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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  i love my tiburon! - 2003 Hyundai Tiburon
  By tibuchi - September 2 - 10:00 am

  i was not at all a fan of the previous tiburon design, and after spotting the new design in a fashion magazine, i decided to go for a test drive. a week later, i bought my own! not only is it a beautiful car (quite the head- turner), it rides beautifully, and saves lots on gas!

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  MrGrimms Ride - 2003 Hyundai Tiburon
  By MSTR GRM - September 2 - 10:00 am

  hey guys and gals,i just got mine alst month and i love it.not only do i get looks from a lot of guys.but girls tend to come up to me and ask what it is.its awesome,poeple actually think its some kind of sports car and whne i tell them "its a hyundai"theyre astounded and tell me"nice car".so if you looking for a great looking car for less,this is it man.i like better than the RSX(but its still koo,not much design)the celica(also kool)and the eclipse(i like the old ones much better)thanks guys.peace.

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  Great Car - 2003 Hyundai Elantra
  By indyslim - September 2 - 10:00 am

  Absolute Great Buy. No Qualms.

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  Love My Santa Baby! - 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Straxt - September 2 - 9:43 am

  Bought it after trading in a Mazda Miata Convertible. . . which I dearly loved! But grandchildren have arrived and I must do the grandmotherly thing. This vehicle had the highest safety rating and had great reviews on Edmunds. So there was no great debate on which way I would go.

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  For a Fleet Car-Its great! - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By Daniel @ Enterprise - September 2 - 12:10 am

  This is my company car provided by a fleet services company. I have to admit, when they first said what I was getting, I was a bit disappointed. However, after driving this for just a weekend, I am completely sold. Its responsiveness and driveability is incredible. It is extremely comfortable on the inside and Im a big guy. Car seat fits perfect in the back seat with plenty of room. The V6 is very impressive with a heck of a response. While driving, you dont even realize that youre driving a Hyundai. For a sticker price of $23K, anyone would be extremely pleased with this vehicle. A+++++

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  Best Bang for the Buck - 2005 Hyundai XG350
  By ALLAN - September 1 - 3:33 am

  My wife recently bought a 350L. For around $2 $25000 not counting a trade in, you get a lot of car, with features that surpass the Mercedes Benz I own. Hyundai has finally come around and built a fine automobile. Good power, solid but comfortable ride, no options everthing included. Amazing how the South Koreans can produce a car like this for the money. If you like to show off your car and how much it costs, this is not a car for you. But if youre a down to earth person, the Hyundai is your car. My wife has been asked 3 or 4 times what model Mercedes is it? Goes to show you where Mercedes is going with its designs.

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  Hyundai Got it Right - 2006 Hyundai Azera
  By Acura Owner - August 31 - 4:10 pm

  Do a lot of highway driving in my job. Had 2004 Acura TL which was a nice car but needed to get it replaced. Wanted sedan with good build quality and driving performance, but also good warrenty coverage. Purchased a Hyundai Azera Limited with Ultimate package and could not be more pleased. Intial quality was excellent and better than my experience with my old Acura and it handles great on the highway. I have no problem passing slower traffic since the engine has more get up and go than my old car. So far, an excellent buy.

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  BMW > Best Mileage We Got !!!!! - 2016 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid
  By Guy Aveck - August 31 - 11:23 am

  Looked for a Poor Mans Tesla > This is pretty darn close . GREAT MILEAGE 40-45 MPG *600 Mile range per Tank . Very Quiet. Great Acceleration in sport mode , Is this really a Hyundai ???? SE has lots of pluses Cruise /Tilt / PW/ PL / Hands Free Truck Release / Bluelink service lets me allows me to receive directions via my Iphone , Kinda like GMs @onstar 3 months free , then a yearly fee . Lotz a Room . Im 6.4 . So Far So Good . Is This Really A Hyundai ???????

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  Great car Good Price - 2008 Hyundai Elantra
  By kristina - August 30 - 6:51 pm

  I love this car. I payed 15300 for it after rebates and it was a great purchase. The dealer gave me Invoice minus rebates and I feel pretty satisfied that I got a fair price. This car fits my budget and my kids safely in the back without any cramping. I recommend this car to anyone starting a family!

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  Buy it -- worth it - 2005 Hyundai Elantra
  By Steve J - August 29 - 8:03 pm

  I just recently purchased a Elantra GT and so far no complaints, I bought the car with 86 miles, and so far its up to 2,266 and I have not had one complaint (from me or friends). This car is a must! I will be purchasing from this company from now on.