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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  BAD BAD RIDE. Avoid IT - 2009 Hyundai Genesis
  By Bob - May 8 - 11:11 am

  I have leased this care now for 1 year, and I have 2 years to go. The ride is just horrible. It actually makes you sea sick on the roads. The stero is great, the interior looks great. Seats are comfortable, but you buy a car to drive, and it is the worst riding car I have ever had. I can hardly wait to get rid of it. If I wouldnt take a big loss, id get rid of it this afternoon.

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  Love it - 2008 Hyundai Accent
  By candice - May 7 - 10:02 am

  I bought my Hyundai new in 5/2008. Its been a great work car on the hwy and in city. It took about 10,000 miles to see the 34 mpg on hwy and 30 in city. Only problem is seat belts sit far back but reliable and no problems. I even drove it 8 hours to Illinois but not real comfortable for 50 year olds on long trips.

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  I am happy with my Blue Hyundai Accent - 2010 Hyundai Accent
  By David Sumner - May 6 - 2:05 am

  2010 Accent is a well designed, well priced commute car. After owning 4 Toyota vehicles (i.e., Camry, Tercel, Echo, Yaris) I took my chances and bought a Hyundai Accent. Hyundai Accent is a surprisingly nice car for a very low price. Has a good design, and is roomy inside, and very fuel efficient. I strongly recommend it to first time car buyers, college students, those who need an economical second car for long commute,and young drivers. It is well worth the price you pay, and if it lasts like my past cars, I will be very very happy with my choice.

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  It does not get any better - 2010 Hyundai Genesis
  By tazman - May 5 - 3:15 pm

  I leased a new Hyundai Genesis after 27 month lease on an E-350 MB. This is by far the best car for the money period. It is 24,000 less then the MB and a better car. I test drove BMW, Lexus, Jag, and MB. This car won hands down. Get past the Hyundai badge and you will be driving one.

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  Honest & detailed review - 2010 Hyundai Genesis
  By Don - May 4 - 5:36 pm

  Price: you get so much more for what you pay for in this car, compared to others such a Mercedes, Lexus, Audi, etc.--- truly a great deal. Looks: I see people give this car looks all the time, and some people ask me about it, saying they really like it. Features in navigation screen: easy to learn. Heated 2 front seats and cooled drivers seat: works so well and keeps you so comfortable. Features: --rear window sun screen - I like it! --superb radio - complete quality. --memory drivers seat: controlling outside mirrors also. I will move up to the Hyundai Equus (the next higher model) next year. I have seen it, and it is even better yet than the Equus, but also more money ($56,000).

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  Reliable and economical - 2007 Hyundai Accent
  By Steve M - May 3 - 11:53 pm

  I bought this car from Enterprise mainly for the fuel economy. I get a little over 30 mpg and its all in town mileage although some is on our turnpikes. The only thing Ive had to do in the way of repairs is replace the battery a year ago. Now at 53,000 I do need 2 new tires. Having bought from Enterprise with 31,000 miles, I dont know when or if they replaced tires prior to my purchase. This car is fun to drive, turns on a dime, and has a better sound system than you would probably expect. I will definitely buy another Hyundai but maybe next time a Sonata just because its bigger and more stylish.

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  More car for the $$$ - 2007 Hyundai Azera
  By Stixcharmer - May 1 - 2:23 pm

  The 2007 Azera Limited is a fine car for the money. This vehicle is compared in construction to some of the BMW series and won! The Korean car maker is certainly headed in the right direction by providing a luxury vehicle without the high price tag. The door handles are nicely designed and convenient. The Infinity sound system rocks! Areas to improve: Car is heavy when applying brakes, emergency brake light needs a sounder to alert the driver, no auxiliary input for your mp3. The leather seating is too thin but lumbar support helps. If your electronic gizmos starts to go wacky, try changing battery first before spending $ at dealership if your warranty runs out. Enjoy your Azera!

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  I am a believer! - 2010 Hyundai Genesis
  By Jason - May 1 - 7:59 am

  Like most of current Genesis owners, I was skeptical about buying a $40,000 Hyundai car. But after reading so many positive reviews and test driving for 30 minutes, I took a leap of faith and bought a Genesis. I have 2000 miles under my belt and I love every mile of it. I have the technology package (Please do yourself a favor and get the package) Smart cruise control is a must if you spend a lot of time on the freeway. Even after driving for 4 hours straight, I dont feel tired because of the comfortable ride and smart cruise control of the Genesis. If you were skeptical about spending $40,000 to buy a Hyundai like me, have a faith. This car is a real deal.

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  Best Car Ever! - 2005 Hyundai Sonata
  By waterloggg - May 1 - 1:27 am

  This was the best car we ever had! all we had to do was normal oil and tire changes. We owned the car for 4 years, until recently when I was in an accident. The car was totaled and the insurance company is only offering 1/2 of what we still owe! I kid you not when I say this was the best car ever! I was told that I was lucky, this car did what it was supposed to do and that was to keep those in the vehicle safe. I wish I had my car back! I cannot afford another one since i have to still pay 1/2 of the loan for a car I do not have! I can not afford to buy a car at all. If I could I would buy another in a heart beat. My 4 boys miss it just as much as I do, if not more. Thank You!

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  Great car for the price - 2010 Hyundai Elantra
  By John from Villages - April 30 - 3:59 pm

  Great interior. Blue lights at night are cool. Handles great. Seat material may be a problem even with their Scotch guard. Very quiet and great radio. Love XM radio. XM needs to lower their price on monthly charges. If you call them they will have special offers to reduce the monthly price. Service great. Great paint . Slow down and bumps wont be a problem.