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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  Probably going to jinx myself with this review - 2001 Hyundai Elantra
  By sturn2k - September 15 - 3:10 pm

  Gotta say, I didnt expect much when I picked mine up at an auction for $3600 with 93K on it. Now three years later and double the mileage I am singing the praises of Hyundai. Must agree with what others are writing - loud road noise, ride is rough and it absolutely eats headlights for some reason, BUT this thing gets me to and from work everyday 130 miles round trip. Left me stranded one time with a broken fan belt and another time because the battery went dead - my own fault. I like the car so much that my wife now needs a car to go back and forth to school and Im going to look at a 2004 model that is identical to mine. That is the best compliment I can think of.

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  Great car, but a few niggles - 2012 Hyundai Accent
  By dirtbag - September 13 - 8:45 am

  I got the SE hatch automatic. Nice car. Fun to drive. Quiet and comfortable. Looks good. Averages 35 mpg. Im very pleased, overall! The cruise control is useless on uphill grades. The door armrests are hard plastic and uncomfortable. Handling around curves is great but it doesnt track well in a straight line on the freeway, requiring continual corrections. No spare tire, even though there is a space designed for one...cheapskates.

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  No buyers remorse!! - 2012 Hyundai Elantra
  By topoerman - September 12 - 9:27 am

  We put our first 1000 miles on our 2012 Elantra GLS after downsizing from a 2007 Sonata LTD. No regrets yet. The interior space is comparable to the Sonata giving me plenty of leg and head room for my 62" frame. Back seat space comfortably accommodates 2 adults. The new 148 hp 4 cylinder has plenty of pop and the 6 speed transmission operates smoothly. The eye-catching design is a real head turner. We did get the preferred package which adds a few extras. After reading a few reviews, I was concerned about the gas mileage being overstated, but we recently got over 41 mpg on a road trip and average about 36-38 on our first 3 tanks of gas. This is according to the on board avg indicator.

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  Worst Car Ive Ever Owned! - 2010 Hyundai Elantra
  By whyohwhy1 - September 11 - 8:17 pm

  When accelerating, it lags A LOT when I punch it, it stands still and then goes. Very dangerous. afraid to let my son drive it. Very jerky. Between 20-40 mph, car lags Drivers seat upholstry keeps "puckering". Was given a hard time by dealership. Told me it was normal wear and tear. (Have seen several Hyundais from previous years with 100,000 miles on them & they dont have this "wear & tear" problem.) They finally repaired it, only to happen again a week later. Now theyre trying the old "wear & tear" line again. Very loud car. Feel every bump I go over. Outside noise is loud. Id turn up radio but radio fades, when I come to a stop. I could go on & on. Do not get this car!!

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  All I can say is WOW! - 2011 Hyundai Genesis
  By lillyv - September 11 - 11:05 am

  I have been driving a BMW 530i and as much as I loved my bimmer, it was not such a reliable vehicle. I truly expected more quality in the BMW. I traded it for the 2011 Genesis 4.6 and could not be more pleased. The Genesis out did the BMW 530i as far as the interior. It is roomy, well appointed and has many more features than the bimmer. This model is fully loaded. I could not ask more, what else could I want? I will updated my post in a couple of months.

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  Issues with our 2007 Azera - 2007 Hyundai Azera
  By daveb2323 - September 9 - 8:17 pm

  We bought a our 2007 Azera new, and have had several issues with the car. I will list only those that I consider more than nuisance value. Cracked dashboard, much like all the other customers. Sound barrier/shroud bolts under car came off like others, dragging from front to back. Latest issue is a failed rear winshield screen motor, which the dealer says has been impossible for him to fix... Car also gives off a tremendous amount of heat under the car on both sides and the rear. Overall, the car has been nice to drive but has so many what seems to be design flaws that its now clear to me why hyundai does not advertise it or give it showroom floor space.

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  2011 Genesis 3.8 - 2011 Hyundai Genesis
  By albion729 - September 6 - 3:07 pm

  I am updating my last post. I have had the Genesis almost 3 months now. I have no regrets about trading my MB E-350 for this car. Truth be told, this car does not out handle the Benz. But, it has met and exceeded the benz everywhere else. The Benz had the P-1 sports package on it, so it was not very quiet on the road. This car is ultra car on the highway and all you have to do is step down with the right foot, and she is waiting to do her thing. I am truly impressed with this car in all aspects. My wife asked me if I would buy another Genesis and I told her no. She then asked what I would buy next, I told her the Equus. I can only imagine what Hyundai has in store for that car.

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  Not worth the money - 2007 Hyundai Sonata
  By beth35 - September 6 - 2:57 pm

  I have a 2007 Sonata and it isnt worth anything. I had to replace the breaks at 30,000 and the alarm would randomly go off so that was replaced. I replaced a censor b/c carbon was build up in the throttle body. The drive belt has been replaced. Both sun visors have been replaced. The gas tank needs to be replaced but will cost $1000 b/c it wont shut off automatically. The check engine light is on stating to replace the O2 censors. The driver seat squeaks and the middle compartment rattles but neither can be fixed, and the paint peals and chips really bad. Needless to say I am not impressed with Hyundais.

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  2012 GLS Elantra w/preferred pkg - 2012 Hyundai Elantra
  By mrsrochester - September 5 - 4:44 pm

  So far, I love this car. I bought it 6/5/11 to replace a 2000 Ford Escort ZX2. I started my search by test-driving a 2012 Ford Focus, Chevy Cruz, Mazda3, and the Hyundai Elantra. In the end I went with the Elantra because, for the amount of money I could spend on a car, it had the most features (bluetooth, xm, tilt/telescopic wheel, cruise control, auto mirror w/ homelink, ipod jack) for the most reasonable cost. It also had the best leg room, which surprised me. I am finally able to have adult passengers in my back seat w/out having to send them to the chiropractor after a road trip.

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  If buying for Gas mileage, dont do it!! - 2011 Hyundai Elantra
  By shanebro - September 5 - 3:30 pm

  Purchased the car in April of 2011, and I now have 11,000 miles on it. I have driven the car embarrasingly conservative (I have Smart cars and Pruises passing me like I am standing still... No joke) This car will NOT get 30-40 as advertized. I drive partial thruway and partial city, so I would say mixed driving. I get 26-29 mpg. I did get 35 mpg on the highway once, but I never went over 65 and I slowed up going up hills... You know the drill.) Would love to know who they paid to get the rating that they received. So in my opinion the only reason that you would buy this car would be for the warranty, it certainty is not "fun to drive" that for sure.