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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  The Family car you want to own - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By bobemb - May 8 - 10:13 pm

  This car has been my commute vehicle for a 72 mile a day commute and it has worked flawlessly for the past 2 years. The dealer treated me well, gave me an embarassingly low price, and taken fine care of me since. The car, unfortunately is not a performance vehicle and handles like a big car. But every time I get in to go, it always takes me. Plenty of room in the interior and the trunk. Id buy another in a second!

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  LOVE MY CAR - Not the fabric - 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Kristin - May 8 - 5:30 pm

  I owned a 2003 Hyundai Sante Fe, and LOVED it; drove it into the ground. Once it died, I was being pushed to buy a Tucson, which I didnt like. I bought the new Sante Fe SE and LOVE the black mahogany type trim on the dash, and easily accessible dash features. The fabric in the newer models as well as the interior trim of the doors is much less durable, with scuff marks appearing very easily. The older models had a more "chenille" type fabric, but the newer models have a flat and rough type fabric. I LOVE the "Miles to Empty" Gas Gauge!!! This car handles smoothly and is MUCH quieter than Hyundais other models.

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  Only if hell freezes over - 2005 Hyundai TUCSON
  By wv driver - May 8 - 6:53 am

  Only if hell freezes over will I ever buy another Hyundai. I purchased this vehicle new and the sales person knew that my work required a lot of travel. I bought it and like most people it was for the warranty, However I have learned buyer beware on that. the Maintenance schedule and cost are ridiculous, the mpg sucks. I have had to purchase two sets of tires because of wear, alignments were done each time. the ESP Light comes on and goes off whenever it likes, none of the Hyundai mechanics can seem to figure it out. the car has spent more time in the garage than on the road in my book. and hyundia usa customer service likes to pass the buck whenever possible.

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  Happy Owner - 2005 Hyundai TUCSON
  By dickeybird - May 7 - 9:40 pm

  Im 75 years old and this is the best vehicle I have ever owned. This is the first time in 50 years that I have not owned a Ford Product. I have a scooter lift attached and it makes a perfect combination. Good suspension and a reasonable size. Very easy for me to access this vehicle. Color me HAPPY!!

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  Excellent Car, would buy again - 2004 Hyundai XG350
  By Grant - May 7 - 7:36 pm

  Purchased new in 2004. XG is a heavy car which tends to smooth out the ride and give it a stable feel over rough roads. Its been very reliable and has many features of more expensive cars. Have 80k miles on it now and it will be paid of in a month. normally that means deciding on a new car but Im keeping this one. Fully expect to get another 80k before selling.

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  Best in class - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By afterseven - May 7 - 4:20 pm

  This is my 3rd sonata, starting with an o6 then a 09 and upon getting an oil change at the dealer with my 09 I seen the first 2011 sonata in the 3rd week of feb, 2010 I just flipped out when I had look at the car tucked in the back for not too many to see it was a red se 2011 my jaw dropped from the interior to the duel exhaust to the paddle shifter, I said to myself I have to have it! I waited a few weeks and after reading all I could online. Its an all American design ( Irvine calif. ) to being built in the all new billion auto plant in Montgomery, Alabama. I bought the powder Pearl White with black interior, I love it. If I were to win a million $ I would still own this car!

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  Buy this car! - 2001 Hyundai Sonata
  By lambdakai8 - May 7 - 2:00 am

  If you want a car that is going to do what a car is suppose to do and more, buy a Sonata! I bought one and been happy ever since. I am 65 and 300 pounds. The Sonata, unlike many other car, makes a person my size feel comfortable. To to meation, it is sporty for a bachelor and upscale to fit in any event. I receive VIP service every time I take my car to the dealer. I love my Sonata and I love Hyundai. Though I will be trading it in for a SUV, I am sticking to Hyundai for a Santa Fe.

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  Elantra GT - 2004 Hyundai Elantra
  By daveleff - May 7 - 2:00 am

  Handles like a sports car. Ride is a bit stiffer than an Elantra sedan, but to be expected. Peppy 2.0 liter engine. Adequate trunk space. Good stereo system. Leather seats are comfortable and durable. Moonroof seals well. All in all, well worth the money and a serious look.

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  I love my sante fe - 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By quitestorm - May 7 - 2:00 am

  all I can say is I love my santa fe. Its great. It drives like a car. It feels like a car And most of all I look great in it.Moreover it feels like it was built just for me. Oh yea My wife loves it also. We also have a beautiful little girl name sami. she loves to hang her head out of the window. When I had my old car we had to beg her to get in. Now she almost knocks me down to get in our sant fe so she can go for a drive. some times she just gets in the santa fe and look at me saying lets go.

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  28K brakes and bad engine sensors - 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By ronwizbot - May 7 - 2:00 am

  I experienced 2 bad "Check Engine" sensors and the brakes wore out prematurely at only 28K miles. The 10/100000 warranty is fine, but my local dealers are sub par so I had to take the vehicle to dealers that are further from home. One of these other dealers recognized the sensor failures and fixed them and recognized the brake problems. I got after market brake pads from another company because I didnt trust the Hyundai brake pads. It lacks power with the 2.7 liter V6 engine. The cobalt-blue paint has a high chip rate.