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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  Dont Buy!!! Spun Rod Bearing after 6000 miles !!! - 2011 Hyundai Elantra
  By johnrichards - June 24 - 2:59 pm

  I wish i could write a good review, and would have if i hadnt been stranded on the highway yesterday. Engine started rattling violently out of nowhere and lost all power. I was almost rear ended trying to get to the shoulder. Dealer diagnosed a spun rod bearing !!! They offered to replace the short block but not the entire engine. I dont feel safe driving this vehicle any longer ... i guess im selling it at a loss. Ill go back to my beaters that have never left me stranded! (the car was never abused and i never went above 4k rpm). I guess some things are too good to be true.

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  Cannot Bring myself to trade it - 2008 Hyundai Accent
  By generalflea - June 24 - 11:44 am

  My wife and I bought this car back in June of 2008 and it has been one of the best decisions ever! The little guy, (now known as the General Flea due to its color (tango red) being close to the General Lee and the way I can drive it) has been faithful at every turn. We bought it with 2 miles on the clock and it now has close to 50,000 without any trouble, just gas, some oil, and a couple of airfilters. The transmission at first was rough but I added a more sporting clutch setup and it has alleviated the rough transmission. This car has been known to hit 51mpg on the highway before and usually has a combined city/highway of 36mpg, well above its estimate. Overall great car!

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  2011 4.6 Black on Tan - 2011 Hyundai Genesis
  By corkdsp - June 22 - 1:09 pm

  2 weeks ago purchased 2011 4.6 with deep discounts from dealer ($35,200 plus dealer fee and TTL). Traded my 2004 BMW530. Gave up some driving dynamics for a more soft ride and more body roll than I am used too but the increase in raw power and luxury features plus 20k staying in my pocket feels well worth it. Genesis has worked flawlessly and very enjoyable to drive. Highly recommend this vehicle so far.

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  Champina -- surprised to find a new love! - 2004 Hyundai Accent
  By mikistewart - June 21 - 3:16 pm

  We purchased our used 2004 Accent GL Sedan last August for $3,600.00. This amazing compact car quickly became our go-to choice -- even for distance travel! Shes already been roundtrip from Nebraska to Arizona. We named her "Champina". Our first vehicle is a 2001 Dodge RAM Pickup with every luxury Champy was bought as Moms "local errand car". When gas prices topped $3 a gallon, she became our primary transportation. The Accents fuel economy, comfort and reliablity have won us over our 15 MPG RAM is reserved for hauling, intown errands and "boys night out!" She has needed only regular maintenance in >15,000 miles of all-weather mountain travel.

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  Not happy at the moment - 2012 Hyundai Accent
  By winvid33 - June 20 - 8:12 pm

  I bought my car because I couldnt come close price wise with the american car dealers. Within 3 days of purchasing my car, the Transmission had to be replaced. I would have rather got the manual transmission but they are like a needle in a haystack. That is what the low price represents. You end up paying way more with the automatic. I called Hyundai to try to get a new vehicle since the brand new one I bought lost a tranny in the first week. No way! I just put in gas and got 31.5 MPG on exactly half highway driving and using the Active Eco Mode. I dont expect I will ever get the 30 city that they say they get.

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  I wish it got better gas mileage! - 2011 Hyundai Elantra
  By keylacat - June 20 - 12:12 am

  I have had a Hyundai Elantra Limited since February. It currently has 5000 miles on it. It is a very attractive car , but like many other posts I would agree that it does not get near the gas mileage that it purports to. I average 28 mpg per tank. I do a mix of city and highway driving. Often just in town, I am getting 24 mpg.

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  A very well built car - 2004 Hyundai Sonata
  By elster - June 19 - 1:21 pm

  Bought my 2004 Sonata 4cyl base model used in 2006 with 24K miles. My car currently has 138K miles and still going. No major work needed. Biggest repair was the cv/boot from all the speed bumps I went over. This cost about $600. Also needed a new engine mount at about 100K miles. I get 25MPG city and 31MPG on long trips. The other drawback is the paint job. Very peeled, but not worth repairing for a 7 year old car. They make good cars.

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  Love the car - 2012 Hyundai Elantra
  By nerl945 - June 17 - 12:18 am

  Ive had my 2012 Elantra for a week now, have put almost 700 miles on it. Ive done two fill-ups, first one included 65% highway and got 38.1, The second one today which included 75% in town and 25% highway, I got 33.1. This is actual mileage, miles divided by gallons. Taking it on a trip this weekend and expect 40 plus on highway. The front has as much room as our 2010 Malibu, back 3" less leg room. Trunk is .3 cubic ft less than Malibu. It has more than enough power and drives very nicely. First time I ever paid "sticker" for a car but it is worth it. Made in the USA by non union labor. Gas mileage, outstanding style, build quality, outstanding warranty drew me to the car.

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  Great car - 2011 Hyundai Elantra
  By skisurf1 - June 16 - 11:11 pm

  I own a 2006 Civic currently and have owned a Chevy and Toyota. The dealer experience was not up to speed but the car is. You just can beat the warranty, the price and free road side assistance for 5 years. Honda civic would cost $3000 more and probably have as many recalls like my current Hondas. The transmission kills my 06 Civic. I feel little vibrations in the seat and cabin is quiet compared to Honda. I cant say enough about the design. They have surpassed Honda and Toyota simply as that.

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  Mileage issue - 2011 Hyundai Elantra
  By youngblood - June 16 - 2:04 pm

  Ive had my Elantra Limited for 3 months and find that my mileage varies considerably based on a couple of factors. 1) Driving at a steady speed of 55-60 mph on an open highway or interstate, Im getting over 40 mpg. But if I drive in the 70-80 mph range, my mpg drops to the low to mid 30s. 2) Driving in the city with lots of stops, the mph drops to the 24-29 mpg range. 3) Using regular unleaded gas (compared with the cheaper ethanol blend sold in the Midwest) results in significantly higher gas mileage. 4) The "ECO" system has no effect on MPG that I can determine.