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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  best family Sidan - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By Dead - January 2 - 11:23 pm

  i bought my GLS 2.4 sonata in Feb. 2006 and it was the best automotive decision i ever made the bulid quality is the best and after 1.5 year im still in love with this car if im in the market for midsize car i would never buy anything else ,, im really amazed wih korian quality .. HYUNDAI keep it ON .

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  Love It - 2012 Hyundai TUCSON
  By adamsdad1 - January 2 - 2:08 am

  Ive owned my 2012 Tucson GLS for two months now and just love it ! It handles well..rides great..and just an all around in & out attractive vehicle. Is it the quietest..or the smoothest..or have all the bells and whistles..NO, but it didnt cost me 45,000 or more either ! The mileage is VERY close to what is stated, Im getting 21-22 around town. I have the Iris Blue and get compliments on the car all the time. I have no complaint at all. Worth the money.

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  Super value - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By Tym T - January 1 - 10:32 am

  I bought this car used and commute across town daily. I have had zero problems! As others have said, the fit and finish and quality of build is far better than expected. The switches feel solid. It is fast (coming from an owner of many muscle cars) and inspires confidence in traffic. I would like a bit tighter suspension, but I didnt buy it as a sports car,so thats fine. The seat felt strange for about one day, and Ive found it quite comfortable in the last year. I have no problems with the AC/heater controls and radio positions that others have noted. I added a subwoofer to the factory stereo and it is incredible, and I still have lots of trunk. This car is a great value.

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  cheap price, great value - 2002 Hyundai Elantra
  By car shopper - January 1 - 2:00 am

  We drove it for a year. With 300 miles long distance trip every week. Nothing needed repair, just smooth. My hus just had an accident and walked out unharmed at all. The car was totaled mainly because the cost to fix it can buy a new one. We are happy with the result especialy my husband is not hurt. Next vehicle is going to be the Santa Fe and we currently still owns a Tiburon. We believe we have put our money into true values. We paid 14000 total for the Elantra, which includes tax, etc.

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  Bang for the Buck - 2008 Hyundai Azera
  By bradstew - December 31 - 3:56 pm

  I needed a quiet, comfortable car that I take on long trips. I looked at luxury models including Lexus and Mercedes. For about $15K less, the Azera compares favorably. Its smooth and powerful, and most importantly, quiet. Gas mileage is decent--about 21-22 around town and 27 on the highway. Quality is outstanding. And the engine is responsive and powerful.

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  Most Fun Lil car I ever Owned! - 2008 Hyundai Tiburon
  By itztoofun - December 30 - 7:23 pm

  I checked several other cars that had the same Look" ,small and sporty Look , without the High price tag! This was by far , the best deal for my money! If you just want to cruise with the top back, have the sport car feeling, and not the high insurance cost! I bought the 5 speed GS model with a sun-roof. I have had more compliments on this car than I have ever had with ANY other car Ive owned! Not planning on racing with anyone, just enjoying the ride! Have not had any problems with the car in 3 years !!

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  Hyundai has come a loooong way - 2008 Hyundai Sonata
  By racerjae - December 30 - 3:23 am

  My first car I drove was a Hyundai Excel. What a nightmare driving that thing! In less than 20 years, Hyundai is truly a quality manufacturer, and it shows in their cars such as the Sonata. The Sonata is comparable to the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord, but costs thousands less. Plus you get the best warranty out there. Its truly a best buy in my opinion. Every time I drive it, I almost forget that Im driving a Hyundai. It has a smooth supple ride, acceleration is sufficient (although the engine buzzes a bit at higher RPMs), it handles and brakes well, and its quiet inside. It can easily seat five adults, and the trunk is huge. Enough said.

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  Great car, 18 year old owner - 2001 Hyundai Elantra
  By joeychris909 - December 29 - 8:17 pm

  Great 1st car. This is my 1st car and I love it. Gave me some trouble like the leaking transmission, headlight burnouts, fading dash clock, and the airbag light. Im 18 years old and this car has been fun to drive with a decent amount of space. Other Young people like me would choose a Honda over a Hyundai but I chose the Hyundai. Still runs strong with 156,780 miles!

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  great buy - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By freddy - December 29 - 5:56 pm

  have had the car about a month and cant wait to get behind the wheel every day. it rides like a dream and has lots of bells and whistles for the money.

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  Update on my 9/21/2009 review - 2009 Hyundai Elantra Touring
  By Happy Camper - December 29 - 9:06 am

  Still lovin this car after having put over 27K on it. Performed satisfactorily through the New England winter and its still fun to drive. I do find that I rarely seem to get it into reverse with first try; have to give it another extra little push when I hear the gears grumbling. One somewhat annoying little bugaboo that started happening last fall is the driverside door locking by itself when I get out. Seems that I might be slamming the door too hard (from all those years of driving larger cars with bigger and heavier doors, I guess) which sets the latch to lock.