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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  Renting it and loving it! - 2016 Hyundai TUCSON
  By HenryE - May 17 - 11:32 pm

  I am currently renting this vehicle and it has been almost perfect. Since its a rental, its the base version, without the turbo or the dual clutch transmission. Just the 2.0L engine and the 6 speed automatic. The weaker engine struggles just a bit in some situations, but I love this car so much, I dont mind. The engine is perfectly fine under normal circumstances, but load the car up with people and stuff and go up an incline and it will feel over-taxed. The steering and handling on this thing is just plain fun. I would not have thought that a simple people mover CUV would be so much fun to drive, but it is. Now, its not a sports car, and it does start to feel a bit unstable at very high freeway speeds (over 90 mph - which traffic sometimes gets to on our Southern California freeways). Emergency maneuvers at highway speeds would probably be a bad idea (my normal car is a Mercedes sedan that is stable at just about any speed). The Tucson is also quite comfortable and roomy, both front and back. The cargo area is a very decent size, but it feels a bit smaller than the official figures. (Actually, I think the way cargo space is calculated gives an unfair advantage to SUVs and CUVs as compared to sedans). The gauges and infotainment features are very good, very informative, and very easy to use, especially considering that this is a base model. Overall, I love this car and can see myself buying it.

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  Best Coupe Ive ever own PERIOD!!! - 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe
  By drangler - May 17 - 7:46 am

  I test drove manual and automatic. Manual is ok - its stiff and jerky. However, it had short-shift installed which was very nice. ZF-automatic 6speed on 3.8 is Excellent!!!. I bought 3.8 Track and its fund to drive. Tough ride, but worth it. It handles curves like M3. Ill buy GenCoupe over Infinity(nissan) or Lexus(toyota) coupe. I saved money not buying Japanese this time, got more for the money and FUN to DRIVE. I love this car. When Hyundai come out with new Genesis coupe in 5-6 years from now, Im sure it will be even better.

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  Performance At A Steal - 2003 Hyundai Tiburon
  By Artypipes - May 16 - 9:36 pm

  I test drove this car last week while I was waiting for an inspection sticker (for my 2001 Accent GS) at my Hyundai dealer. I was surprised at how fast this car really was. The car I test drove was loaded 480 watt Infinity stereo, leather Recaro seats, aluminum racing pedals, power everything, and front and side airbags. The styling of the car is also eye catching, looks almost like a Farrari from the side. All this for about $18,900. Will be purchasing this car in the spring.

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  A Hyundai!!!! - 2009 Hyundai Genesis
  By MC - May 16 - 12:36 pm

  Ok here it is...I purchased a Hyundai. I feel so much better getting that out in the open. I was driving a Lexus IS before the...Hyundai. Still difficult to say. The car has great power with the V6, wouldnt pay extra for the V8. The ride is what you would expect from a Lexus, Benz or BMW. Small storage space is limited. Average 27-28 MPG on the Hwy. Being 61" the cabin has more than enough room. The back seat is also very spacious. Simply said I love the car and at $31,999 the price was right.

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  Bump unsettling ride - 2009 Hyundai Genesis
  By Houston - May 16 - 2:30 am

  I just purchased a Genesis 4.6 and although it is a high performance beautiful vehicle I am very concerned about the bumpy jittery ride. I actually had a headache from the bumpy ride. I test drove 3 different vehicles in Houston and Phoenix and did not experience the rough ride. But the vehicle I purchased was located for me to meet my color preference and the ride is rough. Are there adjustments that can be made to smooth out the ride? Is it tires, shocks? I am very concerned as I was thrilled with my purchase my now am worried I made a huge mistake.

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  Great car! - 2004 Hyundai XG350
  By Richard George - May 16 - 1:26 am

  Unbelievable good quality. Pleasant drive. Very good price. The quality and of performance of this car have been underrated. Although the gas mileage could be better, I highly recommend this car to anyone.

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  Very Pleasant Surprise - 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Neil - May 14 - 11:23 pm

  We traded in a BMW X3 (big disappointment) and had planned on getting a Toyota Highlander, but with the recent problems there we looked at the Santa Fe. This is a great looking SUV, much more attractive than the latest Highlanders. Fully loaded with Nav (hard to find for some reason) and most other options, this cost us under $30K. Its more fun to drive than the X3, more comfortable, looks great and has awesome options -- the touch screen Nav also controls the audio system with XM radio and iPod controls. I can stream audio from my iPhone to the vehicle using Bluetooth! Were thrilled with the Santa Fe. Gas mileage is lower than expected so far though (17 city).

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  very impressed - 2001 Hyundai XG300
  By fleedom - May 14 - 11:13 pm

  I have owned my XG300 for about 7 months now and I enjoy driving it as much now as I did the first day I bought it. I must say that I have yet to find a sedan in the same price range as the XG300 that can compete with the handling and performance that I experience with the XG300, not to mention the value factor. I would definitely consider purchasing another XG.

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  i just love it - 2005 Hyundai TUCSON
  By patty - May 14 - 7:56 pm

  Its the best, the overall best vehicle out there.

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  Sweet Car - 2006 Hyundai Azera
  By jim johnson - May 14 - 2:20 pm

  This is my third Hyundai, a Tiburon and a Santa Fe preceded it. I feel its the best one yet. The fit and finish is excellent, the ride is super and were pleasantly pleased with the milage and performance.