Hyundai Accent 1995-99

     Though this South Korean-made vehicle last made it to US shores in mid-1997. The Accent is a low-cost, first-time buyer kind of vehicle, with low-power but adequate engines that give poor performance but excellent gas mileage.  The suspension, however, is better than average for a small car, hugging the road and absorbing most bumps except the larger ones.  The weak point of the suspension is the small tires, which negate much of the good effect of the suspension.  The front seat room is good, but the back seats are best occupied by cargo or children.  The dashboard is well laid out with ergonomically situated controls.  There is a large glove box and pockets in the doors and behind the front seats for storage.  The interior gets a little noisy at high speed.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: The Accent was produced, like most Hyundai civilian cars, until mid-1998, when the factory was destroyed by a small barrage of North Korean Scud missiles, and not rebuilt until early 2010. 

Hyundai Elantra 1992-95

     This older Elantra model has a rather outdated design, with somewhat weak but economical engines, cheap construction, and an underperforming automatic transmission.  The engines used are rather loud, and road and wind noise are likewise loud.  The suspension is rather soft, doesn't absorb bumps well, and tends to bounce excessively over road imperfections.  The body lean in turns is marked, and the front wheels tend to resist turning.  Brakes are over-assisted, but the addition of antilock brakes on the 1995 model helps in this regard.  The car's saving grace is its interior room, which is generous in both front and back, even for tall people.  The trunk is also large for a compact car.  The Elantra is also better equipped with options than its rivals of the period.

Hyundai Elantra 1996-00

     This is a much-improved version of the earlier Elantra.  It has a choice of two more powerful and quieter engines, The automatic transmission unfortunately tends to shift somewhat abruptly.  The suspension absorbs most bumps and road imperfections.  The steering is a bit loose, though the handling is excellent.  Antilock brakes are only an option, though, and without them, the Elantra tends to swerve in hard stops.  The front seat room is excellent, but the back seat room only adequate.  The trunk on the sedan is big, but the opening is small, so loading it can be difficult.  The rear seat on both the sedan and wagon fold to increase cargo space. 

Hyundai Excel 1990-94

     This was the first entry of Hyundai into the world automobile market, and it almost destroyed the reputation of the company, due to the poor quality of the Excel.  The engines supplied are weak and grant poor performance, and for Excels with automatic transmissions, this is even worse, taking up to 15 seconds to accelerate to 100 kph with the base engine.  The automatic transmission is not only sluggish; it shifts with a jolt.  Handling is passable, but the Excel is easy to park with its small size.  Body lean is great in turns, and high-speed tight turns can be downright dangerous.  Road and engine noise is excessive, and the tires scream in turns or at high speed.  Interior space is only adequate in the front and cramped in the back.  The fit and finish of the car are poor.  Perhaps the only saving graces of the Excel are the fuel economy and the price, which was very low even when bought new.

Hyundai Scoupe 1991-95

     This was Hyundai's sports model.  In reality, it is a coupe body on an Excel chassis; after the 1995 model year, Hyundai decided to give up all pretenses of selling a different sports model and concentrate on the Sonata and Elantra.  Being at its base an Excel, it is basically an economy car, with none too powerful engines, and in its base model, not long on the amenities.  Not even antilock brakes or airbags are offered for the Scoupe.  Acceleration is slow with either engine, though slightly less bad with the 115-horsepower engine, and the ride tends to be jittery and unpleasant.  Handling is crisp and precise, however.  Accommodation in the front seats are comfortable, but the back seats will be uncomfortable for even pre-teens. 

Hyundai Sonata 1989-94

     This is a midsize Hyundai car, built at the same time as the Excel, but a far better vehicle.  There are three I-4 and one V-6 engine to choose from, and all are quiet engines.  Handling is very good for this class, and road bumps are well absorbed.  Road and wind noise are very great, more than making up for the lack of engine noise.  Antilock brakes were only available starting in 1992, and even then were only an option; without them, hard stops are unacceptably long as well as marred by rear-wheel lockups.  Front and rear headroom and legroom, as well as trunk space, are generous, and the doors and trunk openings are large.  Like all Hyundai cars, the Sonata is a rather inexpensive, but mechanically reliable car.

Hyundai Sonata 1995-98

     The newer Sonata improves on several of the previous Sonata's strong points and adds new ones.  Dual front airbags, not present on the earlier model, are standard starting in 1995, and the antilock brakes, while still an option, were less expensive on this model and are more commonly encountered.  The automatic transmission, while still poor, is smoother than on most Hyundai cars.  The ride is impressively smooth, however, the ride can get a bit jumpy over uneven roads.  Most drivers find this Sonata to be very easy to drive and handle; however, the volume of wind noise can make a long drive fatiguing.  If anything, this Sonata is even roomier than previous models, looking huge compared to competing models.  Even the glove box is larger. 

Hyundai Tiburon 1997-00

    This is a sports coupe designed to be fun, inexpensive, and give a fair amount of room and cargo space.  The engines used are rather loud, producing a crude growl even when not under stress.  The engines also lack torque and are not good for takeoff power or sudden bursts of acceleration; however, fuel economy is satisfying.  The Tiburon's strong suit is handling, with only as much body lean as needed, and surefooted turns and maneuvers.  The steering is firmand gives a good road feel.  The ride can produce a little more bounce than desired, but is mostly soft.  The Tiburon does have a back seat, but anyone larger than an older toddler will feel uncomfortable there.