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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  Glad I got it - 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By denvertrakker - October 15 - 11:00 am

  Im a little over a month, and 1500 miles from purchase, and Im a happy camper. This is one of the nicest vehicles Ive ever owned - better than my Acura, Subaru, Nissan and most everything else. (Well, my Vette was more fun) I have had no concerns with the transmission as a few others have. Ive gone on a few trips, including up into the high country in Colorado, and the car is a delight. Comfortable, stylish, convenience features galore, decent sound system, and never less than 22 MPG. Ya just have to drive thoughtfully, folks! All in all, an excellent experience.

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  Great Santa Fe - 2005 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By P Leaf - October 15 - 10:16 am

  Fantastic auto --Love the red color They could boost the sound system

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  Excellent budget choice - 2005 Hyundai TUCSON
  By Rogelio - October 15 - 2:06 am

  We have had this SUV for 37K miles and 3 years. An excellent choice - we are now buying a new Hyundai Santa Fe. You get so much more for your money, and the quality is similar to Toyota or Honda. I know because I really checked this out. This car has been a really solid performer and reliable - we will keep in the family instead of selling it. for those who complain about the car, you need to take care of anything mechanical, and of course you need to compare to others in the class.

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  You would Be Wise to buy this car - 2002 Hyundai Accent
  By jalino - October 15 - 2:00 am

  I have just bought the car but, I can already tell it was a great decision. I am getting almost 40 miles to the gallon and the car is great. It has great acceleration for the small engine and is very fun to drive. Hyundai also sticks true to their warranty, I noticed a little plastic button that was broken on the back hatch and they took car of it in minutes without question.

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  Love it, but not unconditionally - 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe
  By curtis - October 14 - 11:00 pm

  Love the car overall but it does have limitations. Car handles and drives great and looks even better. Love the saddle leather interior though seats are very firm. Ride is a little rough, when coupled with road noise makes any trip over an hour tiresome with back/butt aches. GT was $27k out the door (incl the $500 military rebate), VERY well equipped for the price. Cockpit feel is great with everything within easy reach but has limited storage. Clutch is VERY hard to master- HATE IT! Very difficult to shift smoothly w/o skipping gears to improve smoothness(i.e. going 1-3-5 or 2-4-6 instead of 1,2,3,4...). Was a die-hard 6-spd guy, now Im cured. Nav is easy to use but screen is a tad bit small

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  easily a 300k+ car - 2004 Hyundai Elantra
  By CJMerry - October 14 - 11:02 am

  Im a mechanic, and i have had this car since 180k. the engine is solid, no internal leaks except the valve cover gasket. The transmission with proper or improper maintenance, can last about 250k with little to none problems. the engine has original head gasket, intake gasket, and exhaust gaskets. the only common problem that Ive seen is that the rear engine mount has a tendency to tear, causing shuddering during acceleration. the electronics are solid, to computer failures and I have not needed to replace the starter or have any problems starting. the aptitude needed to operate things inside the car is very simple. it has comfortable air conditioning that can last a long time with proper maintenance. I have gone on long road trips in this car and you could be able to stay in the drivers seat for a little bit over an hour and a half. the interior has no tears, stains, or sun damage, a simple vacuum can be able to make the car look like brand new. the steering wheel has a tendency to fall apart at about 150k, but it still works! also, the visibility is great! I have minimal blind spots, and great visibility. The acceleration is pretty decent too. I can be able to get to 60 mph in under 10 seconds with excellent control. I have had it up to 110 and it is pretty stable at high speeds. This car is the best car that Ive ever owned for its low pricing, and I will be buying this car again once my current elantra runs into the ground.

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  very impressed - 2006 Hyundai Tiburon
  By harold neely - October 13 - 12:50 pm

  This vehicle is a lot quicker than I expected it to be. Put some rims on it and I think its the best looking car out there for the money.

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  Tiburon GT - 2005 Hyundai Tiburon
  By Lori - October 13 - 10:33 am

  Love the look of the Vehicle and boy is it quick when it needs to go! Good on gas. Not very comfortable for me to drive.

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  Excellent car! - 2005 Hyundai XG350
  By Jim Hargrave - October 12 - 6:13 pm

  The best car I have ever owned.I looked at Mazda6, Honda Accord, and Toyota Camry also.The Hyundai offered more for the money than any of the others.

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  xg300 - 2001 Hyundai XG300
  By smhpage - October 12 - 10:00 am

  I bought this vehicle new and have over 51,000 miles. I have used the vehicle extensively in both city and highway driving. The only things I have had to do are replace the tires and battery. The vehicle runs great and is fun to drive. My wife drives an Expedition but I would rather drive my XG anytime.