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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  Great Small Hatchback - 2009 Hyundai Elantra Touring
  By CityDriver - January 5 - 8:53 pm

  Wanted something smaller that my Camry, without giving up comfort or rear seat space. This car has both, along with a big cargo capacity due to hatchback instead of a trunk. Compared to the Toyota Matrix, the Elantra Touring has more standard safety and convenience features, and slightly more space. The 2.0l engine with manual transmission is a great combination - very good acceleration when I need it, but the gas mileage is much better than EPA rating of 26 overall (more like 30 but havent been running the A/C). Havent had it out for a long trip yet, but for commuting and light hauling, this is a great size and a comfortable ride.

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  Great Car definitely the best in its class right now - 2012 Hyundai Sonata
  By needanicecar - January 5 - 4:39 pm

  I did a lot of research before choosing this car. This I believe is the best in its class right now. i am sure other manufacturers will catch up in the fall but for now Sonata is on top. I got a Limited with Navigation. I have owned the car for a month and havent had anything I dont like. The limited packs a lot of features that you see in luxury brands. I cannot think of any feature

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  watch out expensive brands - 2008 Hyundai Veracruz
  By soldonvc - January 5 - 4:23 am

  Finally Hyundai has a SUV that matches the top class in the marketplace at a price at least 25% lower for the same quality and options. Nice features, Well written operating manuals, warranty (a good package actually). Carries 7 adult passengers comfortably on any seat. Try that on "comparables" such as Pacifica, Commander, etc. Can easily carry 8 if 3rd row passengers are of normal size. Nice compartments for glasses, etc. Good quality materials used on interior decor. 6 gears forward help on economy. a happy customer albeit had it for only 3 weeks so far.

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  Fun - 2005 Hyundai TUCSON
  By Frank Gamache - January 4 - 7:23 am

  Real nice solid ride

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  Kenny,s dream - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By mesmorized - January 4 - 5:33 am

  dream to drive, look for every excuse to go on highway, tour whole neighbourhood just to get milk at corner store, extremely quiet and smooth, passing power on highway simply beautiful

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  I like it, but my son and girl dont - 1998 Hyundai Accent
  By doctor ed - January 4 - 2:00 am

  I inherited this car from my elderly mom. Ive put a good 35,000 miles on it. I like it, but my son calls it the "clown car" because its small and purple. The engine died at 59,400 miles, only 600 miles before the warranty expired. The sheet metal is pretty thin. I removed some dents with the palm of my hand! My experience is good enough to seriously consider a new Santa Fe soon.

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  Do not buy this car - 2004 Hyundai Tiburon
  By DoNotBuyThisCar - January 4 - 1:20 am

  I bought this car 1 1/2 years ago and had nothing but trouble. The tranny and clutch had to be replaced (own expense - no warranty) and the paint is slipping off all over the place. The dealership doesnt acknowledge warranty claims and sent me to Corporate which in return sent me back to the Dealership - nothing but the run around! I dont care if you buy the car or not but let me tell you, its badly build, poor quality, bad customer service. Hyundai surely stands to their reputation, to be a cheap auto maker. Do yourself a favor and pay a couple of thousand bucks more for a car you can enjoy rather then get awfully frustrated with! Good luck

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  The horn blows. - 2002 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By alias/username - January 3 - 2:56 pm

  I have about 4000 miles on this car without any problems. I find it a very comfortable and pleasant car to drive. The 6 cyl engine has ample power for the way I drive. I think this car is an excellent value for the money.

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  Awesome - 2002 Hyundai Sonata
  By fdas - January 3 - 2:00 am

  This car is amazing, got the base model with a moonroof, and automatic, power everything, and i got a hell of a deal at $13,000 brand new! with the warranty, how could anyone go wrong?

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  Bought for daughters graduation - 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By D. Johnson - January 2 - 3:56 am

  I picked the car up in Fla. and drove to Mo by way of Indiana. I was more impressed every day I was on the road. Every detail has thought, convenience and quality built in and the ride is as comfortable as any car I have ever owned. We were very fortunate to have settled on this vehicle. I cannot imagine anyone not being happy to drive the 07 Santa Fe.