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 a pocket rocket, Not a fuel hog. - 2000 Hyundai Accent
  By Chris - September 7 - 6:00 pm

  With todays struggle over fuel costs, consumption, and supplies. It is a great value to have ownership of one of these little cars. The Accent has good lines and really good airflow which allow it to move down the road with very little wind resistance, making it feel as though youre barely moving while you fly down the road. It has the capability to corner on a dime, although it would not be recommended that you do so at speeds higher than 25mph as the narrow wheel base makes the experience feel a bit unstable. The fuel economy of this vehicle makes a drive from Illinois to Virginia still seems reasonable even with our current fuel crisis. The ride is a smooth one. I would recommend this car.

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  A look at my car - 2004 Hyundai XG350
  By Robert Cross - September 6 - 1:36 am

  In general I am quite please with my hyundai gx350. One thing that is troublsome is the poor gas mileage.The other problem is the lighting on the temp. gauge is impossible to read. It is a fun car to drive and it give a very smooth ride. I hardly recomend this car

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  Best small SUV for the MONEY - 2006 Hyundai TUCSON
  By moomomish - September 3 - 5:23 pm

  Great small SUV. GREAT gas millage for an SUV. i do 50/50 freeway and city and my overall MPG is 20. i get 22-25 on the highway depending on my speed. around 27 if i drive 55mph, but couldnt continue very long at that slow speed. GREAT PRICE i got mine for $16,500 with 10,000 miles on it. it kbb at 21,500 privet party when i got it. now its at 17,500 after a few months. so i know theres no way im going to get my money back if i decide to sell so most likely i am keeping it until it dies. Great car for the price, i drive alot and it has been very trust worthy. lots of room for long trips, and 4wd is nice to have in the snow.

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  Great Vehicle, Great Price - 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By jimindenver - September 3 - 10:00 am

  I wanted a small-to-mid size SUV at a reasonable price. The Hyundai Santa Fe was perfect. Very comfortable ride. Nice standard features. Lots of power. Enough clearance for the kind of four-wheelin we do...more than enough to get to the trailhead. My only complaint--poor gas mileage.

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  2016 Manual Elantra...to Replace Our 2013 Elantra - 2016 Hyundai Elantra
  By litesong - September 2 - 11:43 pm

  From another reviewer: We just upgraded from a windy sea blue 2013 to a windy sea blue 2016......we love the blue....////////// Well! We replaced our 2013 Venetian Red auto Elantra with a 2016 Venetian Red manual Elantra!!! The 2016 is deeper with a bit more metal flake, but still not spectacular. As good as Hyundai cars are, their colors need to be much more like Ford colors, richer, more depth, more undertones, more.....jump. Other unadvertised improvements between the 2013 & 2016, are more precise & responsive electric steering, & major improvement in the really quiet & smooth 1.8 liter engine. Both the auto 2013 & manual 2016 obtained the same mpg, ~33mpg to 35mpg with 25%-30% city driving, 36mpg with 15% city driving, & with 100% ethanol-free gasoline & 15% city driving, 39mpg. Also with E0, long distance highway driving gave 43mpg for the auto(could be more?), & 46mpg with the manual.

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  Battery - 2012 Hyundai Veloster
  By pengwyn - September 2 - 3:33 pm

  I have had my car for one week!!! The battery died yesterday and the car was totally dead. I have only had the car for one week. When I called the dealership they said get the car jumped and bring it in. That would be fine but I live 1 1/2 hours from the dealership ro the closes one. I think a battery should be totally charged before you buy a car or least make sure it functions properly in a brand new car. I do love the looks of the car and the power is something else. I find it odd that a car drags when you turn the corner and dont try to turn in front of somebody cause they will be unhappy with you cause it takes a few minutes to get anywhere.

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  Your Moneys Worth PLUS - 2001 Hyundai Elantra
  By RJones - September 1 - 12:26 pm

  I wanted a reliable, fuel-efficient, 4- dr sedan with a sporty look, but could not afford a Honda. I found the that the Elantra had comparable features but priced much lower. I bought the Elantra with 64K miles (& an extended warranty - just in case) and I dont regret my decision, it runs like like a dream. So far its been an excellent car - no work necessary. Its roomy enough for my 62 boyfriend to drive comfortably. I get about 26 mpg (highway & city mix.) It handles metropolitan rush hour traffic very well and it looks good doing it. I would definitely consider another Hyundai when I am looking for my next car.

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  2008 Sonata GLS - 2008 Hyundai Sonata
  By gsmithe - August 31 - 1:36 pm

  Just purchased and love this car. Performance is decent, it is a family car after all. I opted for the gls with popular package and sunroof. I was bummed that there is no ipod jack. No biggie, I had one installed, works great too. I would recommend this car to anyone looking for a respectable mid-size family type sedan. Look no further. Rims tinted Windows and spoiler do wonders for the bland styling.

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  Highest value mid-size sedan - 2004 Hyundai Sonata
  By E - August 31 - 3:03 am

  If you rated this car on value per category it would rank 10 on all aspects. I rated this vehicle in comparison to other mid-size sedans in a similar category, such as the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. If you are looking for a car with a firm ride this is not the vehicle for you as it has a fair amount of body roll, sacrificed for the soft ride no doubt. Overall it is a fun car to drive and I would recommend it over any other mid- sized sedan primarily because of the cost. My fiancee bought this car a month ago for $10,700 with 22K miles. It is very comfortable for long trips and has ample space in the rear seat and trunk. The car looks very upscale both inside and out.

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  SONATA, MORE THAN JUST A HYUNDAI - 2003 Hyundai Sonata
  By ap20stuff - August 31 - 2:00 am

  The new Sonata is a beautiful, well- appointed,and AFFORDABLE car. With all the features of a car that costs thousands more, the Sonata is very appealing. The V6 engine is not the most powerful, but is smooth and adeqaute enough for everyday travel, and the occasional cross-country trip. Final verdict: I love my new car.