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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  Not pretty but very fuel efficient! - 2003 Hyundai Elantra
  By Steven - January 22 - 2:39 pm

  I have had this car for a little over 2 years now. It has 98000 miles on it and have never had a single problem with the car. The gas mileage is excellent! I always average 31 mpg! I would recommend this car for anyone who doesnt want to spend a bunch of money with upkeep and gas!

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  cheap, tinny and reliable - 2006 Hyundai Elantra
  By ben - January 20 - 8:46 pm

  We have had the Hyundai since new, it now has 111,000 miles on it and it is very reliable and has never let us down. However, the rest of the car is falling apart around the drivetrain. The rear door locks dont work, the windshield broke the first year we bought it and it eats tires! Not to mention it dents if you look at it funny. It has not been a bad car but I would not buy another Hyundai. The fit and finish makes you feel like you failed in life somewhere and you will soon be parking this thing in front of your used trailer

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  3.8 Genesis Sedan - 2010 Hyundai Genesis
  By Stretch - January 20 - 2:41 pm

  Excellent ride, adaptive cruise control is nice practical feature. Disappointed with no partial woodgrain steering wheel that comes standard on 4.6 cylinder engine sedan, should be included in 3.8 technology package. Good value for the money.

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  Love my Genesis - 2009 Hyundai Genesis
  By Nidal bouchedid - January 19 - 12:46 pm

  I only have 2000 miles on my Genesis, however this car is so much fun to drive. The ride is comfortable and quiet, acceleration is superb for a big car, and the price is right. I also own a Benz E 350,a BMW 525I and a Hyundai GX350. Everyone in my household wants to take the Genesis. No regrets..

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  Worst Car EVER!!!! - 2002 Hyundai Elantra
  By stogz - January 18 - 8:27 pm

  I bought this car for my daughter in-law on October 31, 2009. The worst mistake ever. The salesman said this was such a good car. Had not owned it a month when check engine light came on. It needed a new head gasket, water pump, timing chain, valve cover gasket. Since all this work it developed an oil leak when it is drove on a trip, must be a high pressure leak. Hyundai dealership does not have good enough mechanics to figure it out. I will never buy another Hyundai. I will always stick with a Toyota or Honda.

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  2007 Hyundai Elantra with Paint Problems - 2007 Hyundai Elantra
  By frustatedhyundaiuser - January 17 - 4:10 pm

  2007 Hyundai Elantra (fiery red color), 32k miles, “under warranty”, with sections of peeling clear coat and localized areas of fracturing paint, penetrating through the clear coat & top coat on the hood, roof, and trunk. Car was bought brand new in late 2007 (previous year’s model). Within one year, these issues began appearing, and have progressively gotten worse. Now, there are 50+ total spots throughout the car’s paint surface.

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  Thanks for the Sonata - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By JS - January 16 - 11:36 pm

  After owning a few nice but questionably built US cars, this Sonata model has restored my faith in car manufacture. Its just beautifully designed and built. It has a strong and confident engine. The details are just so nicely thought out. This is an unparalleled highway car. Improvement I feel could be the ride as its is a bit bouncy on city bumps and the gas mileage drops too much in the city. Otherwise excellent excellent car. Gorgeous refined looking exterior.

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  Love my Genesis V8 - 2009 Hyundai Genesis
  By Genman - January 16 - 10:28 pm

  I own a BMW 525i and a Mercedes E350, I have more fun and get more looks when I am in my Genesis. The ride is smooth and quiet, power is plentiful, comfort outstanding, all kinds of bells and whistles, done very tastefully. I recommend this car to anyone who is looking for German performance at a beer budget.

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  Nice, no regrets - 2006 Hyundai Azera
  By Nick P. - January 16 - 1:22 pm

  I have had mine for 3 1/2 years and love it. So far the only problem is a crack in the dashboard,which the dealer is replacing under the warranty. My brother bought the 2007 and his dashboard also cracked in the same place, on the passenger side where the airbag is located. Many owners complain about gas mileage but for its size 22mpg combined is not bad. I would highly recommend a Hyundai to anyone, its a good car and the company stands behind all of the models.

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  My First New Car - 2009 Hyundai Elantra
  By Gabe - January 14 - 7:29 pm

  I love this car it is very good on gas and its little enough to park almost anywhere! Ive had this car for about 4 months now and I love it, and its quiet on the highways. it needs a little work in the upgrading department as far as bluetooth, and interior and exterior accessories.