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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  sweet - 2002 Hyundai Elantra
  By pt - October 15 - 2:00 am

  very comfortable, good acceleration, excellent 5 speaker stereo

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  for price great suv - 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By sham - October 15 - 2:00 am

  what a great suv for the money

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  I like the car but am disappointed in the mileage - 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT
  By bberszoner - October 14 - 2:34 pm

  I have had the car for a couple of weeks and and like lots of things, but a few negatives stand out: (1) the review of the car say the auto transmission is a little lackluster - that is true; (2) the stated mileage is 28/39, but Im getting 26 with a fair bit of highway driving, so I no longer believe its possible. What else isnt true?

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  Features and performance that undercuts the segment. - 2011 Hyundai Genesis Coupe
  By compugeek5150 - October 12 - 4:48 pm

  2nd owner 2011 3.8 RSpec Imola Yellow. After looking at several vehicles and test driving even more at the $20k pricepoint, theres just not a lot of other cars that ticks of as many checkboxes that this does. My only real gripe is the lack of cruise control on the RSpec (but its standard on the Track edition - wat.) This car compares favorably to the 350/370z, although interior materials fall a bit short of a G35/G37. I cant comment on the stock navi, as the previous owner has replaced it - no complaints with usability however you might want to look to other reviews if this is a must have feature for you.

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  Favorite Car Yet! - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By lamzygrl - October 12 - 12:05 pm

  I bought my car in May 2010 and absolutely love it. The way it handles, the sporty/sleek look inside and out, acceleration, storage, versatility of going from XM to iPod to AM/FM to CD - fantastic all around. Its an incredibly fun car to drive and I get stopped by strangers repeatedly to ask me about the features or just commenting on how pretty it is. When I started my search I looked at features on the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry and Mazda 6. The options that were comparable to the Sonata (if the other cars even offered them) averaged $4,000-$6,000 more and truthfully I didnt like the other designs nearly as much. Going to upstate NY on cruise I was able to get 580 miles from a tank!

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  2007 Hyundai Santa FE - 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Robert - October 12 - 4:10 am

  Compared to the 2005 Santa Fe the 2007 blows it away. The curve handling and smooth accceleration makes the driving exerience more pleasant. Road noise has been reduced also. Great vehicle.

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  Good and getting better - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By Michael - October 12 - 2:30 am

  I have been driving my GLS for about a month now and so far I continue to be impressed. The integrated blue tooth is really nice and I love how you can stream music from your i-phone to the car speakers using it. The ride quality is about what I expect from this class of car but unfortunately the steering feels a bit disconnected especially at highway speeds. The SE may do a better job. I really like the exterior styling and have gotten several compliments. I get about 27 mpg with an even mix of highway and city miles which is impressive. Overall I dont think you can get more for your money and I am happy with my decision. Never thought Id own a Hyundai but now Im proud to say I do.

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  Second Elantra in 2 years - 2005 Hyundai Elantra
  By lovetosavegas - October 12 - 2:00 am

  We had our GT hatchback for 2 years now and when I had to replace my other car, another Elantra had all the features that I wanted for a good price. Mazda3, Corolla, Civic and Kia Spectra were my other choices but Elantra still has the best value for the money IMHO

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  Just picked it up - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By matt8265 - October 11 - 9:23 am

  I will review after 10K miles as everyone loves a car they just got, but having owned 15 new cars in 20 years I can say that this car is worth more than sticker. Smokes the Camry in value.

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  dont buy a tiburon - 2001 Hyundai Tiburon
  By sabre 1 - October 10 - 10:26 pm

  This is the worst car I have ever bought. At 60,000 I have things that are going wrong that shouldnt be until it has 100,000 miles. Heater control knob, rear wheel bearings, emergency brake cable faulty, brakes faulty, poor high idle rpms rims leak air, took it to dealer in Heath Ohio and was told 1050.00 dollars to repair. Should have kept Nissan sentra with twice the mileage in and more dependable.