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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  Excellent Value - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By Jason - March 9 - 3:10 pm

  The car is an excellent value for the $. Very roomy, quiet, pleasant ride. Stands up well to other cars in category I test drove (Accord, Camry, etc.). The safety features are a major plus (ABS, ESP, airbags everywhere, childseat-ready back, etc). Good commuter car. Not super agile or fast, but more than adequate for typical driving. Plan to keep the car for many years if it holds up, as Hyundai (and their super warranty) seem to believe it will.

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  Impressive, Could be so much better - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By jws - March 9 - 7:30 am

  Drives fun and crisp. Lots of power, excellent brakes w/ 4-wheel disk breaks, ABS, and electronic Stability Control, but the fuel economy is VERY poor (~20 mpg on 40 mile roundtrip to work, mostly highway speeds, yet rated at 24-34; my Trooper got better gas mileage on same trip). Auto-transmission shifts smoothly; fake manual is a gimmick. Car feels solid. Not fond of large, dual branding on rear of car. Tried Fusion, Accord, Camry, and Mazda6 as well. This had as good a ride, more pep, better use of interior space. And the price is amazing for comparable cars. Have had for only 1 month so far, so this is my initial review.

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  Azera - Good Car - 2006 Hyundai Azera
  By bob - March 7 - 11:36 pm

  Excellent car - Excellent value. Good daily commuting car.

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  A Really Great Car - 2006 Hyundai Elantra
  By JULES KIRCHAIN - March 7 - 5:45 pm

  This car was purchased in California and driven to Florida, back to California and back to Florida. Absolutely no trouble. I recommend the Hyundai Elantra very highly. The front seats are not comfortable on long trips however around town they are adequate. This car gets great gas mileage. The only mechanical problem was the original catalytic converter failed at 60,000 miles but it was covered under warranty and was replaced. Oh, by the way, the 10 year 100,000 mile warranty is simply fantastic. I will never buy another car unless it has the 10/100000 warranty.

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  Awesome Car for the Money! - 2008 Hyundai Elantra
  By jakedieter - March 7 - 5:36 pm

  Ive only had this car for a few days now, but Ive been a long time Hyundai Elantra owner. Coming of a 2004 Elantra, I am very pleased with the upgrades to the current model. The ride is a lot quieter than its predecessor and the interior design is definitely desirable. I am 62" 215lbs, and I fit very comfortably in the drivers seat. The upgrades stereo with XM and and AUX input makes this car a great boom box on wheels. Gas mileage is key with the rising prices at the pump, and I am seeing 28-29 mpg in and around town.

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  owners comments - 2004 Hyundai XG350
  By masonskitty - March 7 - 2:00 am

  i like the full leather interior, the wood-grain accents, the arrangment of the instrumentation, the power of the 3.5 liter engine, the ride & many more features too numerous to mention here.

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  A $50K quality CUV for closer to 30K - 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By johnnywes - March 5 - 9:48 pm

  Bought a Juniper Green with Beige AWD 2.0T at the end of July. Loaded with everything, save for remote start. This CUV replaces my old 07 SF LTD. This new version is sportier, better looking, tighter, and a lot more fun to drive. The interior is great, so much more comfortable than my 07. Everything is within reach and very easy to use. The Nav/Radio/Back up camera is really nice. The 12 speaker surround sound is concert hall quality. The 2.0 Turbo is a stout little workhorse that has plenty of zip. theres nothing i dont like about my new Santa Fe.

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  Lovin the Fe - 2002 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By calbizpro - March 5 - 10:00 am

  I did a lot of research and the Santa Fe seemed to be the best buy, hands- down! My wife fell in love with it at first sight (she did that with me, too!). Slick, modern lines with just enough agressiveness in the style to make the statement, "Move over Lexus and BMW -- heres the new kid on the block and at the country club." The styling is first-class and the ride smooth as silk. My daughter and son-in- law are ready to trade in their CRV...

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  Nice Vehicle - 2002 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By SC Steve - March 5 - 10:00 am

  I just bought a 2002 GLS 2wd and I love it! Paid less than sticker for it and got a beautiful Pewter car. I have already put 1000 miles on it and not a complaint to think of! Thanks Hyundai for such a wonderful car.

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  Great value and very comfortable ride - 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Mfshook62 - March 5 - 8:40 am

  Great car for the price, about same size as the Lexus RX, but $20k less, and certainly not as luxurious. Plenty of room for a 6 driver. Nice amenities and leather interior. Comfortable ride with plenty of passing power. Averaged about 23 mpg driving from San Fran to LA and back, mostly at 75 to 85 mph. Was a little surprised to notice in the door panel that the car was manufactured in Aug, 07.