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 Car - 2013 Hyundai Genesis
  By pt - January 16 - 4:15 am

  Bought this car at auction and got at GREAT DEAL on the BASE model, (didnt give the option to change) going on 2 years and still love it. Giving bullet points" Great acceleration...I like to drive fast, hugs the curves nicely. Great breaking (I drive 35 miles each way to work on a major highway in rush hour traffic) Good gas mileage (depending on driving conditions...but I drove a 99 Suburban @13 mpg) average about 24 mpg hwy. (17 gallon tank) Stereo is fine...not as good as my 05 Altima or 2000 Infiniti but it does the job. Heated front seats (comfortable) and outside mirrors...awesome. Back seats...not sure..but heard nice ride...heat/ac vents for passengers. Back seats do not fold down...but there is a small pass thru behind the middle arm rest..not sure why people get so upset about this...its not a truck to haul things. The trunk is smaller than what I am used to (Chrysler 300/Chevy Suburban) but downsizing means just that. Groceries still fit. Console is smaller than what I am used to...but there are 3 usb ports and another (not sure the name but like a cigarette lighter)...oh and there is an ashtray and lighter. Not sure about the phone sync option...I dont use my cell when driving..but it is available...mic is right above my head. No problems with paint, gets washed every week. Oil changes run about $50 every 5000 miles......book says 7500. Uses Regular unleaded gas... My only complaints.... The front floor vents Not the best in snowy conditions....

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  Very Good Car - 2004 Hyundai Tiburon
  By LionJuly - January 16 - 2:00 am

  This is just the most enjoyable car! Though, I believe its under powered for its weight. But, aftermarket mods can take the Tib to a whole new level. Ive had no problems with mine. Its just a dream to drive. The sound system is great, the leather is comfortable and that huge sunroof doesnt get any better in the afternoon driving the back roads.

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  Great while it lasted...... - 2006 Hyundai Tiburon
  By JMZ HET - January 15 - 11:36 am

  My car was flawless for the first 21,000 miles (2 years). The problem was initially diagnosed as "collapsed engine lifters" but after this repair failed to correct the issue a new engine "short block" was installed. After another 1,750 miles the "new" engine short block proved to be "defective". During the 5 weeks the dealership had the car to install the 2nd short block we gave up and bought a Nissan. Very disappointing.

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  Decent deal - 2006 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Juana - January 14 - 11:43 am

  Rides great, plenty of power, Glad I made the buy, only negative is the gas mileage, but, its worth it.

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  Best value for your money - 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By happyinCA - January 14 - 2:00 am

  We can only reiterate what others have said. This is an outstanding vehicle for the money, far better than even the Honda/Acura cars we have owned. Hyundai has come a long way in improving quality. We purchased the extended warranty which is not only a bargain, but cancellable (unlike most), refundable and transferable! Some wind noise (probably due to rack/crossbars) over 70mph, seats need more thought, car is about 200lb too heavy but overall an outstanding bargain. We purchased over the Net and saved sales commissions; for a GLS with ABS/TCS we paid under $20K. Nothing else can touch it and the buying experience was painless.

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  Great Car for the Price - 2002 Hyundai Accent
  By Christopher E - January 13 - 2:58 pm

  I had this car for about 4 months before it was totaled in an accident (thankfully not my fault). I drove it mainly on my commute to college, and had no problems while I drove it. I got about 30 mpg average. Im about 62", so leg room is a big deal for me, but I never felt cramped in my Accent. In my accident I a man ran a red light in front of me, tearing up the whole front of the car. But I was completely unharmed even though the car was totaled. Overall I really liked my Accent and would recommend it to anyone, if not for the gas mileage, then for the safety.

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  VERY DETAILED Elantra 2007 Review - 2007 Hyundai Elantra
  By Jon NJ - January 12 - 4:40 pm

  Overall Very Good VALUE for the $ compared to Corolla and Civic, 2-3 grand less. Was about to buy Corolla, but Elantra BLEW it away. Looks better and is LARGER & SAFER than both. After driving over 6k miles and 6 months, heres the COMPLETE deal below. Too many reviews have the good, but not the BAD---and there are some! Dealership service HORRENDOUS & sales person was big liar. Medium bumps a bit harsh, mileage no way near claim, closer to 28-30 local/city combo, quick accelerating bit loud but quiets out. Side mirrors nice & big, but too big when parallel parking. BUT GOOD FAR outweighs the bad. Its simply the BEST value for $ no doubt! Watch out Toyota & Honda! Why pay more for less?

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  Fun and Low Maintenance - 2003 Hyundai Elantra
  By Loopy - January 11 - 8:33 pm

  Looking for a fun commuter I was all set to buy a Civic until I found that it didnt offer leather or traction control or a $14K price tag. Fuel pump went 1st mo which was replaced by dealer same day. Oil change every 3K, replaced brakes once at 60K and now have 120K on orig clutch. 30-32mpg combined city/hwy. Upgrades include Tiburon rear anti sway bar and 17" wheels which make it very fun in the twisties. Dont try this at home but is very stable at 105mph. Recently have also replaced headlights every 6mo and found my first rust spot behind rear wheel. Excellent in the snow with winter tires. I, too, barely get NYC AM stations from 60 mi away. Very happy with this ride.

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  Never thought Id buy a Hyundai - 2007 Hyundai Entourage
  By SAL - January 10 - 1:49 pm

  Ok, Im the last person that would think Id buy a Hyundai. But I test drove th Entorage and I was hooked. Quieter that a Honda as well appointed as a Toyota and for thousands less! Forget what you think you know about Hyundai. This is just as nice as anything else I test drove. The 100k warranty is just the kicker it took for me to write the check. You owe it to yourself to try one out if you are in the market for a minivan.

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  So far, so good - 2007 Hyundai Sonata
  By ericd - January 9 - 3:46 pm

  So far so good on a 2007 Sonata Limited. Very comfortable, quiet, smooth ride. Had a 2003 Sonata GLS . . . the 2007 is obviously a big improvement. Hyundai is offering some decent incentives: price at invoice, $1500 rebate, $500 loyal customer rebate and 2.9% financing. Service at the dealership was very very good.