought it for that very reason and I am thankful that works well.

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  Great car for the price! - 2015 Hyundai Sonata
  By K johnson - April 11 - 4:14 pm

  Tried all kinds of sedans, and the Sonata had the most features and space for the price. My husband is 6 3", so having head and legroom for him was a must.

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  Never Again - 2007 Hyundai Veracruz
  By Never Again - February 24 - 3:50 pm

  The transmission is terrible with unwanted clunking, metallic downshifts at stoplights. Several bulletins issued by factory which did nothing. This vehicle is an absolute piece of junk!

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  Do your research before buying any Veloster - 2016 Hyundai Veloster
  By B Holmes - February 18 - 4:52 pm

  There are still significant issues with the (to be fair most regardless of manufacturer) GDI engine. Jerky acceleration appears somewhat randomly, and city driving in this car is a burden. Handling is not very good. The entertainment system interface in the car is not very well thought out and the display screen is overly bright at night, creating a distraction. After a full month and 1700 miles, I am realizing how cheaply this car is made. After owning Hondas (92 civic, 83 accord--over 200k miles) and an 04 Toyota Celica (190k miles) I can say that Hyundai, at least with the Veloster, is not in the same league yet. There is no way I could recommend this vehicle.

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  A Disappointment - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By coconut66 - February 13 - 9:07 pm

  I was very excited when I purchased my Sonata, but soon was disappointed when I realized that Hyundai put all its efforts into the exterior design and the bells and whistles, and not into the design of the undercarriage or quality of the materials used there. The car seemed to bottom out on potholes or dips in the road, which was just a nuisance until I hit a pothole/dip in the road at less than 20 mph, causing the splash shield to bend the radiator support. The repair cost over $1,300--Hyundai refused to acknowledge there is a problem with the car design/materials, and the dealer, Fitzgerald Hyundai, was no better. I got rid of the car, as its impossible to avoid every pothole forever.

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  Theres a reason for the warranty - 2003 Hyundai Elantra
  By K.C. - January 21 - 2:00 am

  I have 15000 miles on my car, the dealership did what appears to be a terrible job with the 15000 mile service (putting the oil plug back in correctly would have been helpful). My 6 month old car just threw a rod. Its dead. Can I get a hold of anybody? No! Do I need to take time off work tomorrow to call the dealer? Yes. I couldnt get hold of Roadside assistance through the police dispatcher, but RA sent an automated message saying to take a survey through an option on their roadside assistance phone number. Thats helpful alone at night in the rain. Beware these vehicles and the dealers!