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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  Exceptional Value - 2013 Hyundai Elantra
  By paul2013 - May 11 - 10:03 am

  I purchased an Elantra GLS with the Preferred Package about a month ago. After extensive shopping, even with very little off the MSRP (this car is in high demand) the Elantra really does represent an exceptional value and in my opinion just outclasses the competition in terms of features and styling. I was concerned that it wouldnt have much pep since the engine is on the small side but it is more than adequate and I havent yet had the sensation of it being particularly under-powered.

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  Hyundai Does Not Stand Behind Their Product - 2011 Hyundai Elantra
  By jason010 - May 10 - 4:59 pm

  I purchased a 2011 Elantra new just over one year ago. I am a sales rep and I drive the car quite a bit. I now have 45k miles on the car. It gets good mileage (30-32 mpg in the hills of East TN). The cab is roomy & comfortable & the engine has been fine so far. Now, on to the issues I have with it. The car rides very rough, the road noise is terrible (and gets worse with time), & overall quality of the materials is questionable. Recently, all the audio (radio, bluetooth, and button) just went out. Hyundai wont fix it & basically told me to [non-permissible content removed]. The radio/navigation only has a 36k warranty, along with the paint. This tells me Hyundai knows the audio system is crap & doesnt care.

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  Awesome Car - 2012 Hyundai Genesis
  By jenniferkay - May 9 - 12:47 am

  I drove this car for the first time and it is amazing....I LOVE IT....

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  My first car, and 7 years later I may get another (99 accent) - 1998 Hyundai Accent
  By thomson85 - May 8 - 9:38 pm

  My very first car, 1998 Hyundai Accent hatchback. I used an abused this car. Got it used with 80k and drove it up and down California constantly going form Sacramento to San Diego and back and had 130k at the end. Id rally, race, 130MPH on the freeway (downhill) I abused it. Only repair ever needed was a clutch replacement. I was a dumb 18 year old and at 19 I got rid of the car (junk yard) due to crashing it two times. My neglect, not the cars, it even drove to the junk yard. The hood wouldnt shut all the way from when I smacked into a curb doing 45mph, and the radiator was leaking due to rust from me never putting coolant in it, but just tap water. I wish I treated it better! :(

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  Love it, love it, love it - 2011 Hyundai Genesis
  By tkbeyedoc - May 7 - 9:00 pm

  I purchased my 2011 certified Genesis 4.6 a few weeks ago. There is very little not to like about this car. Performance is excellent, fuel economy isnt bad (averaged 29+ on my first road trip), warranty is excellent, interior is comfortable, and the car gets complements everywhere I go. Only a few quirks (ex: cruise control isnt extremely consistent and the adaptive cruise control - while a great idea - isnt very useful because as soon as someone pulls in front of you in traffic the car does a huge slow down) The navigation and stereo control takes some getting used to, but now I like it. The cooled drivers seat is the bomb in this warm weather. I have no regrets! I love it!

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  Great Car - 2009 Hyundai Accent
  By whitetree - May 1 - 6:41 pm

  Overal the 2009 Hyundai Accent has been a great car. For three years and 55,000 miles I have not had a single problem with it. The engine lay out is simple and easy to access for regular maintenance and inspection. The only things I dont like are poor visability and poor performance.

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  Id put Accent at the top of the list - 2012 Hyundai Accent
  By king_james - April 30 - 10:57 am

  I am not sure why Accent was ranked lower than mazda, kia or ford... Id like to put Accent at number 2 with Elantra being number 1 on the list (only because Elantra is a larger and more stylish model than Accent)... The Accent is a greater car than the mazda 2, ford fiesta, kia soul/forte or toyota yaris... Considering the performance and reliability (I got a 10-year/100,000 miles bumper to bumper on mine for a fraction of cost compared to other cars base prices) it is the best option for quality/gas mileage/options... Just because ford provides two extra buttons on the steering wheel does not make it a better car... Id buy a Hyundai over any brand on that list any given day...

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  6 months in my 2012 GLS - 2012 Hyundai Accent
  By - April 26 - 9:16 pm

  I traded a 2007 Azera for this car. The Azera convinced me that Hyndai knew how to build really good cars the Accet is the best little car Ive ever driven. It is sharp- good-looking, economical, safe, and fun to drive. I get 32-35 mpg driving to work I have gotten as much as 43 on a trip. The seats are very comfortable. The steering is a bit loose, ad it is not a sports sedan, but it handles well. Im amazed at how this little motor does at highway speeds. It can cruise at 85. The short wheelbase makes the bumps quite noticeable, but it is unexpectedly quiet.

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  Excellent Value! - 2012 Hyundai Elantra
  By kngschld - April 26 - 4:42 pm

  I have owned 8 cars so far in my lifetime, and this one is #1. The quality of materials is outstanding for this model type and the performance IS as advertised. I am currently getting exactly 33.1 mpg, and I drive about 50/50 city and highway. If I drive solely Highway, I get 38 mpg. This car also handles very vell. It takes turns more like a sports car than a compact. By the way, I used to drive a Nissan 300 with twin turbos, so yes, I do know how a sportscar should handle. All-in-all, I say that if you buy this car, I can guarantee that you will get the best value for your buck. Enjoy, and happy driving!

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  Great MPG - 2011 Hyundai Elantra
  By zippie2 - April 26 - 10:22 am

  Mine has a little over 14000 miles on it. I drove this car at the posted speed of 55 and got 52.5 mpg, so I cant complain my Jeep only got 16 on the road, so this was really a great improvement.