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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  After 3000 Miles - There are some regrets - 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT
  By efav - February 6 - 2:26 pm

  Bought it because it had good cargo space, 4 and 5 star crash test ratings, it was comfortable, good warranty, and sticker said 28-39 mpg. Figured with good mileage like that, I could spend the extra money and buy this car as a long term investment. The reality is the mileage is awful when compared to the sticker. Like other reviewers here, my real world MPG is 25 city, 26/27 on my commute, and 31 road trip with no stops for over 300 miles. Quite disappointed. I am conservative driver, and received 29-33 in my old Sentra. The refund program will reimburse me for only 1 mpg difference, not 5-7 mpg difference. The cost of the MPG difference will cost me almost $400/yr more at current prices.

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  Not so sure... - 2007 Hyundai Tiburon
  By bd - February 6 - 6:36 am

  Really nice car to look at, but to drive - Im not sure yet. Its got some great features, does well on the MPG - I got a amazing deal on it but the car lacks a little power and feels heavy at speed. It almost seems like one of those midlife crisis cars that have appearance but no substance?

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  Very Underrated Automobile - 2004 Hyundai XG350
  By nieman - February 6 - 5:36 am

  I have had my eye on these since I spotted their reliability ratings in Consumer Reports. Clearly Hyundai had and earned a very poor reputation due to their early issues. They have come storming back, however. This car is not quite up to the level of Toyota (Avalon), Acura, or Lexus, but it is very close and a heck of a lot better value. I have only had it a short time, but if it holds up well, I may well find myself becoming as loyal to Hyundai as I have been to Toyota due to consistently superior quality and resale. NOTE: Gas mileage is not really as poor as people say. The issue is the drive by wire throttle and learning system. If you stomp the pedal, mileage will be very low.

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  nice -except ROUGH RIDE - 2010 Hyundai Elantra Touring
  By tom - February 1 - 1:40 pm

  I have had this car @4 mos. Has @1000 miles. It is my second Hyundai (currently have a 07 Sonata bought new also) Overall I like this car for the $ and features. I really am disappointed in the rough ride. On city streets you feel every crack and manhole cover. On concrete roads it is noisy and rough. It has premium wheels and low profile tires. Going back to shop to see if tire change will make a difference.

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  A/C Problems - 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By rreamey - January 31 - 1:00 pm

  Bought the Santa Fe in Nov. 07 and all was great. When the weather started to warm up and we used the A/C it would only work when it wanted too. Took it in to the dealer and they couldnt guarantee that they had fixed it. Have had it in six times and they still cant find the source of the problem. On the fifth time they kept it for almost one month. The sixth time was last week, picked it up and within one hour the A/C wouldnt work. Have been in contact with Hyundai about a replacement car since this one now falls under the category of a lemon but they have been slow to respond. Other than the A/C problem the car is great.

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  nice car - 2008 Hyundai Sonata
  By jwalker - January 30 - 5:16 pm

  Purchaed this a few days ago. It was a dealership loaner vehicle and had 6,000 miles on it. It was still in perfect shape. Traded in a Hyundai Elantra and wanted a 6 Cylinder. Drives good.

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  Just Right - 2010 Hyundai TUCSON
  By Martin_SFO - January 30 - 2:33 pm

  I wanted a compact suv/crossover with good fuel economy. Overall I am very happy with the car so far, thanks to its compact dimensions its easy to park and maneuver on busy San Francisco streets. Its spacious compared to my old Honda Civic. I opted for the pano moon roof and GPS which are great additions, they make the car feel higher end. I feel the car has adequate power, but than again I am happy to compromise power for the sake of better fuel economy. The styling is great, the car feels solid, and the warranty is best in class. I also looked at the Honda CR-V and Nissan Rouge, but I felt the Tuscon would be a better car for me.

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  I like it - 2005 Hyundai Tiburon
  By lee hall - January 28 - 8:16 am

  My little Tiburon turns heads. I like the fact that very few people in the area have them. The ones I see on the road are from other states. Tiburon has excellent street appeal and beautiful lines. Classy for an inexpensive car.

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  A Love Affair - 1998 Hyundai Accent
  By Cherry - January 27 - 10:11 pm

  I bought my 1998 Hyundai Accent hatchback in 1999 with 11k miles on it. I wanted something compact,with good gas mileage, and above all, reliablity. If you dont care too much about bells and whistles, this is the car for you. No, you wont be impressed with highway performance or torque. No, you wont be impressed with the plasticy look of the inside. But, you will be impressed with the reliability of the car. Ive now owned it for 8 years, its at 192k miles (I use to do delivery jobs), and its become the old beat-up teddy bear that I cant seem to part from. Ive had only 2 bigger repairs on it. I waiting for it to die but it doesnt seem to want to do it any time soon. Love this car!!

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  sonata looks good but! Maria89 - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By Maria87 - January 27 - 7:50 pm

  I lease this car almost 2 months ago, Ive driven 1300 miles and so far its not what I expected as far mpg Im getting 16 to 17 mpg not better than a SUV and this is the main reason I got it beside its good looks, I called hyundai service and the answer was "its nyc traffic "I understand this but 16 to 17?