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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  Bang for the buck - 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By ChosenMibhar - June 5 - 11:33 am

  Heres my story, its a long one. Ive been researching, renting, test driving and reading reviews for over a year. Finally I made a decision. Considering the tag price, gas mileage and overall value this SUV is the way to go! Standard equipment on base model, excellent warranty, reasonable resale value, and so far dependable. If Hyundai keeps this up Ill never buy American again.

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  Why would anyone buy a Honda?? - 2008 Hyundai Elantra
  By riley - June 5 - 8:46 am

  Im proud of how far Hyundai has come in recent years. Remember how they used to be??..The Elantra is just great. This car is so solid and well built. Interior quality is good, not great. Im 17 and i sold my beloved Volkswagen Jetta(2000) for this. The Elantra is just as good as the civic and much cheaper. My only complaint is that the body integrity is not as solid as my Jettas was.

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  Best Value Sedan - 2004 Hyundai Sonata
  By WWeronko - June 5 - 2:00 am

  After careful analysis of all sedans in the Sonatas price range I determined it is by far the best value. It is 2-6 thousand dollars lower priced then other comparable equipted vehicles. It is very peppy and comfortable. It has a tight steering and good road feel. This is my second Hyundai and I am very pleased with the realibility and quality of these fine cars.

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  I love my car - 2005 Hyundai Elantra
  By lillaura01 - June 4 - 10:56 am

  This car is excellent for the price. It drives very well; my friends constantly remark about how smooth the ride is. Gas mileage is great. Of course, this isnt a luxury car, but I enjoy my sunroof and power everything. I travel a great deal for work, and Ive never had a problem. Its also comforting to know that I have roadside assistance any time I need it and an unbeatable warranty. I highly recommend this car.

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  Bang for buck - 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By paul peterson - June 4 - 10:50 am

  I have had my sante fe for over three years. In that time, I have had virtually no problems. I think that the quality is good, the ride is smooth and the price is right.

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  All optioned 2002 Sonata LX - 2002 Hyundai Sonata
  By Walker1 - June 4 - 10:00 am

  Extremely reliable car. No problems yet. Rides very well, climate control is excellent, a very nicely complimented automobile. I would highly recommend it over the Camry which is $6000 more. The dealer is always happy to help us in any way and is courteous. We only had a problem with their finance man, and we got an apology and $$ from the dealer to resolve his rude manners. We are quite pleased at 6600 miles. The car could use a tad more HP for the sport minded. It has 181 and is peppy, but 181 is still 181.

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  Better than the Bug - 2002 Hyundai Sonata
  By SMCS - June 4 - 10:00 am

  I recently decided to leave the world of backyard mechanics behind and move up into a stylish new car. A recent 90,000 mile death of a Ford made the Hyundai warranty attractive, almost as attractive as the car itself. Just over 3,000 miles on it, loving every minute of it! I put a few complaints in below, but only because they asked.

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  Best value for the money - 2006 Hyundai TUCSON
  By Tom C - June 4 - 5:50 am

  I had previous cars and this one beats them all. I mainly purchased this vehicle for safety reasons (air bags) and the warranty coverage. To top it off Hyundai recalls are almost nil and none for Tucsons. I used to believe in American cars but my last one had five recalls in two years and they were all safety related (Ford)! And one prior also had multiple recalls (Pontiac). I just got tired of going back to the dealer and waste my time on things that were supposed to be done right the first time. Japanese recalls are on the rise. Hyundai quality has really improved and since money is tight these days, I cant afford to spend it frivilously. It is the best bang for the buck.

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  Best Vehicle I ever owned - 2010 Hyundai TUCSON
  By TommyG - June 3 - 11:26 am

  Build quality , fit and finish all top notch the style and mechanics of this vehicle is second to none very happy

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  Nothing but problems - 2000 Hyundai Elantra
  By Kat - June 3 - 8:26 am

  I have owned my Hyundai for two years (this month), and I have had nothign but problems. The car is in the shop at least every 3 months. I have already had to get 2 igintion coils replaces, the transmittions replaced (and its going bad again), the catalitic converter replaced, the driver window fell off, the blower motor replaced. I got better gas milage in my 79 Ford LTD than this car after the first 3,000 miles. I WILL be getting a new car before the warrenty is up. Thank goodness for the warrenty!