Hyundai
4.5
5.7
Overall Score
Author: Kaitlyn Short
Founded in 1967, Hyundai is a South Korean car company that, along with its subsidiaries Kia Motors and luxury marque Genesis Motors, makes up the third-largest car manufacturer in the world, behind Toyota and VW.
With the Hyundai Excel’s robust US introduction in 1986, the brand’s initial reputation was solely as a budget brand.
Now, the company has put an emphasis on appealing design and quality manufacturing. They back up that emphasis with the country’s best warranty: 5 years or 60,000-mile basic policy and 10 years or 100,000-mile powertrain warranty. This is 40 percent more coverage than most other brands (most feature 3 to 4 years and 5 to 6 years).
The brand offers compacts, sedans, crossovers, and SUVs, plus sustainable options sold at the company’s more than 800 US dealerships.
The Good
- Dependability
- Warranty
- Style and Tech
- Sustainable Options
- Safety
Dependability
On the JD Power Dependability Study, Hyundai ranks well, at #7 out of 31 automaker brands. Additionally, Kelley Blue Book measures dependability by the 5-Year Cost to Own Awards. Hyundai was named Best Brand in 2016 and 2018. Likely related to the brand’s reliability, Brand Keys Customer Loyalty Engagement Index has ranked Hyundai #1 in the auto industry since 2010.
Warranty
Hyundai has the best warranty available in the US. The company offers a 5-year, 60,000-mile new vehicle warranty, which is lengthy compared to most other companies that only offer a 3- or 4-year warranty. The powertrain limited warranty lasts 10 years or 100,000 miles compared to most other companies, which offer 4 to 6 years of coverage. On top of that, the automaker’s anti-perforation warranty lasts 7 years, while other companies mostly offer 5 or 6 years of coverage.
New vehicles come with 5 years and unlimited miles coverage for roadside assistance.
Style and Tech
In recent years, Hyundai has put an emphasis on its sleek, fluid design.
Additionally, new owners can access Blue Link connected car service free for three years. This includes remote engine start, climate control, remote car finder, enhanced roadside assistance with a button on the rearview mirror, and other features.
Sustainable Options
Hyundai has a long history of developing electric cars dating back to 1991. Currently, the company offers a few different hybrid and electric options, including the best fuel economy in America, the Ioniq Blue Hybrid with a 59 mpg highway fuel efficiency.
Here is a breakdown of sustainable models:
- 2019 Ioniq Hybrid
- 2019 Ioniq Plug-in Hybrid
- 2019 Ioniq Electric
- 2018 Sonata Hybrid
A limited-availability model, the Nexo, is the world’s first and only hydrogen fuel-cell SUV. It has a range of up to 380 miles, which is higher than any fuel-cell, or even any electric vehicle on the market. You can fuel up in just 5 minutes, and it comes with complimentary fuel for 3 years or $12,000, whichever is reached first. It is only available in California, but there isn’t a waiting list. You can test drive it at dealerships now.
Safety
Several vehicles come with SmartSense, which offers several safety features:
- Forward Collision Avoidance Assist with Pedestrian Detection
- Driver Attention Warning
- Blind-Sport Collision WArning
- Lane Keeping Assist
- High Beam Assist
- Safe Exit Assist
- Smart Cruise Control
- Rear Cross-Traffic Warning
- Rear Occupant Alert
The Bad
- Average Consumer Satisfaction
Average Consumer Satisfaction
Hyundai doesn’t have the best rating on the latest American Customer Satisfaction Index study. With a score of 80, it wasn’t the best- or worst-rated in the car market. It tied with 8 other brands, garnering an industry average, middling score.
The Bottom Line
This dark horse automaker out of South Korea has been building a solid reputation as a reliable car maker with one eye on the present and the other on the future. Hyundai offers a model lineup with safety features and style in combination, as well as several sustainable options, including hybrid, hybrid plug-in, fully-electric, and hydrogen-fueled models.
Brant Cain
7 years ago
