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 didnt buy a Supercar - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By 1stxhyundaiowner - July 16 - 11:26 pm

  I like my car. I didnt buy a super car so it doesnt get 10s for "performance" or "fun to drive", etc. Ive had this car a little over a year and never regretted it. Ive averaged 26 mpg in mixed driving. It has a nice ride and the handling is fine. Seats are comfortable even on long trips. It has a roomy feel to it too. I put three kids in the back seat and they do fine. Plenty of trunk space too. I had a squeak in the dash when I went on rough roads that lasted for about a month but then it disappeared. It also gets a little noisier on rough roads but still feels solid. I have strangers ask me about it in parking lots which Ive never had before.

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  Good auto for the money - 2001 Hyundai Elantra
  By Reg - July 16 - 10:29 pm

  Was a great car to drive. Gas mileage could be better.Trunk lid did not open high enough and would always hit my head on the latch. Another weak point were the front disk brakes. Had to turn rotors 3 times in 60000 miles. Had to replace rotors and calipers. Had to replace the radio twice and needed relacing again when I sold the car at 73000 miles.

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  hyundai XG-300 - 2001 Hyundai XG300
  By dee roney - July 16 - 10:00 am

  Two times had check engine light come on,one they changed throttle body,the other they said they changed spark plugs.From the day we brought the car the radio reception was poor at best.They also said they changed it ,but my name was still on radio when I got car back.Driver window,when closing door, also sticks open preventing door from closing leaving light on.Tires wore out rapidly needing replaced early.And last rims pitted,deteriorated needing replaced.

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  3.5L worth waiting for - 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Foreav - July 10 - 10:00 am

  We actually went to the dealer to try out the Tribute based on your review but tried the Santa Fe 2.7L and they compared very close to what we wanted. Once we drove the 3.5L we were sold on the Sante Fe. We wanted a car type ride with more upscale interior design and controls which sold us on the Santa Fe. It has performed very well so far without any warranty issues. The gas pedal has been somewhat difficult to get smooth acceleration.

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  Tuscon for Corvette - 2005 Hyundai TUCSON
  By Sam - July 10 - 8:46 am

  Traded 2002 Corvette for 05 Tuscon (even). Drastic change but no visits to service dept. after 1800 miles. Corvette couldnt pass dealership without needing service. Nice comfortable vehicle so far. Good use of space and comfortable ride. Believe it or not,better milage on the Vette. Main reasons for purchase (swap) warranty and even swap for vehicles. Had 75000 miles on Vette. Ran out of warranty in 20 months. Wont happen with Tuscon.

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  Nice Ride - 2007 Hyundai Accent
  By kelley - July 8 - 9:09 pm

  This is a cute little car. It is comfortable and reliable. For the first 11000 miles I got around 27mpg now I am getting 30mpg. This is driving 25 miles to work some back paved roads and some city. My highway driving is around 35mpg. The one thing I am finding is that the tires are not the best in the world. It comes with a 40000 mile tire and are starting to show some wear at 13000 miles.

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  A great car! - 2001 Hyundai Tiburon
  By Tom Marshall - July 8 - 8:06 pm

  I bought this car partly because of the excellent 10 yr/100,000 mile warranty, because the reviews were saying Hyundai had solved quality issues, and the price was right! The main issue for me from day one has been rear visibility, and a problem with the headlights burning out periodically (a minor problem, and replacement was free of course). In sum, I love this car, and am very, very likely to return to Hyundai for my next car! This car new, & loaded, was $14,000! I occasionally research the market for new cars and based on value, quality, and features, repeatedly find Hyundai is best!

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  2010 Sante Fe has issues - 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By wex519 - July 8 - 10:00 am

  Nice vehicle overall was my first impression since I was seeking a larger similar to previous crossover. I was wrong. Transmission bangs at low speeds and dealer wont acknowledge a problem. It is well documented and Hyundai must step up or count me out.

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  Great Car for the Money - 2005 Hyundai TUCSON
  By JimandMaryC - July 7 - 8:10 pm

  Our dealership bent over backwards to help us find the perfect vehicle. As soon as I got in our Tucson, I knew that it was the one. Its great on gas and peppy. Its comfortable. Plus its got great little extras, such as hooks in the cargo department to latch grocery bags onto so they dont slide! We are so happy with it.

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  Disappointed at mileage - 2005 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Darrell Colonius - July 6 - 5:46 pm

  Seems like a pretty solid car and handles very nice. But I do not like where the heater and air conditioner controls are located. You have to take your eyes off the road to adjust because they are located so low in the compartment. For the size, the gas mileage is terrible.