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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  Tiburon - 2006 Hyundai Tiburon
  By ZachZ - June 29 - 12:33 pm

  The 2006 Hyundai Tiburon is an ausome car to drive around in espically with the copletely loaded version in a manual.

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  My first new car!! And what a great buy - 2004 Hyundai Tiburon
  By panther24ca - June 29 - 2:00 am

  This is a great car, i am so glad i bought it.

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  great value - 2007 Hyundai Sonata
  By DUMP_TRUCK - June 28 - 10:06 pm

  Just turned over 2k in mileage. car has been great. averaging 25-26MPG at about 70% hwy driving in hilly western PA. accelerates smoothly. quiet and comfy ride. downshifts a bit quick for my taste when you take your foot off the gas pedal, but some people like it. that is really my only complaint , if you want to call it that, besides the paint. I dont have much of a point of reference, but it seems awful delicate. Within a week a had two sizeable scratches down to the primer from I dont know what.

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  Lovely Lemon Poor service from Hyundai - 2007 Hyundai Entourage
  By nightingale2u - June 28 - 12:40 am

  We ordered our van and its been down hill every since. The van is beautiful inside and out, with many extras. Unfortunately we also have a van that engine brakes everytime we take our foot off of the gas. We brought it back 2 days after purchasing and 7 weeks later we are still getting the run around. This is my first new vehicle and I am terribly disappointed with this. The service manager and the district manager are making us wait further so that he can test drive the van. This problem is evident with just the feel of the vehicle and also is visible on the tach... the transmission is not releasing. Poor service!

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  Like my Ride! - 2011 Hyundai Veracruz
  By cgarver1 - June 27 - 1:03 pm

  The Veracruz is a very nice car. There is some wind noise at highway speeds, but its not to the point of being annoying. Just turn up the radio. Theres lots of room inside and the interior is well appointed. Ive had my 2011 for about 6 months and have had no mechanical gliches at all. I bought it late in the model year, so got a great price from Garber Hyundai in Saginaw, MI.

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  I expected more for the price!!! - 2006 Hyundai Azera
  By CLG - June 27 - 10:43 am

  I was really looking forward to this model coming out but must say that I am now disappointed in the overall package. Paid MSRP which is a crime itself but I was eager to buy. So far gas mileage is a dismal 19 mpg city/hwy mix. Suspension is flimsy and floaty, doesnt handle corners very well. I should have paid a little extra and bought a TL instead. Live and learn, live and learn.

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  Great value - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By theofile - June 26 - 9:53 pm

  Just finished a 6K mile trip out west. The car performed great. Got between 28 and 37 MPG. The 28 was doing a steady 81 with AC. The 37 was doing around 55. Couldnt have asked for more of 175 horses. I enjoyed the trip. The car was quiet, and we enjoyed the radio and music using a memory stick.

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  Hyundai Rocks - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By CHIFLYGUY - June 26 - 9:56 am

  Excellent car so far. Extremely smooth ride, transmission, and very responsive 4.25 mpg city so far. Soaks up bumps very well here in Chicago (city of potholes). Seats very comfortable and gives the driver good driving position. Has everything I want except bluetooth. Love the new interior that feels like a Lexus. If you are looking for Accord/ Camry you must look at this car as well. I believe it is just a better car plus its thousands less with hell of a warranty.

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  so far so good - 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By mazz1 - June 26 - 3:03 am

  I purchased this Santa Fe new in March of 2009. I have had it for 3 months. The ride is smooth, the interior is well laid out, seats are comfortable. The only complaint I have is the acceleration from a stop is slow, seems like it drags, between first and second gear. Also, I have a rattle in the passenger rear and the dealer cant locate it, makes me a little crazy. I am getting on average 20.5 mpg. If you want a Nice suv for a good price check this one out.

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  Great Vehicle, You cant go wrong!! - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By Jeff - June 25 - 9:26 pm

  This is a great vehicle for the money. It is very solid and safe. It has a ton of features. The warranty cant be beat. Do yourself a favor and test drive a Sonata before you decide on a car.