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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  Love my Crystal Blue too! - 2002 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Vinspud - December 8 - 10:00 am

  We also looked at all of the small SUVs on the market. The RAV, Vibe/Matrix, Sportage and Tracker were too small. The Highlander was too expensive. The Vue and the Liberty was rather funky looking, and more expensive than the Sante FE. And the Liberty was very hard to get into and difficult to put groceries in the back window with the tire in the way. The Escape/Tribute a little noisey and also more expensive. The CRV was rather bland looking with a tire on the back door. The Sante Fe is the right size, the right price(loaded!), the right warranty and looks great, especially in Blue!

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  No longer a minivan Mom! - 2002 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By NoMoreMinivans! - December 8 - 10:00 am

  We looked at the Trib, the CRV, and the Escape, and it was close between the SF and the Escape, but the truck-like ride in the Ford wouldnt do for the long hauls. The kids have room in the back seat, were comfortable in the front seat, theres room in the back for all our stuff; everyones happy. My Dad, a mechanic, drove my SF and likes it better than his 2001 Highlander, which cost $4K more! What a cool looking vehicle!! I think its the best design on the road, hands down. With the old Hyundai rep, I was wary of trying one. Now that Ive bought the SF, its pretty clear that theyre serious about competing in the market. Im converted!

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  Love IT - 2003 Hyundai Tiburon
  By Annie1 - December 8 - 10:00 am

  Loved the car as soon as I saw it. Dealership let me take it for an afternoon test drive. Had to have it.

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  Good Choice - 2002 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Santa Fe - December 7 - 8:06 am

  For the cost, the Hyundai is a great car. It runs like a car rather than a truck. It handles well, and is very reliable. I am about to trade in for a 2006 model.

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  Great car for the money. I love it! - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By Subin - December 7 - 12:13 am

  Got the Sonata Limited 2 weeks ago. Black paint with black leather + paint sealant + door edge guards + carpets + cargo net + ipod cable. Turns heads, great mileage. On my first day to office driving it, everyone came out to check it out. Visually, it easily outshines my bosss Mercedes CLS when parked right next to it! My sunroof had a dent and the interior map lights were stuck. My dealership fixed it in 2 weeks. But my dealer was lousy and failed to return calls. Not a great buying experience. Check the car in broad daylight (especially sunroof, lights and leather) before you get one.

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  Great Little SUV - 2006 Hyundai TUCSON
  By Sharon - December 6 - 11:00 pm

  I have only had my Suv about 2 months & I love it so far. My grandkids said I was a cool grandma, they love it too. So far I am pleased with it, I also agree could get better gas miliage. Although its not bad. I love driving it!

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  Bye Honda! Hello Hyundai! - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By Tiffany - December 6 - 2:00 am

  I bought a 2009 Honda Accord Coupe V6 only four months prior and loved the new Sonata so much that I traded the Honda for it! The interior is awesome and I prefer it much more than the Accord which was very boring. Since I just got my car yesterday, I cant say too much on reliability. I already notice the great mileage. I bought the Navigation system and am still trying to understand it better. I also cannot get the Homelink to work with my garage, but I couldnt get it to work on my Accord either so its either me or my garage.

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  Best vehicle purchase I have made... - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By Angela H. - December 6 - 2:00 am

  I purchased my Sonata after dealing with a Pontiac G6 GTP and all its problems for 4.5 years. I had never considered purchasing a Hyundai as I always associated them with throw away type vehicles. My husband had encouraged me to read about the warranty and quality of the Hyundai brand as they have changed a lot in recent years. I was please to see that the Sonata was well equipped, stylish, and had a turbo!! I went to the dealership to test drive a turbo and FELL IN LOVE with this car!! I was stunned by the fit and finish of the car. The navigation, blue tooth, heated seats and push button start were awesome. We purchased a Pacific Blue with Tan interior. LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!

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  I love my car! - 2008 Hyundai Sonata
  By Mary - December 5 - 4:07 pm

  I love this car. It is reliable and I feel safe in it. I have the peace of mind of the 10 year bumper to bumper warranty. I take my car on trips and enjoy driving - something I never really did before, and the stability control is a God-send when driving in the winter.

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  Awesome SUV - 2005 Hyundai TUCSON
  By Philippe - December 4 - 1:20 am

  I had the Tucson 4WD V6 for about a month now. It is currently the best value for an SUV. I tested the ESP system in the snow and its almost impossible to make the vehicle slide or to lose control. The V6 offers a good amount of power but a little more would be nice. The back seats are very roomy. Im 61 and I can sit there without any problem. Engines around 2800 RPM at 100 km/h (62 mph) so its very quiet. SportShift works really well and its a nice feature, I cant live without it now ! Radio can play MP3 ! More powerful and quieter than RAV4 and CR-V. Cheaper than Ford Escape for a lot more features. Thats a deal !