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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  More car for your money - 2008 Hyundai Sonata
  By auto_wiz - July 12 - 3:20 pm

  This is my first hyundai. No problems so far but I will keep my fingers crossed. Just had it for a month though. Some low quality plastics in the interior. Even my 93 camry and 89 civic had better materials. So you cant compete with camcords, but then again I didnt want to pay 7 grands extra for camcord anyway. Highway ride is smooth, city driving is not bad either except for fuel economy and a little harsh ride on bigger bumps. No engine noise, tire noise is bearable and so is the wind noise. We had a wind storm the other day and some gusts were blowing even more than 50 miles per hour and I didnt feel any cross winds except for wind noise.

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  Excellent value! - 2004 Hyundai Elantra
  By bearcat - July 9 - 10:55 pm

  I got this car for ~$10000, and I cannot believe the features I have got for that price! Ive got AC, power everything, excellent ride quality, great warranty. Never had a problem since I bought it, no adjustments no hassles at all. However I have been told that there is a recall for some airbag issue. I have not found another car with the same features and reliability at this price.

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  Great Suv - 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By e, comer - July 9 - 4:36 am

  My family and I are pretty pleased with our purchase. The suv is roomy but also small enough to handle & park easily. We love it. We had an easy time purchasing the auto from the dealer but the dealer once we went off the lot didnt care what happened after that. We had two incidents happen as we drove off the lot and one has not been addressed yet by them... yet they state that the autos go thru a 37 pt inspection. Will probably not buy from this dealership again, but will definitely buy another Suv like this one as we are enjoying it.

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  Sweet ride. - 2003 Hyundai Sonata
  By Starbreaker666 - July 8 - 10:00 am

  Fun car. wife loves it. I highly recommend it. nuff said.

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  2005 Hyundai Sonata - 2005 Hyundai Sonata
  By cross - July 3 - 9:36 pm

  I dont have a lot of miles, but so far I have really enjoyed the car. I traded in a 2004 Honda Accord, and have not regreted it. In fact, my old Honda is still sitting on the car lot. However, there is a faint vibration coming from behind the dash...and I cant find it. It is driving me nuts. Also the radio is probably the most annoying radio every made. Why is there a tape deck with it...can you still buy tapes? The car has been fun, it had good acceleration and makes heads turn. Its my mini- Jag. To my supprise, there are several aftermarket items for it. One last thing, it corners well, but tends to sway a little too much sometimes. I could put some anti-sway bars on or slow down....

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  "Honey" the Hyundai - 2001 Hyundai Elantra
  By Dave Huffman - July 2 - 12:48 pm

  I bought my 2001 Elantra on an impulse while out looking to replace my gas guzzling Cadillac. It caught my eye on the lot and I wanted to drive it but didnt think it would be in my price range. I test drove it and noticed it only had 45,000 miles on it & it felt tight like a new car. The seats were and remain firm yet comfortable and it had surprisingly strong acceleration. Ive had it for 2 years now, and had 2 probs. One was a sensor that was fixed under warranty. The other was a wheel/hub bearing that cost $400.00 to fix. Other than that it has been great! Now when I look at or test drive other cars and get back into the Elantra I find myself asking why I am looking at other cars.

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  Good compromise - 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Richard - July 1 - 10:00 am

  There is nothing exceptional about the Santa Fe, however it looks nice, accelerates briskly, has a great warranty and gets decent fuel economy. The interior is mediocre but functional. The seats are comfortable and the ride quality is acceptable. Heated cloth seats on the SE are a bonus. Over the initial 3187 miles, I averaged 21.53 mpg with about 50% highway driving. Prior to purchasing, we test drove the Pilot, Highlander, RAV4, Murano and Forester. The Pilot and Highlander were more desirable-- but would have cost several thousand dollars extra with similar options. After the incentives, we paid $24,000 for the V-6 SE and feel like it was by far the superior value.

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  Ownership after 4 months - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By Donald - June 30 - 5:46 am

  I was initially impressed with this car, especially the price which was $16,000 cash, automatic, and nothing else. I was in route to the Honda dealer but I passed by Hyundai and asked for a test drive. I should have kept going. The mileage is greatly overrated, at least in my view. I have not achieved better than 18-19 MPG. It dos not shift very well and remains in lower gears too long. The ride quality is equally overstated. I feel every bump and pothole. It is a smooth ride only on well maintained roads. Otherwise the ride is very harsh. The build quality is not the greatest. I have noticed rattles and noises even on minor bumps. As I said, I should have kept going.

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  Great SUV - 2001 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By ralphredwolf - June 29 - 11:06 pm

  After 97000 Miles this has probably been the best vehicle I have ever owned. I happen to drive cars and trucks for a living and this is one of the best out there. Normally after this much mileage a vehicle has some play in the front end but not this SUV. It is just as tight as the day I first drove it, unbelieveable. If only the USA could make a great SUV like this GM & Ford would never have problems. Buy one,you will not be disappointed.

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  Keeps on Going - 1996 Hyundai Elantra
  By theJackal99 - June 25 - 6:34 pm

  I have over 180,000 on my 1996 Elantra and it just keeps on going. Ive never had to do any major work on it. The paint and exhaust system on the car, however, could use some improvements. Very easy to scratch. The interior could be improved. But again, mechinacally it is awsome.