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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  A Korean driving a Korean - 2001 Hyundai XG300
  By A Korean American - June 22 - 10:00 am

  The car is mostly great. As far as reliability, I have no complaints. However, it could use more horses and less fuel usage. I had to return to dealerships to have few plastic pieces replaced. Initially, the front passenger side headrest was not stiched properly and was replaced. Overall minor quality control problems, but engine and transmission has proven to be reliable. I just had 30k major service, which was a shocker since the service fee varied from $300 w/ coupon to $850 in various dealerships. Still, I do enjoy the ride in my car. PS: My Michellin OEM tire wore out at 29500 miles and needed replacing.

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  wait a couple of years - 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By mark - June 21 - 5:43 am

  It depends on ones perception on what you want in a suv This is not a touring car as built. It;s more a commuter or running around car. Great design, well built, solid. smooth transmission and engine, plenty of pop on the high end. Lacks power on the low end, mainly because of gearing. Well laid out controls. Hyundai tryed to think of everthing possible to make this a good suv. It falls short in these areas. center coucil to high to short.causes arm fatigue and elbow soreness. arm rests not padded enough. front buckets to stiff. suspension to stiff and has a truck like ride on uneven pavement. some body roll on corners.good on highway but seems to float a bit.needs more floor sound proofing.

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  New Car conks out - 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Smiths - June 20 - 10:00 am

  2009 Sante Fe conked out at the exit ramp. It was a bit dangerous since the ramp had a blind curve. I stopped at the light at the end of the ramp, when it turned green and depressed gas pedal, the car just died. During this time I tried starting it off and on, no luck. After 45 min tow truck came, then I tried to start again and started right up. Ive traded it in, I couldnt trust it anymore. I do travel a lot, and alone sometimes, so I dont want to be on the side of the road broke down. The dealership couldnt find anything wrong with it. If it werent for that one breakdown incident, I loved the vehicle. Too paranoid it would break down again. limited back view

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  2006 Tucson gls - 2006 Hyundai TUCSON
  By Eileen Harmon - June 19 - 12:16 pm

  I have found that you feel every bump in the road. I did not realize this when I purchased it. It is a very nice vehicle to own other than that.

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  Love it! - 2005 Hyundai TUCSON
  By Aulcie Smith - June 19 - 5:36 am

  Traded in my 2002 Accent for it. Very good ride, not too rough, not too soft. Has right amount of "road feel" in steering. Plenty of room for cargo.

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  Ya Gets What Ya Pays For - 2005 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Scott - June 17 - 10:50 pm

  For the money, you probably cant go too far wrong here, but overall this is probably just an average SUV for its class. The exterior styling is a bit radical for some tastes, but it does stand out well in a crowd, and doesnt have that "shoebox on wheels" look most SUVs have. The handling on the 4WD model is a bit mushy, and the fuel economy isnt great for its size, but it does have enough zip when you need it. Ive found the seats less than totally comfortable on long trips, but otherwise the interior is decent. The reliability has been good so far, and the warranty is unbeatable. Overall, while not outstanding or overly impressive in any one area, probably still a great bargain for the money

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  Good car for the money - 2007 Hyundai Sonata
  By patriot44 - June 17 - 3:04 pm

  Car handles very well. Gas mileage is GREAT!! Head room in front is not very good. Cup holder in the front is not very secure. Lots of room for a mid- size car. I test drove a Honda Accord and a Toyota Camry and this car drives as well or better than both of them. Not as nice inside, but for the money its a very good car.

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  Never thought I go from a S550 Benz to a Hyundai! - 2016 Hyundai Genesis
  By Chris G. - June 17 - 10:16 am

  Im not bragging but Ive owned Porsches, an Audi A8, 2 Benz S Classes and 4 BMWs. The thought of driving a Hyundai was the furthest thing from my mind until I started reading reviews. This car out-handles my S550 in AMG trim with 19" Pilot Sports! The technology package wows me. Filling up the 18 gal. tank with regular costs $30 compared to double+ that for premium blend in all previous vehicles. I suspect the Genesis engineers reverse engineered the car to mirror image the features of an S class or 7 series Bimmer. Would I do it again -you bet! Pros: ~ Costs half what a new S class would run me. ~ Debadged with the Genesis "wings" front & rear, looks like an Aston Martin. ~ Crazy good sound system that handles all medias including songs on my phone. ~ Handles like a dream - take that ultimate driving machine! ~ Excellent fit & finish. ~ "Command" center very intuitive - better than most other high end vehicles. ~ Just feels, looks and drives like a fine automobile! Cons: ~ Less storage room than Im used to. ~ No active bolsters or massage in seats. ~ Fuel economy around town 16-18 mpg. (but regular gas) ~ Motor lacks the ooomph and sound of the MB 8 cylinder More to come as the miles rack up.

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  Look before you buy a Toyota or Honda! - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By Frank - June 17 - 9:46 am

  I was looking for a reliable, fuel efficient car to replace my SUV. I drove cars from Honda, Toyota and Nissan. On a whim, I drove the Sonata. What a surprise! Its as smooth and quiet as a Lexus and sips gas like a Civic. Outstanding warranty, huge trunk, great looks, and thousands less than the competition. Only have 10,000 miles so I cant speak to reliability, but so far so good.

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  Okay car, but I found better - 2003 Hyundai Elantra
  By Patrick - June 16 - 4:24 pm

  OK car overall. Nice interior - instrument panel and blue lighting were nice, but pleather was cheap. POOR GAS MILEAGE! About 18 MPG - Lower than sticker. Brake pads had to be replaced constantly. The auto trans was not that good, never had any probs with it, but it coulda shifted smoother. Engine had a rattle to it when accelerating up hills - had it checked out, but was told that the noise was normal and didnt seem to effect performance. Also when turning steering wheel, it made a scratching noise. Overall, the car had a few rattles and noises that were minor which didnt effect the performance of the car, but were annoying since they were constant.