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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  Whistleing Hyundai - 2003 Hyundai Elantra
  By drhot - April 30 - 2:00 am

  I like my new car but it whistles in a crosswind on the highway. Dealer is still working on it. Other than that I am very happy with my Elantra.

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  New Sonata - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By Larry - April 28 - 6:26 pm

  I have had this vehicle for two months and am very impressed by its quality, feel, and ride. This is an excellent car.

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  Since I drive it, I know it. - 1999 Hyundai Elantra
  By Aciman - April 28 - 2:00 am

  I bought my Hyundai in January of 1999. At the time I was looking for an inexpensive car with something more to offer than most cars of this price range were offering. I have never been sorry I chose the Hyundai. The style of the car is so much better than the current models. It is reliable and has offered many miles of fun driving. I would suggest this car to anyone.

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  Love my Santa Fe! - 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Gloria - April 27 - 4:40 pm

  JD Powers caused me to look seriously at a Hyundai and am I glad. I am one who loves the styling and my 5 year olds favorite game is to spot another Santa Fe. I dont need extra horsepower and I addressed my conservationist guilt with the 4 speed shift. I had forgotten how much fun a stick is to drive! Only one downside, I bought a less than one year old trade in. Great price, clean as a whistle, still new car smell, NO TRANSFER OF WARRANTY! Oh well...I really love this SUV.

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  99,800 and still going - 1997 Hyundai Sonata
  By mtgmaker - April 26 - 2:00 am

  I just logged 99,800 miles on my 97 Sonata GLS and I just now had my first problem. A leaky valve cover gasket. Cant ask for much better than that.

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  Nice little truck! - 2007 Hyundai TUCSON
  By New Port Richey, FL - April 25 - 9:03 am

  Ive had my 2007 Tucson for 18 months. It continues to perform pretty much in the way I would expect. The back is quite roomy and will hold luggage for 4 easily. Mostly, I use the back to transport my dog. Its perfect for that, especially with the addition of the cargo tray. I drive 80 miles daily (round trip) to work. I have no complaints about the performance and handling of this vehicle on country roads, expressways and city streets. Its small enough to maneuver in city traffic, but peppy enough to keep up with the demands of highway driving. If you want a small (SUV) truck, this is a great vehicle!

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  Great Car! - 2014 Hyundai Elantra GT
  By mgvh - April 23 - 8:47 am

  With dealer incentives, I was able to get an excellent deal on this base model Elantra GT which was already a good value before the incentives. I only have 100 miles on it so far, so this is more of a first impressions review, and the first thing I note is that I really liked the exterior styling. The Windy Sea Blue is really beautiful in the sunlight. On closer inspection, the fit and finish quality is outstanding. Its a very solid car. Shut a door, and there is a reassuring thud of solidity. Interior controls are a bit busy. Still trying to figure things out, but the voice recognition is very helpful. 29.5mpg so far, but its mostly in-town driving. Fun car to drive, and Im happy!

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  Major repairs on used purchase - 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By rhonda28 - April 23 - 5:32 am

  I purchased this vehicle used a 1 1/2 yrs ago and had nothing but problems. Major cost to fix each problem. The front and rear catalytic converter had to be replaced as I could not get speed over 25 mph. On trip 2 hrs away from my home a month ago and the car just shut down on me. This past week belt which controls the a/c condenser and power steering just completely broke. Now I need a a/c condenser which is over $1000. NEVER will buy a Hyundai again.

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  My Lil Kim - 2005 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By MIKE POWELL - April 22 - 7:06 pm

  I bought the Fwd 6 cylinder, and it definitely has the get-up-and-go. It has the power when you need it, such as having to enter on the highway with little room to accelerate. I find it to be the perfect size for all my needs. Way to go Hyundai!

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  Great! - 2005 Hyundai Elantra
  By lindsaymcarthur - April 22 - 11:00 am

  This is an excellent car, handles well, well built, zero repairs in 30000 miles, corners well, good acceleration. It has 1/8 clearance inside, the paint on the bumpers is very poor about a 2 and the only real drawback. Best car Ive owned.