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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  I couldnt put up with the ride comfort - 2009 Hyundai Genesis
  By Paul - March 28 - 2:50 pm

  I was excited to buy this well priced loaded 6 cylinder Genesis. I loved the interior styling, sound system, and navigation system. I tended to overlook the ride comfort when I test drove it. What a mistake. It was the worst riding car I ever owned. Unless you were on completely smooth roads, the car would bounce back and forth quite a bit. After 3 months, I took a big loss and traded it in for a used Deville. Am I the only one to be bothered by the ride comfort of the Genesis?

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  Wise Choice - 2010 Hyundai Genesis
  By SoCal - March 27 - 9:29 pm

  Have had car for a month and so far there have been no delivery or production issues. The most noticeable aspect of the car is the quietness of the ride and insulation from surrounding vehicles courtesy of the laminated glass and rigid chassis. Of course this helps accentuate the amazing audio quality from the 17 speaker, Lexicon stereo. It makes for a very comfortable and relaxing trip, so that you dont arrive fatigued. V8 has more than enough power - it never feels strained and is well- matched to transmission. Standard seating materials are a very soft, supple high quality grade of leather. Other makes either have high quality vinyl (think P-leather from M-B) or are non-perforated.

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  Best little car - 2007 Hyundai Elantra
  By Brian B. - March 24 - 9:09 pm

  Ive had 4 hyundais. Two were Accents and 2 were Elantras. All were exceptional in quality and performance. My newest is a 2007 Elantra GLS. The fuel economy, performance, and vehicle quality are the best you will get for the money! This car well be around for years to come. You just cant beat it.

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  Great Car - 2004 Hyundai Elantra
  By pooh - March 24 - 6:44 pm

  I really like my car. No major issues. I had car break down but Garden Grove Hyundai took care of it and it was covered under warranty. I would definitely buy another Hyundai. Very dependable and worth the money. I seem to not get as good mileage as they claim but still overly happy with vehicle.

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  Darla is a champ! - 2003 Hyundai Accent
  By jpedlhuber - March 24 - 11:51 am

  Ive had this car for the last 5 years and hand loved every day. I nicknamed her "Darla" after taking it out to Colorado for the second time. It did great on all of those mountain roads and even handled well in the snow. I really think that driving it is very comfortable and it was well worth the money. Mine came "loaded" with A/C, a CD player, and power windows, doors, and locks. Im only looking to sell it now because my wife doesnt want to learn how to drive stick!

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  NOT IMPRESSED - 2008 Hyundai Sonata
  By Sad Owner - March 23 - 2:20 pm

  I just got my hyundai sonata serviced because it had this noise coming from the engine and it could be heard from the interior of the car. It made noise when I shifted to drive and reverse. And was loud while driving on the highway. I thought is was the power steering problem because it sounded like it when it is running low in fluid. However, that was not the case, but a solenoid problem. The parts has to be ordered and will call when it arrives. Hopefully, that would fix the problem. If not, according to the service staff, the transmission would have to be replaced. VERY SAD! I had the vehicle for 2 years and put 44,000 miles on it already with regular maintenance. We like to travel!

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  Incredible car - 2010 Hyundai Genesis
  By Drobeta - March 23 - 12:58 pm

  I got it after testing Lexus 350, Infiniti G37, BMW 5.The clean and sleek design caught my eye.The interior is very roomy and looks awesome.The quality is unbelievable.The Genesis is by far the best value for the money.If you are open minded and not a brand name slave, take a closer look at it.Did I mention low maintenance costs, longer warranty, $30 oil change and regular gas instead of premium?

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  Excellent little car - 2004 Hyundai Accent
  By speedracer008 - March 23 - 10:25 am

  It was good to get around town in and it can take a hit. Unfortunately it very successfully stopped a large adult deer straight on the front end but I, the driver, remained completely safe. It was fuel efficient and an easy little car to drive. Its small size allowed for easy parking anywhere! Overall a nice little car.

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  2008 Accent wow what a bargain! - 2008 Hyundai Accent
  By Daniel - March 21 - 9:31 am

  I needed a 2nd car to take pressure off my Genesis as I have been racking up the miles. I got 2008 GS 3 door hatchback for $7850.00 mint condition, no wear or tear. 38 months left on the basic warranty. Im very pleased with the performance for the money. Inside is fine and simple. Back seat has more room than you would have thought.

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  Great Car - 2009 Hyundai Elantra
  By Hyundaiguy - March 19 - 12:14 pm

  This is my second Hyundai. In general I like this car. I have just begun after 11,000 miles to get good gas mileage. took a trip and got 37mpg. Interior is nice to the eyes, but mine has several small creaks and squeaks around front/back windshield, stereo surround. Outside pass side door handle gets stuck and door wont close. Other than that I like it.