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 Hyundai - 2008 Hyundai Veracruz
  By mrfred - June 12 - 7:46 am

  Got 10000 off, it was a new left over Rides very quietly, handles well, I was really shocked how well built it is, how much conveniences you get for the money(paid 29300, 22 miles on it), came with the navi system but unable to get rear dvd system with the nav (strange)

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  Satisfied Customer - 2005 Hyundai XG350
  By Susan Mastroianni - June 12 - 6:10 am

  I enjoy my 2002 XG350L model Hyundai. I only wish I had more room on the side pocket area. Very narrow; does not hold much of anything.

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  Very Reliable - 2000 Hyundai Tiburon
  By zeal - June 12 - 2:00 am

  At 3 years this car has proven to be extremely reliable with excellent fuel economy. With 2 years of bumper to bumper coverage and roadside assistance, and 7 years of powertrain coverage left I feel I made an excellent choice.

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  Love my Wht-Roc. - 2003 Hyundai Tiburon
  By Kenneth R. Sciba - June 12 - 2:00 am

  After driving the Honda Accord, the Mustang, I took the Tibby, for a test drive. I was very excited about the total experience. I love the new ride, Ihave named it Wht-Roc. I look forward each day to the most amazing experience.

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  From an Explorer - 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Mike in NC - June 12 - 2:00 am

  Overall so far a good experience. The Santa Fe is very quiet, and the features (for the money) cant be beat. Excellent pickup from a stop, passing power when at 60 takes a while to get there. Mileage could be better. No regrets from buying it. Traded in a 1999 Ford Explorer (purchased new originally), the Santa Fe rides much better than the Explorer ever did.

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  like it more with every drive - 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By peacepad - June 12 - 2:00 am

  I researched and test drove many suvs that compare with Santa Fe. More bang for your buck and a solid vehicle to drive. Handles great, rides great, low noise level,and comfortable too.It fits like a glove. The transmition is aimed at smooth,quiet shifting, sometimes giving the impression that acceleration is a little less than peppy.It is there when you need it, especially when your already up to speed. There is really nothing I do not like about the Santa Fe. Only wish I would have got one with sunroof and built in DVD player.

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  After a half dozen Hondas... - 2005 Hyundai Elantra
  By Ralph Stein - June 11 - 8:16 am

  I didnt think Id buy anything but a Honda again. A looming bill for an expensive selective college for my teen made me rethink the equation. So I test drove a Hyundai. It felt like a Honda, had a comfortable interior (Im 62") and for a little over 16G I got the most feature-loaded car Ive ever had. The sales experience was also the most low pressured ever and after two months of driving this car Im thrilled with it. Will probably upgrade to another Hyundai - in four years.

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  Great, Inexpensive, Car! - 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Zach - June 10 - 11:13 pm

  We looked at the Toyota Rav4, GMC Envoy, and Honda Pilot, and this is the best of all of those. There are so many thoughtful features in it that Ive been discovering for the past 2 weeks. It has lighted cup holders when your head lights are on, a gasoline sensor so the air in the cabin doesnt have gas in it, and the Mp3 capibilities. The ride is a bit rough, but the leather seats comphensate for that. Getting leather at 26,400$ is a great buy! The wheels may cost a lot of money to replace though. This Santa Fe blows its older model away with better looks, better interior, and better fit and finish. (One word of caution: The limited AWD w/ 5 seats only is very rare, so look around)

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  Good buy for the money! - 2016 Hyundai Elantra
  By Jake Tayler - June 10 - 8:38 pm

  This is my first brand new car to purchase. I may be a little biased due to the fact this was the first car that I looked at, first dealership that I went to, and I ended up buying the car. I have put 1600 miles on the car so far in the month I have owned it ( I know, my girlfriend loves it and always wants to drive it). The car has been great so far, it feels nice on the road, when i get on the highway going at a fast speed the tires grab the road very well when sliding, if i hit a bump i never feel like my tires arent in contact with the road, I know this has to do with the traction control the car has. Once you get on the road or highway the drive is nice, its a little noisy but nothing you cant get used to, the stock radio/cd/xmsiruis rado is delightful. I got the base model SE which my only upgrades are rubber mats (highly recommend) and the auto-dimming mirror/compass. You can hear road noise but its not overwhelming, I dont expect silence when I drive anyways, its really not safe when driving long distances and with this car you will get amazing gas mileage doing that. I have been getting around 38 MPG although I drive a lot of highway, once you put on the Active ECO you can get higher, my highest yet is 40 MPG. My only gripe with the model I got is there isnt automatic headlights and I would have liked the window lock button to light up the same way that the other window buttons on the driver side light up. The car drives great though even with a 1.8 liter 4 cylinder engine, the transmission shifts very smooth and I never have a problem merging with traffic or accelerating to make a lane change. The body of the car is very sexy. I chose the black version and with tinted windows its a very good looking car. If you are looking for a reliable car with a 100,000 mile power train warranty and a 60,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty that will definitely last the length of your car loan, this is a great choice.

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  Great Car - 2012 Hyundai Sonata
  By gorpot - June 9 - 5:42 pm

  Bought at end of August 2011. Have 10,000 miles on it now, No problems yet. Love the exterior design. Interior design is very nice. When the weather was still warm I was getting 37 MPG on the highway, and 27 MPG around town. As all cars do,the MPG have dropped off in the cold weather. One of the best new cars I have ever bought. Just wish I knew where the dip stick is located to check the automatic transmission fluid was located.