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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  Tucson lover - 2008 Hyundai TUCSON
  By Tucson lover - March 13 - 9:36 am

  This car is awesome! I never thought I would own a Hyundai and was persuaded to test drive this by my girlfriend and am soooo glad I did. I love the styling, comfort, value and incredibly smooth ride. I test drove just about every small SUV and this was the clear winner!

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  Twice is to much - 2000 Hyundai Sonata
  By Dick - March 12 - 3:10 pm

  Transmission went at 78,000. The 2nd Hyundai Transmission to go. Have a 96 Accent & also lost a transmission after the 60,000 mile warranty. Just $2000. The last time and especially from this dealer. They could care less about your business. You might as well drive it until it croaks. You could not get a decent trade on a Hyundai if your life depended on it. Most dont even want a used Hyundai on their lot. Give it away or drive it until it drops.

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  Great SUV - 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Burly - March 12 - 1:43 pm

  I had many new cars with many issues. Not a 1 with this vehicle

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  AWESOME TIBURON - 2003 Hyundai Tiburon
  By Janelle2415 - March 12 - 10:00 am

  It was the best experience I have ever had in a car. Its awesome!

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  2003 Santa Fe - 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By starexpo - March 12 - 10:00 am

  Great SUV, for a great price

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  I have two of them - 2003 Hyundai Elantra
  By Ruben Gomez - March 12 - 10:00 am

  I have two Elantras 2002 and 2003 (package #4).No complaints. I love them. This cars are very comfortables with a smooth ride.The seats are super. Are bigger inside.I love the power of the engine.You feel you are driving a v-8 cilynders car.Finally the a/c wow! so good.

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  Elantra GT - Hatchback - Manual - 2003 Hyundai Elantra
  By jakirkla - March 12 - 10:00 am

  What a great car. Ive had it for a month and I love it. I only wish the paint/body was more durable. I love the handling, the stereo, the leather, the engine, the sunroof, everything about the car. Thge only other complaint I have is the gas milage I have been getting around town hasnt topped 23 mpg. Regardless, it is much better than that of my previous car, a Jeep Grand Cherokee. I would fully recommend this car to anyone who is in the market. Why even bother with the Corrola or the Civic anymore when this car is available.

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  What a wonderful surprise! - 2007 Hyundai Elantra
  By harlqn - March 12 - 9:23 am

  It has a very comfortable cabin layout, smooth ride, and great handling. If you need any more in those departments, you need a sports car or a luxury sedan. So far, its got 3 months and 3,000 miles on it and no complaints. Gas mileage around 27-28 with 40/60 hwy/city use. The bang for the buck factor is huge. The brakes are a bit grabby when cold, but perform well with no noticeable fade. Acceleration is great (for an engine this size). The seats are very comfy (fits 4 adults well). Very gadget-friendly: aux audio input, 2 12V jacks and handy storage areas. This car is not all things to all people, but you should definitely consider it if youre looking at this price and/or size range.

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  Hyundai is a big mistake - 1997 Hyundai Accent
  By redsphinx - March 11 - 5:07 pm

  I made the mistake of buying a Hyundai Accent brand new with a 3 year/36,000 mile warranty. At 40,000 miles, the entire car just fell apart.I spent over $2,000 repairing the car in six months.A go-cart is more powerful and reliable than any Hyundai. Plus the resale value of this car makes it a horrible investment. I recently purchased a 2001 Pontiac Grand Am and am very satisfied.I feel sorry for anyone that just bought a Hyundai.

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  You need to get one - 2009 Hyundai Genesis
  By Great vehicle - March 10 - 1:50 pm

  This car is really nice to drive and looks great. I had corvette, porsche 911 and have ES 330 and LS 460. So, I am telling from the true experiences. Navigation system is very easy to use and great. Everything is simple to set up and blue tooth quality for the phone system is outstanding. Sound quality of the hands-free phone system is beyond my expectation. I will have to think very hard before I buy another LS 460. Dealer needs to improve long way before they catch up with Lexus on customer relations.