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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  suprised buyer - 2009 Hyundai Elantra
  By dustin - July 31 - 7:42 pm

  bought a elanta gls, auto. went from a Mustang GT. which was fully loaded. Overall, very suprised, was expecting a slow, sluggish car, nice handling and decently comfortable. Gas milage is outstanding, getting 37mpg without the car being broken in yet. Braking response is great, only complaints, high engine rpms at 70, almost 3k rpm on expressway, steering is heavy compared to every other vehicle I have drivin. Cant beat the warranty, and with cash for clunkers, final price $9800 for a car with an invoice price of 18K. Will write a new review when I have more miles on my car. Only have 200 at this time.

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  Maybe a Glitch? - 2005 Hyundai Elantra
  By John H - July 31 - 5:00 pm

  We bought the Elantra used with about 22,000 in the summer of 06 - it had previous been a rental car (Hertz?. The cars has performed flawlessly until it blew a head gasket at 68,340 miles. Since I was the second owner - the warranty expired at 60,000 miles. I asked Hyundai America to at least partially compensate me for the repair since I think it was a fluke and they just blew me off. Perhaps it was the last one off the assembly in on a Friday afternoon. The gas mileage has always been a bit lower than I expected - less than bothe the Corollas and Civics that I have owned. I am guardedly optimistic about the car since everyone else that has them say they are great.

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  Good for few years if your a new driver - 2005 Hyundai Accent
  By boulevard226 - July 31 - 3:58 pm

  I was a fairly new driver when I got mine, and this just may not be the car for me, but I do not like it. I had a nice Chevy Cavalier before this car and it was amazing so maybe I am comparing them unfairly. The engine struggles to accelerate. The dash is beyond plain and boring. The Sony Explode system I installed makes the car vibrate like crazy. I am tall and it limits my passengers cause if the seat is all the way back, I lose the seat behind me. All and all I only recommend this car as a starter for a youngster. Only thing good about this car is the MPG of about 30. Cant wait to get my 2010 Chevy Silverado! Think American.

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  What a surprise - 2009 Hyundai Accent
  By GL Brink - July 31 - 9:13 am

  I have been driving large cars all my life but being retired I needed to save on gas. What a car, this little Accent drives great, has head room for my cowboy hat, accessory holders, great radio/CD player, goes around curves like a BMW, less noise interior than my old caddy, drives by gas stations on trips, we love our light green color, air conditioning cold as ice, leg room for my 61" 250 lbs and comfortable in drivers seat, Took my granddaughter to lunch and she had plenty of room in rear seat next to the groceries and half dropped back seat. What a bargain for the price. As you can see we love it.

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  Luxury at a bargain price - 2009 Hyundai Genesis
  By Genecea - July 31 - 8:51 am

  I have had my v6 3.8 purchased with all available options for 4 months (7K miles). I love this car. I not had any issues and it is a great value. I am averaging 23 mpg in mixed driving. My friends with more expensive cars (E- series, Lexus LS, etc.) cannot believe the bargain. In fact, my boss just traded in his Infinity M45 on a v8 Genesis. Claims he saved over $150 per month on his lease and gave up very little in luxury or performance.

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  Great first car. - 2011 Hyundai Genesis Coupe
  By mrgovenator - July 31 - 4:58 am

  This is a great first purchase. On the used market it hard to beat the value of these cars. You get so much for so little. You get a well laid out interior. Some material quality is questionable, such as the some cheap leather, but most the plastics are soft touch or have a rubber coating. And the exterior is gorgeous in my opinion. You get a great power plant under the hood, that gives other cars of this price a run for the money. Only real issue is the 6 speed transmission, it feels cheap and clunky. Can you live with it daily though? For me, yes. The total value out weighs this one problem. The seats hold you in place very well, and feel nice for the price point.

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  Who would have thought? - 2007 Hyundai Sonata
  By Daytime - July 31 - 2:12 am

  I am a former car dealer and thought I would never buy a Hyundai. I absolutely love this car. Great gas mileage, cold air, nice performance, smooth ride, nice horse power, and very stylish. I like it so much that I am now looking at a Genesis for my wife. She deserves it. To say the least, I am impressed with the Sonata. Also, it is easy to maintain and the fact that I get the performance with 87 octane is a big plus. I have driven 4500 miles and the mpg was still at 31 to 32 mpg. Great Car!

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  Diligent Shopper - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By Satisfied Customer - July 31 - 1:20 am

  I was hesitant to buy a Hyundai at first. In the last two months, however, I have bought two! I was very satisfied with my purchase of a Hyundai Tucson so I took a good luck at the Sonata. I was very impressed by the fit and finish, ride quality and solid performance of the 235hp V6. It is very smooth and practically silent and free of vibrations while idling. I found the drivers seat a bit firm at first, but I got used to that in a very short time. I researched my purchase over several months. I looked at everything from the Volvo S40 to the Ford Fusion, and found that the Sonata was the best overall value. Best of all, the performance of the Sonata beat the all. I am very pleased.

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  Money would be better spent on a used car - 2017 Hyundai Accent
  By Pac757 - July 30 - 7:02 am

  I purchased whats now "the top of the line" Accent, a value edition for my daughter after she totalled her 2013 Accent. This car is maybe one step above a stripped rental car. The quality of the interior is cheaper and less attractive than her 2013, the her 2013, which wasnt a top of the line Accent came with fog lights, auto dimming review mirror with compass, better quality interior and you were actually able to purchase a jack and spare tire for that car. I regret buying this car for her now but to late to get rid of it, its only one month old and has a horrible resale value. Even the Hyundai dealer I bought it from didnt want to work with us to trade it in on a used Elantra. Poor resale value, absolutely bare minimum extras for a top of the line model, very dated styling, almost as if Hyundai went back to the Excel days of the 80s but without the cheap price. Guess shes stuck with this till she hits the break even point with her financing. Makes me think twice before buying a Hyundai again. In hinesight, the Kia Rio, which is their bottom of the line car is actually a better car. My own fault for not doing more research plus was under pressure as she needed a car quickly for getting to and from work, public transportation where we live is horrible.

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  Electrcal Nightmare.. - 2006 Hyundai TUCSON
  By Steve Leshinski - July 29 - 9:43 pm

  Since purchase I have had nothing but minor problems with this vehicle. The dealer acts like any failure is a complete surprise. Currently am experiencing an electrical problem. Battery goes dead after 3 days not running the vehicle. Dealer has replaced the battery with no positive results. Problem still exists. Inquiries about solutions to the problem have fell on dead ears. No response from Jenkins or Hyundai USA. Hyundai acts like the problem doesnt exist.. Be assured that it does and I will not rest until it is resolved.