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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  Poor Customer Support - 2005 Hyundai Elantra
  By kwiffy - February 16 - 7:40 am

  Interior quality poor. Service poor. Too many times told "Ordinary wear & tear." Leather seat back started to deteriorate within 3 months. Inside door seals tear in short time. Outside door weathrstrip has measles. Told it was ordinary wear & tear. Front & rear brakes replaced at 24K. Headlights went bad within short time, dealer replaced. Thermostat went bad & blew radiator, dealer fixed. Car overheated again, dealer stated radiator cap loose. Floor mats deteriorated & dealer replaced. Bulbs out on dashboard since 6 months old, dealer claims they are not covered. Currently starter grinds early in morning only and A/C makes vibrating noise, dealer found nothing.

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  We made a good purchase - 2005 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Dick in AZ - February 15 - 3:00 pm

  We bought this Santa Fe about a month before making a 2000 mile trip back to Ohio. It was three years old when we bought it and had 32,000 miles. After driving it 6,000+ miles so far, I have to say it is the most comfortable vehicle I think I have driven to date (Im 63, 57" 150#). The display for the air conditioning/heating is rather hard to see while driving, but functions well. We get about 16-18 around town, and the first time I checked it on our trip, we got 27mpg @ 75mph with the air on! I like the way it handles but it is a wee bit top heavy, but it has never been a problem. The only negative comment I have is the gas pedal; it seems sluggish, then suddenly leaps forward.

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  Hesitant Buyer - 2004 Hyundai XG350
  By Uncomfortable Buyer - February 15 - 12:20 pm

  After reading all the glowing consumer reviews I bought this car, unfortunately for me. I drive a lot and found that the armrest is placed too far back for me to rest my elbow on while driving. This has been a major disappointment for me as I cannot seem to get comfortable while driving. Perhaps men dont have this problem as their arms are longer but I am warning any women to make sure they feel totally comfortable before buying. I also have trouble adjusting the radio while driving, again too far away. I love the looks of the car both inside and out. The front seats could be a little longer though for better leg support.

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  Value for Money - 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Sandeep - February 15 - 3:53 am

  It is certainly value for money. Very spacious in its segment. The exterior design is eye catching while the quality of ride is of high quality

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  Low MPG - 2012 Hyundai Sonata
  By lasthyundai - February 13 - 6:59 am

  Disappointing gas mileage. Divide mileage by gallons and find its only getting about 24mpg for mixed city/hwy. Thats with the eco mode on and gentle driving. Not what I was led to believe. Steering is a little twitchy on the freeway. Seats are a little firm. Other than that its a nice car. So far no problems.

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  Love this car but it has too many flaws... - 2004 Hyundai Tiburon
  By wicked_gk - February 10 - 1:55 pm

  Bought my Tiburon GT new in 2004. Day two of purchase my drivers window motor gave out. Warranty coverage the cost. I also had a fuel return hose rupture and fuel was spraying everywhere because Hyundai cheap hoses. Luckily nothing caught on fire and Ive read this is a common issues. The engine is very very sensitive to mods and will cause bad MAF and 02 readings. I loved the car because it was my first new car ever but i had way too many problems. I sold it at 55k miles only because of electrical and engine problems. You must use OEM oil filters or the internal HLAs will click. The 2.7L v6 is Hyundais worst engine. Their new engines are much better since they are not mitsubishi built

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  Commuter Dream - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By ubewell - February 10 - 2:53 am

  My wife drives this car 80% of the time to make her daily 36 mile round trip commute to work and home. It has made quite an impact on her when you consider our previous car was a shaker and rattler. The interior of this car is large with lots of rear leg room. Fit and finish is quite pleasant and unexpected in a car priced below equally equipped Honda Accords and Toyota Camrys. Those two models would easily have been two or three thousand additional dollars. Our only complaint to date has been squeeky brakes when reversing. (Paid our dealer to fix but came back just as bad!) Ride is quiet and comfortable. Superior warranty sold me right away. Doors sound great and solid when closed.

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  Unique package - 2010 Hyundai Elantra Touring
  By dmoss - February 10 - 12:43 am

  Excellent value at this price point. GLS with 15 inch tires has smoother ride than SE or 2009 model. Has also performed well in mid-atlantic snow storms to date. With the 5-speed, engine has good juice in 4th and 5th gears - especially when RPMs get up to 3,500 to 4,000. At lower speeds, especially in stop and go traffic, clutch is a little touchy. Brakes are very good, smooth but ready for a sharp stop if needed. Handling takes a while to get used to, mostly due to steering feel (electric power steering), but its actually very sensitive and responsive (maybe a little too much so). Fuel economy ranges between 27 to 32 depending on city/highway mix.

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  Great bang for the buck! - 2016 Hyundai Genesis Coupe
  By Jefro - February 9 - 12:27 am

  I bought this car to have fun driving and it doesnt disappoint! Its not going to be practical when it comes down to transporting more than 2 people, carrying excessive amounts of stuff in it or even fuel economy, but it is a hell of a lot of fun to drive! Great engine, excellent 8 speed auto are a blast! One word of warning: you will want to put AS or snow tires on it up north as it comes with summer tires. I am thrilled with this car!

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  Great value - 2003 Hyundai Elantra
  By Nkiflemar - February 8 - 2:00 am

  I just traded in my 1999 Elantra for a new 2003 and so far am impressed with the improvements. The car performs without fail, has a smooth ride, great pick-up and has great standard options. The only drawbacks I can see is seat size is narrow and car is slightly less roomy than the earlier model perhaps due to side airbags added. Hyundai could do better on gas mileage also and antilock breaks would be a better standard option than some of the others. I got a great trade-in for my used version and the warranty rocks! An overall great value for the price.