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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  17 MPG - 2002 Hyundai Sonata
  By Bloo Gecko - April 26 - 2:00 am

  I was looking for a car to get better mileage than my Volvo, which got 19 mpg. Then I was seduced by the beautiful looks of the Sonata. I found one in desert sand, and all rational thought went out the window. The 2003 V6 Sonatss are rated 19 mpg in town. But mine gets 17 mpg! This is inexcusable. Why cant Hyundai make a pretty car that also gets respectable mileage? This should be a top priority for them.

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  Smooth Ride - 2005 Hyundai XG350
  By David - April 25 - 12:03 pm

  This car has been everything promised, and more. Great ride, comfortable inside, looks sharp. The key for me was getting the color I wanted; Burgundy. The problems some owners describe, such as hard to see digital dash numbers during the day, touchy gas pedal, and less than average handling at higher speeds are all true, however they dont impact my enjoyment of this classy car.

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  Very reliable little car - 1999 Hyundai Elantra
  By Love my Lantra - April 25 - 2:00 am

  I bought my Elantra in June 2000 and 65,000 miles later have nothing but good things to say about it. I have yet to need to bring the car to the mechanic other than for scheduled maintenance...which is a very welcome change after my last car, a 92 Thunderbird which had a tendancy to blow head gaskets. The only complaint was with the factory stereo, but with the low price tag on the car(paid under $11,000) you have plenty left over to head to the electronics store and get a top notch aftermaket stereo installed. All in all, a great, reliable car for the money.

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  Nice inexpensive wagon - 2011 Hyundai Elantra Touring
  By limee - April 24 - 6:34 pm

  Bought the car as I needed to transport my 2 German Shepherds. With the back seats down, it accomodates them well. The SE trim has a stiffer ride than the GLS which I like. Looks very smart in Chili pepper red with the upgraded wheels. Have 3000 miles on the clock now. Averaging 25 mpg in mixed driving and up to 31 on a 500 mile trip to San Diego. The car is nicely put together with no sqeaks or rattles. Idles very smoothly and is entertaining to corner with when the dogs are not in the back! Leather seating surfaces are by far the way to go as they are easy to keep clean especially from dog hair!

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  Best vehicle weve owned - 2002 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By jabbott - April 24 - 10:00 am

  This is the first Hyundai we have bought. We have been very pleased. We have had Subarus, Fords and Mazdas and overall, the Santa Fe has been the best. The roominess of the interior and the standard features were a big selling point for us. We are extremely happy!!

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  Dead car in middle of freeway - 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By woman - April 24 - 6:56 am

  A few days ago my car lost all power while driving on the freeway at night. The car has been acting up now for about 5 months, maybe more. while driving, sometimes, with my foot on the accelerator the car looses all RPM then after about three seconds it comes back to normal. It happens all over, on the freeway to neighborhoods at 10 miles an hour. But A few days ago at night the car did its no RPM thing then died. all lights turned on. And now, two mechanics shops cannot tell what is wrong with it. (one had a reading about transmission) but then the transmission place cant get the same reading.

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  Having Doubts - 2002 Hyundai Sonata
  By Dano - April 24 - 2:00 am

  We really like this car, have enjoyed driving it, so far it has been a good value esp. for the $$. Just crested 20K mi and starting to develop several concerning problems auto trans slips when down shifting into 1st or 2nd gear, difficuty keeping car aligned going through tires, left front headlight working intermitantly, check engine light just came on... Taking it to dealer in a few days, hoping the warranty and service will be as good as the car looks and drives. The proof has always been wether these cars would hold up, we shall see...

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  Best Car Surprise! - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By Jeff - April 23 - 1:20 pm

  I purchased this car only one week ago, but for someone who spends a good deal of time commuting to work, this car is the best surprise in a car purchase Ive ever had. Compared to my Volvo S40, Honda Accord, and Mazda 626, this car blows them away. More power, size, quality (yes, thats quality) and style. And all I was looking to do was save some money with this purchase. Time will tell, but for now Im convinced this is the best car purchase Ive ever made.

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  I Love My Car! - 2005 Hyundai TUCSON
  By Angel8369 - April 22 - 6:43 pm

  Ive had the Tuscon for about two weeks now, and I absolutely love driving it. It handles quite well in the snow. The body style is different than other SUVs out there. I love the two tone it sets it apart. I love all the safety features. This is truly one of the best deals out there.

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  06 Sonata! - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By Ida - April 22 - 6:16 am

  This is a very smooth ride, takes the humps and bumps of the road with ease. The world outside isnt heard inside I dont hear the rush of the wind as it passes over the car. Easy to navigate into those shrinking parking spaces. The V6 models are manufactured in america. I had this model as a rental the week prior to buying it. I was looking to buy another 4x4. Im not a car person I decided to add a car to my family of vehicles(I drive a 04 silverado with a 4-inch lift& a 95 blazer)there are lots of options available to me, I did my research and it just seemed to be the best as far as safety, price, warranty, & miles per gallon as well as comfort features. The internet was a huge help!