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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  Purchased new 2007 Never a problem - 2007 Hyundai Elantra
  By happy elantra owner - August 10 - 8:14 am

  Bought new in 2007, had no mechanical issues. Great service from Fitzgerald Hyundai. Excellent ride quality. Received excellent trade in value for vehicle as it had low miles and was very clean. I bought expecting a very reliable car, and that is what I had for 8 years. Traded it in and got over $1500 above average price for true value trade in. All city dtiving.

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  My Azera has really changed my opinion of Hyundai! - 2013 Hyundai Azera
  By Ben - August 7 - 4:55 pm

  My wife and I were in the market for a new car. We looked at Maximas, Fusions, Camrys, Avalons, etc... and could never find a car that we absolutely fell in love with. I mentioned a Hyundai Genesis that Id driven as a rental while traveling for business. We decided to give Hyundai a look, but wasnt really expecting much. We found the Azera and were instantly blown away by every detail! This tech package car has it all....sleek/sporty looks, plenty of room for a family of 4 (was very surprised by how much space the interior has), premium leather, Infinity sound system, Bluetooth tech package/navigation system, panoramic sunroof, power back glass shade, great power heated AND cooled seats. While all this was nice, we needed something that would be economical. To our surprise, we are able to get anywhere from 26 to 30mpg in this! Plus, this car drives like a sports car! If you havent tried one, you are DEFINITELY missing out!!!

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  Two engines since coming off the showroom floor in - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By Jeff - August 6 - 3:42 pm

  All I can say is that this car had an electrical system right off the showroom floor. It has also had two engines. The first failed at less than 100,000 and the last one failed at 34,700. Support from the dealer was ok but Hyundai Motors showed nothing but contempt for us and treated us like dirt. Will never ever purchase any other Hyundai product again period. Please do yourself a favor and ask lots of questions and also talk to as many owners and research any car you purchase from these people before hand. The warranty sounds good but its a scam. They Hyundai Motors staff are cotemptable disrespectful trolls.

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  Solid Purchase - Limited - 2015 Hyundai Elantra
  By Tj - August 6 - 2:28 am

  I purchased in May of 2015 and have since taken it to 2 road trips and accumulated 6k miles on it. I can honestly say its a solid purchase. Comfortable, full of features, entertaining on the road, looks amazing. Its fuel economy is "OK", only because it was rated at 27-37 city/hwy mpg, but I calculated 24-26 overall in mostly city/some highway driving, perhaps the LV heat has to do something with it. I love the drive selectable steering, the transmission is okay, you can on some occasions feel the transmission shift harshly, but rarely. Having been on those road trips, Ive noticed some things. My passengers and I both agree that the back seats are not comfortable on long road trips, theyre leather so Im not sure this could be said about cloth seats. Our butts and backs were very sore at the 2 hour mark, stretching at each rest stop was a must, but the two front seats were Okay for the road trip.

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  Replacement of engine - 2013 Hyundai Elantra
  By Dianne Bruch - August 5 - 4:05 pm

  I bought this car new. The engine had to be replaced twice. The dealer was unable to find the cause of the engine failures. I do not feel secure in the vehicle. Hyundai was unwilling to help me find a solution to this problem. Elantra owners beware of engine problems.

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  Just caught up to Germans! - 2015 Hyundai Genesis
  By Mike - July 31 - 1:28 pm

  Driving BMWs for 11 years and never thought in a million years I would be with another vehicle such as the 2015 Genesis!

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  Best car I have owned. - 2006 Hyundai Elantra
  By Karen - July 31 - 12:50 am

  It has been totally dependable. I have not put it through alot of miles so I cant testify for long term. My problem is getting in and out all the time.

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  No Spare Tire - 2012 Hyundai Accent
  By cj - July 30 - 7:45 am

  Why not a spare? And hate the low bumper - scrapes off the undercarriage in front. Expensive repair.

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  Tiny, but mighty! - 2005 Hyundai Accent
  By Samuel - July 29 - 11:34 pm

  Its not the fastest, or most impressive car. But its fun to drive and the mileage is amazing!

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  2015 Hundai Genesis 3.8awd - 2015 Hyundai Genesis
  By sdrcp@hotmail.com - July 29 - 10:20 am