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 so bad...good commuter!! - 2008 Hyundai Tiburon
  By Jamal - March 5 - 3:46 pm

  I must say when I was looking for a car to replace my Pontiac, I thought of the Tiburon. Sporty looking, sleek and stylish. I thought it would have had more torque and "get up" but overall it is ok by me. I am a happy camper!

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  Great Car! - 2003 Hyundai Sonata
  By lr2 - March 4 - 10:00 am

  I recently bought the LX after shopping around for a while, and absolutely love this car. The ride is smooth and quiet. The shiftronic is great for getting out in traffic, it also ads a sporty feel which I like. People are floored by the looks and the features in this car. I was looking at the Passat, Accord, and Camry, but I payed alot less and have a better looking car.

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  All I can say is WOW - 2003 Hyundai Sonata
  By mike91326 - March 4 - 10:00 am

  We recently purchased a 2003 Hyundai Sonata LX with package 7 and I cannot believe how much car you get for the money. While we were out shopping we decided to look at a Camry at our dealers ToyotaÂ’s store which was across the street from their Hyundai store. We found that a Camry XLS equipped like our Sonata LX would have cost almost $7,000 more. I know about HyundaiÂ’s past, but that was then and this is now. As fun and reliable as my 2001 Elantra has been, I could never justify spending $7,000 more for a comparable car.

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  Good Deal - 2001 Hyundai Elantra
  By dodge man - March 4 - 10:00 am

  My review is plan and simple. Im a big commuter. Im talking 2,400 miles a month. Ive had this car for one month now. Im very satisfied with it. I bought it used, (second owners still get 5yr/60,000 coverage on the drivetrain). Try gettting that from Honda. At anyrate, the only flaw with these vehicles is the front seat track locking mechanisms. They have a tendency to move if theyre not fully locked in. You have to put some large force into them to lock them in. The seat movement is why their crash test score isnt as high. Just push your seat hard until it clicks twice and youre fine.

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  Great Car for the Price! - 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Superpickymom - March 4 - 10:00 am

  I investigated all SUVs for the past year. This car is the best bang for the buck! Most options on other cars are standard on this one. Main gripes are poor fuel mileage (19/gal) and lack of electric seat. Also, when I put on the roof racks, I had a bad whistling sound as I drove over 40mph! I removed them and it got better. For a V6, could use more power. Otherwise, I am happy with my purchase and compared to other SUVs in this range, this is the best buy!

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  Thrilled with my Sante Fe - 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By jen233 - March 4 - 10:00 am

  I just bought a 4WD Sante Fe LX and am thrilled with the vehicle. It is fun to drive, comfortable, and the amount of cargo space is great. I especially enjoy that the vehicles added styling, which is more unique than most vehicles on the road today and makes me feel like I am driving something special!

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  Love my new car - 2003 Hyundai Elantra
  By JohnH - March 4 - 10:00 am

  Two weeks ago I bought a Carbon Blue Hyundai Elantra GT. I love the car and love the price I paid for it. It Came with leather seating, power windows, cruise, six speakers, CD player, Electric sun roof, keyless remore entry, ect. Stickered at $15,362.00, invoiced at $14,500.00, I got the $1,500.00 cash back from Hyundai, made the dealer dip into his holdback, and bought the car for $12,895.00.

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  love my car - 2002 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By shawna - March 3 - 8:30 pm

  I love my Santa Fe, but it has had a few problems I have had to replace the battery on it 4 times the brakes 2 times the timing chain, and pvc valves and 3 gas caps, and tires 2 times. Im going to have to have it fixed again as the check engine light is back on and wont go off. Safety though in this car is wonderful I have been in 2 big accidents in it and no one in my car was hurt.

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  7 Year review - 2005 Hyundai TUCSON
  By red70 - March 3 - 5:34 pm

  LX 2.7L V6 4WD vehicle has been running fine. I only have 48K miles on the vehicle. I just replaced the front brake pads. I change the oil once per year. Hard to believe, but I enjoy this SUV more and more with each passing year. I like this original body style more than the new Tucson design. It has better visibility and allows less sun on your face. Also, I prefer a V6 engine. It still has more torque than the new Turbo 4 cylinder engines.

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  An Honest Review - 2006 Hyundai TUCSON
  By Chad - March 3 - 4:20 pm

  I purchased my Tucson back in May 05. Have had several problems once i hit the 30k mile mark. The dealership is awful when it comes to repairs. This car is built very poorly. i have a small "swipe dent" below the door frame and to replace it you wold have to take the whole side panneling off and would cost around $4,000! oh, and parts! NOT CHEAP! just to have my bumper replaced after a small fender bender was about $1500compared to other cars at now more than $800 for bumper. the interior is not roomy or comfortable. unusual stuff has been breaking like crazy (armrest panel, shifter,steering wheel) like others are saying i would say it is very noisy and gas mpg is awful!dont buy a hyaundai!