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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  glad I purchased - 2007 Hyundai Veracruz
  By R Davis - May 25 - 12:20 pm

  I have had my Veracruz for about six months now. It was my plan to a buy a Toyota, as I have owned two and knowing the quality of the car. This car is the equal to the Toyota and a bit better because of the warranty. Buy this car, you will not be disappointed, and rest assured with the warranty. This car averages about twenty miles to the gallon. I am satisfied as this car is a mid-size and carries up too eight people. Again buy a Hyundai save the difference in cost and has a better warranty. So far my car is perfect.

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  Is Camry & Accord worth an extra $4-8K?? - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By Paul - May 24 - 7:26 pm

  I took the "Hyundai Challenge" and became a believer. I first drove an Accord and a Camry and after driving the Sonata there was no way to justify spending an extra $4 to 8K for a car in this class. The Sonata is a great car, smooth ride, solid feel, and looks great. I went with the LX with the moonroof and 6 CD player package. Comes with leather, heated seats, V6, shiftable automatic, and loads of safety features. Taking advantage of the rebate I got the car for $21K. Did all the negotiating for the car thru email and was extremely pleased with the experience and the dealership. I am hoping Hyundai will now live up to Honda and Toyotas quality and durability - time will tell!

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  Soooo Quiet - 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By crystal10 - May 24 - 6:10 pm

  This car is so quiet that I sometimes wonder if its running. Much more front legroom than my Ford Escape, even if your 6 foot 3. The transmission is smooth and pickup is quick. Great horsepower at 260 so I have no trouble passing on the highway.

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  A Plethora of Bad Experiences - 2012 Hyundai Sonata
  By Hari Jay - May 24 - 4:46 pm

  Do not buy this Car !!! A couple of months after I bought this car , the check engine light comes up when I was driving home from work. I take it to hyundai and they replace the High Pressure Fuel pump. At the same time I noticed there were other recalls for my car and had them check the engine for trouble. Hyundai gave it a clean bill of health. Fast forward 3 months , I`m driving down Ontario 4012 , suddenly there is a loud metallic knocking sound from the front and the car dies. I have it towed to a mechanic close by and he tells me the Engine is out and I will have to replace the Engine. I take it to hyundai and they tell me the car is out of warranty ( 140k Kms) and they wouldn`t do anything about it (Cooksville Hyundai Mississauga). Long story short , I spent 5000$ to get the Engine fixed and traded it in for a new vehicle. Very sour taste in my mouth and will never buy from Hyundai as long as I live.

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  Best car Ive ever owned - 2000 Hyundai Tiburon
  By Biscuit-Eater - May 24 - 10:00 am

  I bought the Tib new in 2000 as a cheap, fun car to drive to work. It has been a pleasure to own and drive. (More comfortable in town and on trips than my wifes Accord.) Im planing to trade it in on a 2003, now that the dealers are more reasonable about their pricing.

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  OUTSTANDING VEHICLE - 2004 Hyundai XG350
  By TONKA-PETE - May 24 - 10:00 am

  IVE ONLY OWNED THIS CAR A SHORT TIME, BUT IM VERY HAPPY I SETTLED ON THIS MODEL. ITS A 2004,NEW DESIGN MODEL FROM THE PAST YEAR, AND ITS EVEN MORE EXPENSIVE LOOKING THAN THE 2003 MODEL. OVERALL, ITS THE BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK. I TESTED THE OTHER CARS OF EQUAL SIZE, AND THEY DID NOT COMPAIR TO THE XG350L IN "OVERALL" DESIGN,AND PREFORMANCE

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  Practical - 2003 Hyundai Elantra
  By joe_smuckatelli - May 24 - 10:00 am

  I have had my car for about 4 months. This is a very practical car. Considering that a car depreciates about $3000 per year, you can throw this car away after 5 years and still have done well. Like the old Chevette, but much more appointed. If your looking for more than basic transportation for a great price, this is it.

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  Another solid performer in its class - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By SevenBizzos - May 24 - 1:27 am

  After owning an Elantra for 125k miles with no issues (until it met a guardrail), we moved up in class and picked up the Sonata Limited V6. So far, its been an excellent choice. Our MPG has ranged from 33 on a highway trip with 100% fuel, to 23 that was mostly suburban traffic with E10 winter blend. I think thats a fair number considering the engine displacement and size of the vehicle.

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  transmission failure at 9 years - 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By jasmine - May 22 - 11:49 pm

  transmission failed less than 10 year. Had to replace it for $3500. It has 130k mileage now, with a market value slightly higher than the cost. Hunydai custom service does not care.

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  an excellent choice - 2007 Hyundai Entourage
  By rob - May 22 - 3:00 pm

  our experience so far has been excellent. we were looking at minivans such as the honda oddessy and the toyota sienna, the entourage offered more standard features for much less. the v6 is very powerful, it gives the van a very sporty feel. the suspension allows the van to ride like a four door sedan. the warranty really caught out attention, it is one of a few vehicles that we could payoff before the warranty runs out. features such as power rear doors, rear windows that go down, captains chairs in the middle row, electronic climate control, and the 60/40 third seat are very conveinient. the standard feature of electronic stability control gives you that extra feeling of safety.