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:

• 

  Nice Looking Car But Poor Gas Mileage! - 2012 Hyundai Elantra
  By vsher - October 22 - 1:58 am

  I purchased this car only because of all the reviews about the great gas mileage it was supposed to receive. I previously owned a Toyota Corolla and was able to get 32 mpg on average on the same route I am driving now with my new 2012 Hyundai. However, under the same driving conditions, I am only averaging 24 mpg with the Hyundai. I really wish I had just paid the extra money and purchased another Toyota. What Im currently spending in additional gas monies probably will be more than the extra cost I would have paid for another Toyota. I will not purchase from Hyundai again.

• 

  Misleading MPG Advertising - 2011 Hyundai Elantra
  By m_aaslam - October 21 - 4:54 pm

  Have a 2011 Elantra GLS for 6 months now. Very, Very, Verify, disappointed with MPG not even close to advertised 40 mpg. I drive 80% highway, the best I got was 30mpg @ about 70-75mph. In the city I get 18-19mpg. VERY disappointing about the misleading advertising. Will NOT recommend this to anyone.

• 

  will not by another Hyundai - 2001 Hyundai Elantra
  By danmyerow - October 21 - 3:27 pm

  I used to own a 2001 Hyundai Elantra GLS. The car only had about 95,000 mile on it.I really liked this car. The car ran great. I got about 21 miles per gallon on it. I only had it for about 5 months untill I got in a car accident. I hit the front tire of a scooter doing about 30mph. I am ok and so was the guy on the scooter. There was damage to my front bumper, fender and my hood. My claims adjustor called me and said the car was a total loss. If you do buy this type of car do not get in accident with it because it was built on the cheap side.

• 

  Five years in the waiting and I chose Genesis - 2012 Hyundai Genesis
  By murrman - October 21 - 1:06 pm

  For as long as I can remember, my ideal car was going to be a BMW 5 Series, but all that changed with Genesis. After test driving BMW & Lexus, and seriously considering a2012 Dodge SRT8 Charger I went with the Genesis 5.0. The 550i was in the mid $60K, and although the SRT8 was tempting the 2012 R-Spec had the entire package I was looking for, especially since I opted for the Bridgestone summer tires. The ride is moderately harsh but I live in SW FL and our roads are pristine, and coming out of a 08 Sonata Limited I welcome the cornering ability. No company can beat Hyundais warranty, reliability, and service. Im 100% satisfied although I think the R-Spec shouldve included an iPod.

• 

  safest car i have ever owned - 2005 Hyundai Elantra
  By lizzy8911 - October 19 - 9:26 pm

  i bought a 2005 elantra gt in october 2010 and i absolutely fell in love with it! i loved the whole package and the car was very affordable and great on gas! November 2010, 4 weeks after i purchased the car, i was in a bad car accident at speeds of 55 mph and i t-boned someone who turned in front of my car. I somehow managed to walk away from the accident without a single scratch on me. I would love to own this car again! and also the car i purchased was a reconstructed title so it was already in a car accident and managed to keep me alive. and i also found out i was pregnant during the crash too and baby survived also! I want another one so bad now that i have my daughter!

• 

  Do yourself and family a favor and buy one - 2011 Hyundai Genesis
  By hudsonloverf - October 19 - 3:51 pm

  Purchased new 2011 in late August 2010. Just completed 520 trip in 8 hours averaging 65 mph and 31.7 mpg while cruising at 80 mph. Rides very comfortably and drives with the greatest of ease. MSRP was 33.8 and drove it out the door for $27K even. No trade in. Do not believe any domestic or foreign automobile is better at less then $60K. Maybe an Equus but I would be surprised if performance or comfort was better...maybe a little faster on a race track. With over 15,000 miles on it now, the car turns in better mileage. Have had no problems whatsoever. Apparently it has even appreciated a bit from its year ago out the door price. Can you find a car that does not depreciate ?

• 

  review of 2012 hyundai elantra - 2012 Hyundai Elantra
  By mrmcgoo1 - October 18 - 5:25 pm

  vehicle is excellent. the problem is the dlr. capitol hyundai-columbia,s.c.. poor attitude,not interested in help customer. the problem is in the managment of the dlr ship. not qualified.

• 

  low maintenance and fuel efficient - 2006 Hyundai Elantra
  By sshegls - October 14 - 11:12 am

  Overall this car is great. Bouht it when it was new in 2006 because it has a 5 star safety rating and was inexpensive around 13,000. I had horrible credit but hyundai is great at approving financing. Ive only had to do oil changes and one set of tires. Have 36000 miles all highway. I drive long distance and car is very comfy on highway and its "get up n go" peppy. the ac and heat is fanominal in this car and the hotest/coldest ive ever seen. I still have original light bulbs and only used 3 tanks of gas to drive ny to fl as i commute. car is especially smooth with michellin tires and quiet. There is no wind noise at all. I replaced the radio with a sony and sound quality is 10 times better.

• 

  2011 Hyundai Elantra Ltd. Review - 2011 Hyundai Elantra
  By md2011 - October 13 - 10:33 am

  Bought this car in March of 2011 (Traded in my 09 Elantra GLS). Over the time I have had the vehicle I have been very impressed in the advancements over the previous model. Great performance, comfort, design, mpg the list goes on and on. A couple cons I do have is them removing features that were in the 09 Elantra such as glove box light, double storage in the arm rest dual map seat back storage and top of dash storage. As a sum they have done an excellent job on this vehicle and also requires less maintance than the 09 such as new timing chain and lifetime transmission fluid. Been very impressed! Best bang for the buck with all the features! Intend to keep this car for many years!

• 

  Solid car for this college kid - 2012 Hyundai Accent
  By ben_u - October 13 - 12:03 am

  Very nice little car. I was looking for something with great gas mileage to replace my Jeep, and I found it. Performance is great for a V4. Doesnt feel like a toy. Plenty of power for accelerating/passing when you need it. Looks nice on the inside and out. Quiet ride on the highway. The stereo isnt great to my ears, but itll do for most people. Feels solidly built. Plastics dont feel cheap. I gave reliability a neutral rating because Ive only had the car for a week and a half, but Ive yet to experience any problems.