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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  Great Ride just hard to get in and out!!!!!! - 2015 Hyundai Sonata
  By Joe - April 3 - 8:36 am

  This is a great all around car!!!!!! It does have an issue with hard to get in and out of due to the low roof design. Great for people five foot eight and less.

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  not sporty, but great buy - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By kalmanzar - April 3 - 4:13 am

  Engine and transmission are great. Ride can be noisy (thinks its the tires) and hard sometimes (se package), but mostly ok. Pack full of features, price is great. Car does not like to get pushed hard, steering doesnt have much feel. But for most regular driving is very good. Do recommend.

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  Hard to learn this car. - 2005 Hyundai Accent
  By Daphine LaBarge - April 2 - 1:14 pm

  This is my first "foreign" car and it is VERY complicated to learn. Too many things to turn and push-pull on levers on steering column. My warning lights were on, and I had no idea where to turn them off or how they got on. When driving it is hard to pull over and read the manual - too much to memorize. Switches and knobs have no names on them for what they are for. Like warning light - not even a clue! Too small of gas tank. Too many adjustable levers and knobs with no name for what it is. My manual is well-worn already. Hard to lock or unlock seat belts when arm rest is down.

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  Mistake - 2003 Hyundai Elantra
  By Cannon - April 2 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car like 5 months ago and I have had nothing but problems. The first month I had the car the Check engine light came on and the car wasnt shifting properly. They had to replace a switch in the transmission. 2 months later the car wouldnt start and I had to bring it in again. The car is overpriced and yea the options are great but the wind noise is terrible. It sucks to drive in the rain so far cause it seems the car tends to slide on the we roadway. Its not that fun to drive and even thought it says GT it doesnt drive like any other GT I have ever had. The only thing that makes this car appealing is the warranty, and you will need it.

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  More than I expected - 2012 Hyundai Veloster
  By velosterraptor - April 1 - 11:01 pm

  I just bought my veloster 3 weeks ago. Unlike most people who have reviewed the car, I was looking for the baaase model. Which ended up being more difficult than expected. The reason for me wanting the base model was because of a tight budget, and knowing that the base model has more features than some mid level to higher end models of other "cheap" new vehicles. It drives great. It is sporty. Its not fast. But it also doesnt leave anything to be desired if youre commuting in it. It goes up hills and passes on the freeway just fine.

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  Nice ride - 2005 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Dave - March 30 - 2:00 am

  I bought the 2005 Santa Fe used just a week ago. The gas mileage is a bit lower than what I expected for a small V6. The 2.7 is just a little bit underpowered for a vehicle of this size. It is very comfortable for an SUV and handles very well. A solid vehicle with a lot of nice standard features. Roomy interior and sporty design. Controls easily reached and easy access getting in and out of the vehicle. Roomy cargo space.

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  sonata fun - 2005 Hyundai Sonata
  By justine712 - March 29 - 2:44 pm

  I have really enjoyed my Hyundai Sonata. I havent had it more than 6 months but it has performed wonderfully so far. I love the comfort inside with its plush interior and roomy seats. I dont have to rub elbows with whoever is in the passengers seat. It is also large enough to store all of my Coast Guard equipment, which would overwhelm my closets. The outside is gorgeous, comparable to a Jaguar. People have assumed that my car costs a lot more than it actually does because of its overall package. I also love the shifter, going from automatic to manual in one shift is handy when I am trying to get on the parkway and no one will let me in, Long Island anyone? Great car, satisfied customer

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  Really injoyable car - 2001 Hyundai Elantra
  By frank jaehnig - March 28 - 11:38 pm

  the first foreign make that I had ever bought. I was interested because of the warranty, but once I drove one I knew I had to buy it and I have not been sorry. I now have 52000 mile on it and I love just as much now as when I first purchased it. I think that any Toyota or Honda drivers should try this car before they buy their next as it is a great car for the money.

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  What a Great Little Car!! - 2001 Hyundai Accent
  By Okie - March 26 - 11:20 pm

  Ive put over 110,000 miles on this Accent and it has been the best car Ive ever owned. Would like to have about 10hp more, but for $9500, its really been fantastic. Gets 40mpg on the highway. Reliability is great had a lifter making a little noise at 98,000 miles and Hyundai honored their warranty with no problem.

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  Good value - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By Keith - March 25 - 2:53 am

  The car has been pretty reliable.Only one small problem. I have owned it only four months. It has a pretty nice ride.