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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  Beats Corolla or Civic - 2010 Hyundai Elantra
  By John Shaffer - December 22 - 12:16 pm

  i have owned 8 small cars. This car far exceeds any Renault, Toyoto, or Volkswagen. I have only had it a short time but it is fun to drive, holds the road well and is large and roomy even for a 61 man and family. Retired United States Air Force

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  MY SILVER JAG WISH U AR - 2003 Hyundai Sonata
  By LIL JAG - December 22 - 10:00 am

  DRIVES GREAT AND YOU GET ALOT OF LOOKS

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  Power and Transmission - 2002 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Smokeyridgerunner - December 22 - 10:00 am

  First it was not the engine I was told I had, it has a 173 hp. The lights dim when I turn the AC on. Whe making a turn the automatic transmission does not shift down to the next lower and when I press the gas it drives really slow until I make up the speed to shift to a higher gear. Sometimes it just jumps into passing gear and you would almost run into the car in front of you. If anyone is having these problems let me know because Hyundai said the auto is ok.

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  2001 Elantra - 2002 Hyundai Elantra
  By Williamis the name - December 22 - 10:00 am

  Such a suprise to drive. One of the best if not the best I have owned yet. Well worth the price.

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  Being Honest - 2003 Hyundai Elantra
  By Hard to Sell - December 22 - 10:00 am

  $12,234 was the total price thats Tax, plate transfer everything, for this 2002 Elantra they even paid for the inspection sticker. So far this is the best car my wife and I drove in this price range. The standard features and just great, the car rides and drives very smooth. My suggestion to you, try one before you purchase any other car in and around this price range.

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  Mileage Update - 2007 Hyundai Azera
  By JayMagic - December 22 - 4:10 am

  This is an update of a previous review. After my initial 3000 mi. oil change (to Pennzoil Synthetic), my mileage has steadily improved. I am now averaging 24mpg over the last 2000 miles (at 5000 mi now). This is all around driving city, mountains, interstate (no trip over 110 mi. total). I have had it well over 120MPH and had more than a few full throtle accerations to redline (as a aprt of the 24mpg). At first, my mpg was around 21, so fuel economy has been better than expected. I still LOVE every time I get in the Azera.

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  Extremely Good - 2006 Hyundai Azera
  By Mike H - December 21 - 11:56 pm

  To be honest, I initially hesitated. Now that I think of it Hyundai gets an undeserved bad reputation. Ive owned mostly Toyotas (Lexus), but decided to take the leap of faith and tried the Azera. My experience has been good, if not exceptional. There have been no problems a month in. I have several members driving the car. The power is quite good, solid braking, and I love the interior. Because of my good experience I may consider the Equus when it comes out. I understand will be even higher end. I guess that car will compete with the heavy weight luxury vehicles. It would be an injustice to not test drive this if you are looking for entry level luxury

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  WOW! - 2005 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Completely Satisfied - December 20 - 8:53 pm

  This is the sixth vehicle that I own...and the best deal I have ever gotten! Great ride, lots of pros, and hardly any cons. I dont mind that there is not a lot of rebate, because the quality is there!

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  Very Good with One Stinking Flaw - 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By 702south - December 20 - 1:40 pm

  A very good dependable vehicle with a couple issues. The ride is nice. Handling is very good. The 3.5 V6 has plenty of power and speed. Fuel mileage is good too. It doesnt feel or look cheap. I have been in comparable Lexus and it is just as nice. Why pay double the price just to drive a Lexus?? It is comfortable except it needs a little more leg room in the drivers area. I feel too close to the pedals. Other cons may be freeway noise at high speeds. The one major flaw is the odor from the A/C that many owners seem to have. Hyundai needs to step up and fix this.

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  BUYER BEWARE - 2009 Hyundai Genesis
  By Second Thoughts - December 20 - 12:59 pm

  Okay, so I was one of those extremely pleased individuals who purchased a Genesis and thought it was the best thing since sliced bread, AND rolled my eyes at bad reviews. But my electrical system hasnt been right since I drove it off the lot. So just be aware that the system is intricate, and new, so when things start going wrong, you may find yourself visiting the dealership MANY times to give them a chance to get it right. Ive been at least 6 times since I purchased the NEW car, and its still not fixed. The difficult part is that in fairness, its a car that gives a great driving experience, when it works the way its supposed to work. Be aware - bugs, bugs, bugs and more bugs.