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 This Vehicle - 2008 Hyundai Azera
  By Gary - October 2 - 5:57 am

  Great value. Im not sure why, but I was able to buy this vehicle for about $3,000 below dealer cost. Ive never driven a new car off the lot and have the ability to go trade it in for a profit. That aside, what a find. Great power, smooth ride, awesome sound system, sunroof, navigation. My wife drives a BMW X3 and I prefer to drive this vehicle. That pretty much sums it up.

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  Really great luxury van - 2008 Hyundai Entourage
  By Stacy H - October 1 - 7:38 pm

  I purchased my Hyundai van 2 months ago and have been very happy with the way it drives. It is very comfortable inside as well. I love the automatic side doors and the automatic back hatch door. It has a very smooth ride and great pick-up-and-go. But, the gas mileage is terrible. I expected to get at least 15mpg as advertised, but I only get at best 12.5mpg around town. Apparently that is what most owners are learning. Overall I am extremely satisfied with the Entourage. I hope Hyundai is able to improve the gas mileage in the future.

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  Camry Killer This Car Stops - 2010 Hyundai Sonata
  By roadturtle - September 30 - 3:16 am

  I drove the Toyotas Camry. However it cost $ 6000 more, and its reputation has taken a lot of hits lately.. This is the first time in a long time I walked away without buying a Camry. This car has truly surpassed Camry. It has Every safety feature, air bags, traction controls, side airbags etc. I get 27 mpg around town. Great brakes. This car stops. Easy to get in and out of this car. Almost everything is standard. XM radio, comfortable seats, plenty of room, enormous trunk. We love this car. The best Sonata so far, and getting the car at dealer invoice, and a $ 2500 rebate just made it sweeter.

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  Cool Ride - 2008 Hyundai Accent
  By Michael Dellapenta - September 29 - 7:03 pm

  The automatic is sluggish, but have all the options. I put in a stereo with a sub, new front speakers, with a Rockford amp.

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  Best Bang for the Buck - 2008 Hyundai Accent
  By greginrichmond - September 29 - 6:05 pm

  I was looking at similar cars in the 16-17k range and just happened upon the Accent 2D SE. Handles like a sports car and sips gas like everyone else wishes their car would. The 5 speed is a must and the fit and finish of the SE is fantastic. Im very happy.

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  Terrific Car - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By Richard - September 29 - 9:23 am

  Bought the Sonata GLS a month and 1500 miles ago after test driving the Milan and Malibu. The basic trim with the convenience package is all most people will need. Excellent build quality and its a real eye catcher. Gobs of interior room front and back, with a very large trunk - yet the car doesnt look big from the outside. How do they do that?? This car competes favorably with any sedan in the midsize market, for less money.

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  This car does everything well. - 2008 Hyundai Elantra
  By Jim Hawkins - September 28 - 11:31 pm

  We have had this car for about 5 months and we are very pleased. It has zippy performance and gets 27MPG City and 35 MPG Hwy in the process. Braking is excellent. The four wheel discs do make a difference. The sound system with the XM radio, while not world class, is very pleasant to listen to. In town, it handles beautifully. At speed, there is a bit of extra body roll (especially right turns for whatever reason). I would recommend the 5 spd M. It makes for much more driving fun. The shifter does great as long as you dont force it. This car is extremely comfortable under pretty much all conditions (front and back). There are a lot of things "well done" about this car.

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  Happy with my Elantra GT - 2005 Hyundai Elantra
  By Californiaguy - September 28 - 7:30 am

  I bought my second Elantra, and so far I am extremely happy with the car. Everything I could ask for is there, and improved compared to my previous Elantra. Before I bought it, I test-drove a few different cars, that is the one I like the most. Hyundai, keep up the great work!

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  Fun Little Car - 2007 Hyundai Accent
  By Mike - September 27 - 11:39 pm

  I love my Hyundai accent. Its small and gets around 30mpg on gas. I have had a problem with the ignition, for some reason the key wouldnt turn at all so they had to put a new cylinder in. It didnt really bother me cause of the great warranty so I didnt have to pay a dime. Also I have used the roadside assistance twice and the service has been flawless. Overall, I love the car and plan on driving it until it dies on me.

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  Ole! - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By URNMYWA - September 27 - 4:53 pm

  I previously drove a V8 SUV. Loved my truck but I am in love with this car. I drive over an hour commute each way four days a week. My truck was a tank so I didnt worry about semis and other SUVs. With this car, the speed and ease at which I am able to change gears and lanes means no worries because they cant catch me. I am big so the roomy interior and space between the steering wheel and driver seat is fantastic. A huge roomy trunk and spacious back seats means my passengers are just as comfy. Car only has single cd and no MP3 adapter so aftermarket stereo is a must. The speakers sound pretty nice and since I love all music a booming base is not necessary. Gas is pretty good!