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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  I Am Up And Down With My Car, But I Love It! - 2000 Hyundai Elantra
  By eddied1991 - December 9 - 3:49 pm

  I actually have an automatic. I bought this car completely on a whim, one because I was pressured to, and two, because it would have been my first car and I had recently got my license. The car ran great during the first year I had it, then I started noticing some transmission issues, but they are an easy but costly fix. I only had to replace the spark plugs and wires. I bought the car at 126k miles, and I now have 144k on it and it still runs like a charm. Both windows in the back have a shot motor, and the interior isnt the best, but I have driven this car everywhere and it still does me good.

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  Forget the EPA Rating - 2011 Hyundai Elantra
  By jjwjr - December 9 - 11:45 am

  Among the items that entered into my purchase decision were, design, feature content, price and the MPG rating. This vehicle shines in just about every category except what most of us have at the top of our list for a compact, mileage. As a mature driver I fully expected to get at or near the 40 MPG that Hyundai touts. Sadly Ive never seen anything close to 40, 34 has been tops. Where on earth did that rating come from? This car has truly been a disappointment in that area.

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  Low-end luxury - 2012 Hyundai Accent
  By tclune - December 8 - 3:01 pm

  The car looks very nice inside and out, has excellent head and leg room, and excellent driver visibility on all sides. The rear view mirror has a bit of a letterbox view, which feels a bit constricted but offers all the visibility you need. Ive been getting fuel efficiency in the high 30s on my commute. The 6-speed manual transmission has adequate pick-up when you need it and the road noise is minimal. The clutch is a bit soft. The dashboard instruments and controls are clean and clear. The trunk is quite spacious, and the back seat can fold down to provide additional room if needed. All in all, the car seems much roomier and better appointed than I would expect in a subcompact.

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  Disappointed repeat Hyundai customer - 2012 Hyundai Accent
  By stanmansell - December 8 - 2:56 pm

  This is my 3rd HYundai and first disappointment.I bought it for the MPG. Just getting 33 with ECO on hghwy 28 in city and dealer said it was because its cold? Dealer said 40mpg and some people getting47?? Most trips at 60deg. Tried to buy extra key only at dealer for $100 and not available yet? NO sparetire just a run flat can with cig liter pump, which should be fun in cold weather, CHEAP. Hood release right by knee and I have hit it many times on exiting, pain in A. AC control in fan button and hit many times by accident. Poor vision for rear window and better to remove head rests to improve. Other little stuff but out of characters.Test drive well before you buy.

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  Great Car for Me - 2012 Hyundai Accent
  By red_rider28 - December 8 - 10:57 am

  I had previously driven a 2005 Subaru Forester which was totaled in a collision. So when I was looking for a replacement I began to think about what I really needed. I commute around 50 miles per day to work, so fuel economy was very important. Secondly I am 6 feet tall, so I really need ample legroom when I drive. Most cars I end up hitting my knee on the center console, not with the Accent. I did not even have to move the seat all the way back. There is so much interior room in this small car. So far on the highway I’m getting 42 mpg, and with my commuting I’m still averaging 37 mpg! Not bad. I really love the pick up of this small engine, it feels very peppy.

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  NO SPARE TIRE!!! SURPRISE!!!ASK DEALER to PROVIDE!!! - 2012 Hyundai Accent
  By rajthaker - December 6 - 1:05 pm

  I was absolutely surprised 3 days after purchasing that the ACCENT does not come with spare tire!!! I was not told by salesman!!! Before purchasing, I looked at the truck which was covered with the rubber tray inside. Never thought of any car without spare tire??? How did this car passed JD power associates, Consumer affairs, National Highway Safety and other Federal regulations without SPARE tire??? There should be a NATIONAL recall and every owner should be provided now with 1) Spare tire, 2) Jack and 3) wrench for spare tire replacement and space in the trunk organized. Seriously recall must be there!!!

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  Great Car - 2012 Hyundai Genesis
  By bjpjjs - December 5 - 9:16 pm

  I got the Genesis 3.8 with tech package is platimum (silver). Had the car only a week but it just feels like a quality car. When the doors close they feel like Mercedes solid feel. Quiet ride even with Michelin Energy savers. Tremendous room I am 66" and its a very comfortable car . Rear wheel drive has a great feel. Definitely check it out if you can live without the high end brand badge. Not an ounce of buyers remorse. Got it for 37.5 + tax and registration

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  Overall a Great Value for the Money - 2012 Hyundai Elantra
  By daveinnm1 - December 1 - 10:20 pm

  I purchased the 2012 Elantra GLS about 3 months ago and so far the car has been great. My main reason for buying this car was to save in gas as I routinely drive a 100-mile one-way trip for business. I know many have complained about the gas mileage. If youre gauging use based on the on-board computer readings, its not always an accurate indicator, particularly if you get caught in a lot of traffic. Driving alone I average 43 mpg on the hi-way driving just over 70 mph. Obviously in town its much lower, but it exceeds my needs. I really did like the Focus, but to get all of the options I got with the Hyundai, I would have paid another $6K and it just wasnt worth the extra money

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  Catalytic converter problems - 2005 Hyundai Sonata
  By dartman7 - November 30 - 5:16 pm

  I bought a new Kia Sephia and had bad rotors after 2 years. Then, after 79000 miles, it had a bad front catalytic converter. I thought it might be a fluke, so I decided to buy a new 2005 Sonata, even though theyre made by the same company. After 2 years the rotors went bad and warped. Then, 5 1/2 years and 63000 miles, the front catalytic converter went bad. I will not buy any Kia or Hyundai again, no matter how good of a deal it may be.

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  Great Value, feature packed ! - 2012 Hyundai Elantra
  By acperkins15 - November 25 - 8:21 pm

  I have been researching, researching and researching new cars for about 6 months now, trying to find the best car for me. In the end, I bought the elantra. There is simply not a better car out there that has more features and creature comforts jam packed into a awesome compact. The value is simply amazing. Shifts are smooth, and its willingness to downshift for more power is quite impressive. The car is very smooth and planted at high speeds (70mph), granted the steering takes a while to get use too because it is on the light side. In the end, if you want the most bang for your buck, there is no other choice then the elantra. Its no speed demon, but it is still fun to drive.