Hyundai is a car company that has made phenomenal changes.
From their Canadian debut in 1984 they are now the worlds 4th largest automaker. Once barely better than junk cars they have for the past 10 years made incredible improvements and today their cars are state of the art with the new V8 Genesis being rated one of the top 10 production engines.
The original 1984 Hyundai Pony was the second generation of Pony and were basically 1970’s Dodge Colts. The technology was outdated with point ignition and carburetors with manual chokes (in all fairness, many Honda Civics had manual chokes into the late 80’s also). They expected to sell 5,000 and ended up selling an amazing 25,123 making it one of the best selling cars that year. They were inexpensive.
The fit and finish of these cars was horrible, especially in the Stellar: their larger sedan. Certain items like radiator hoses would deteriorate and need replacement far sooner than any other car. That being said, I had many clients who kept these cars going for many years with proper maintenance and repairs.
Today’s Hyundai cars are equivalent to Japanese for reliability, performance, and fit and finish. They have won numerous consumer awards as they present great value: a high quality, stylish car without the high price tag.
There are really no chronic problems on any Hyundai vehicles from the past decade and a half. If you’re looking for a reliable, well-made vehicle from sports car, luxury sedan or small SUV, Hyundai just might meet your needs.