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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  the poor mans jag - 2003 Hyundai Sonata
  By racecar7d - August 11 - 2:00 am

  they lied about the horsepower. The blower switch for the fan broke. Rides nice and smooth. Good highway mpg. Good Brakes. Overall this car is great for the price, stylish and looks just as good as a jaguar.

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  Love it - 2001 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By mom in nc - August 11 - 2:00 am

  We have had our Santa Fe for just a week now and we love it. It is roomy enough for our family with two young children and while the gas mileage is not as good as a car, you cant really expect that with any kind of suv. But I can say that we almost bought a Honda Passport last year, we had it for 3 days and we had to fill it up like 4 or 5 times, it was ridiculous! We took it back to the dealer and waited until the time was right to buy another, and Im glad we did! I did alot of research on the internet before we bought and while we have been joked with by family for owning a hyundai, I think it will be a good value

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  A Heckuva Deal - 2003 Hyundai Elantra
  By Jomama - August 11 - 2:00 am

  Dollar for dollar, this economy car beats all the rest. Amenities galore, the fun quotient is up there! With a shape resembling the old Saab 9-3, you will be pleased with the practicality of this car. I am totally happy with my purchase;however, a turbo would be much appreciated!

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  Roomiest Fun-to-Drive Hybrid Sedan on the Market - 2012 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid
  By r_l_r - August 9 - 4:55 pm

  The Hyundai Sonata Hybrid is the best package of attractive styling, smooth handling, excellent mileage and comfort among hybrid sedans in the US. I found with slight care its easy to get over 40 mpg on the highway and overall 38+mpg. Features that reduce the mpg are using heated seats and interior heater in the winter or full AC in the summer. However, using the "econ" feature with the heating/cooling one easily achieves 38 mpg overall or better. The jitteriness at low speeds was resolved with the first service when the computer system was upgraded to remove some of the hesitency between use of EV and gas engine modes. Update is free and resolves issues raised in some initial reviews.

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  Best car I have ever owned - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By HY_Lover - August 7 - 6:56 pm

  This car does everything I need and more. It is by far the most stylish and technologically advanced car under 30k. Why anyone would waste thousands more on a Toyota or Honda with half the warranty blows my mind. Do yourself a favor and get to your local dealer and drive one ASAP.

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  Great Buy! - 2010 Hyundai Elantra Touring
  By Chris - August 7 - 3:20 pm

  I researched and test drove all the foreign compacts like Corralla , Sentra, Forte, Civic, etc.. Never gave Hyundia a thought until one night after test driving a Chevy I went was taking a short cut through the next door parking lot which was Hyundia. I sat in the Elantra and immediately knew this was the car, it feels and drives great. Ive got 3,000 miles on it so far and averaging 30-32mpg. It has good cargo and leg space. I highly recommend this car. It should be priced higher, probably shouldnt have mentioned that, but I already got mine!

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  Reliability issues - 2012 Hyundai Sonata
  By epastrana - August 6 - 9:40 pm

  I bought a 2.0t Sonata on November 2012. Since then the car had been 4 times at dealer for two issues that until today had not bee corrected. First, panoramic roof rattles no solution yet! Second, a/c stops cooling at idle. (at shop at this moment) Lets see.... Also a/c smells funny terrible during acelaration. No solution yet. Car has now 6k miles and is spending a week monthly on dealer! No fun... Hyundai does not reply comments on his site.

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  Great car! - 2010 Hyundai Elantra Touring
  By Scott Anderson - August 6 - 8:30 pm

  I started looking at a Hyundai three years ago but I needed a hatchback and they didnt have one. I bought a Nissan Versa then. Finally Hyundai brought a hatchback back into the lineup and I made the change. Much roomier than the Versa and a much more solid feel. Handles very well. I agree that the ride is not that of a luxury car but four of us took a trip and everyone was comfortable. I am averaging 28MPG. I would love it to be a little better but I cant complain for what I get. Before I bought this I checked out Honda, Scion, Mazda, Toyota and Subaru. This was a better deal than all the others. What you get for what you pay is far ahead of the others. I love it!

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  Genesis - The good and bad - 2016 Hyundai Genesis
  By Bernard Klotz - August 6 - 10:55 am

  The Genesis runs smooth and quiet and a pleasure to drive. Definitely worth the money. However, the bells and whistles takes getting used to because the navigation is tricky , the side outside mirrors takes time to get used to, the dash board controls needs improvements. Before leaving the dealership you need a good lesson on learning the electronics.

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  Overall, quite pleased. - 2003 Hyundai XG350
  By koalab52 - August 6 - 10:00 am

  Toyota is supposed to make a reliable car. After 2 duds in 14 years, my husband and i decided to take a chance on the Hyundai XG350. After 7 months we are, overall, quite pleased. Ride is smooth, luxurious, engine is quiet, AC is cold, attention to details excellent and interior very comfortable. My retired parents liked ride & comfort more than their high end Acura. I wish the car did better on gas mileage, but i do like the quick, strong power of the engine. If i had to do it all over again, Id steer clear of the more expensive Toyotas, and head right back to the great value of the Hyundai!