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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  BAD fuel economy - 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Ron - September 3 - 1:56 pm

  We have had this suv for about 9 months. We had been promised that it would get about 24 mpg on the highway, NOT. If we drive it like a little old lady, it only gets 18. If you are looking to save a few bucks on gas, do not buy a Santa Fe!!!! The car itself seems well built and the kids like the reclining back seats. (One of the reasons we bought the car). I am 6 2" and the driver seat could go back a little more. NOT A BAD CAR, JUST BAD MPG!!!!!! Hyundai should be made to pull the ads about mileage.

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  new owner loves it - 2003 Hyundai Tiburon
  By pfarmist - September 1 - 10:00 am

  I waited years for a car like this that I could afford without breaking the bank.

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  Surprised by how much I like it. - 2010 Hyundai Elantra Touring
  By mom22kids - August 30 - 10:16 am

  We bought this car during Cash for Clunkers, and my goal was to buy the least expensive car that would meet our immediate needs. This car fit that bill. I am really surprised at how much I like it--the hatchback makes a huge difference for getting things (strollers) in/out. We bought the SE b/c of the bigger tires to make the ride a bit more smooth and b/c the moon roof made things feel cramped. Great vehicle for hauling kids and their gear. A bit loud, but for this price what do you expect?

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  Like it a lot - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By DAW - August 29 - 3:43 pm

  We were looking for something to buzz around town in for our family of 5. We are very happy with the car, no compliants. My wife also likes the car a lot. The car is very quiet. I have no regrets with our purchase.

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  I love this SUV! - 2005 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By ica1972 - August 28 - 6:33 pm

  This has been a fantastic vehicle for a commuter driving 90+ miles five days a week. The fuel economy isnt all that great, but I feel safe and I love the ride. I drive over quite a few mountains and steep hills, it handles perfectly in all kinds of precipitation including 10" of snow covered ice. Fan tends to blow in your face or off parts of the vehicle back into your face.

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  You get lots more than what you pay for - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By Eddy Burke - August 26 - 5:10 pm

  I paid a bit more than 15,000 USD for this large sedan. No luxury car, granted, but it has all that you need: nine airbags, four automatic windows, AC, et cetera. The greatest two things are : (i) size: even with he front seat entirely back the people in the back have ample space; (ii) the engine: the "little" 2.4 is a real joy: because of the manual upshift, you can really beat most of the other traffic. In town, the car gets 20 mpg. But highway, I easily get better than 35 mpg. The fifth gear picks up very well and moves smoothly from low rpm to high rpm. I just did 1500 miles in three days and the seats give ample support as well. What a car. Why cant GM make such gems? Ed

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  Brake hog - 2005 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By KATHY SEDGWICK - August 26 - 3:40 pm

  This car is a money maker for the service department when it comes to the brakes. I have had to replace the brakes almost every 20,000-25,000 miles. I will not be buying another Hyundai again. Will be going back to a Ford or Chevy!

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  Really impressed after 82,000 miles - 2009 Hyundai Elantra Touring
  By pistolpete10 - August 24 - 7:55 am

  Bought it new in 2009. Of all the imports I bought before, (Mazda and Honda) this car had by far the most comfortable driving seat. Well padded and a lumbar support, with every which way adjustment, which was important for my frequent long drives. Very reliable, amazing storage room which Ive used time and again. Minor glitch in that speakers had to be replaced twice, under warranty and replaced brake pedal once for squeaking. Love the steering feel especially in tight city driving. More then enough power on highway etc, even though its buzzy. So far less problems than Ive ever had with previous other cars. Wouldnt trade it in for anything else though Ive been asked to, many times.

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  Its A Funday In Your Hyundai - 2004 Hyundai Accent
  By MoMichael - August 24 - 2:00 am

  My Hyundai has been fun and relieble. The gas milage is terrific. (35 mpg) After I put some good snow tires on the car it clawed through some really deep snow. The car really reminds me of the earlier year Honda Civics. I am 61" and the car fits me comfortably. For the money this car is the best bargain out there. I plan on driving it until the wheels fall off. For commuting it is fun and nimble and the warranty is terrific. My car is pretty basic but it does the job and does it well. If you are looking for a good sub-compact car it should definitely be a consideration.

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  Love this car. - 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By l0vedriving - August 23 - 8:47 am

  This car was passed down to us from my grandparents, then to my parents, now us. It was originally purchased as a grocery/errands car and now is our everyday driver. This car is fantastic. Never had any major problems. Just one, our sunroof wind deflector came loose and we had that fixed by the dealer. We purchased a brand new 2012 Mazda Cx-7 with similar options minus leather and this car blows it out of the water. More power, better gas MPG, seat warmers are warmer. My daughter has much more room and it has much better trunk space. The Mazda has been nothing but issues since 30k miles. We are at 93k on the Hyundai with NO problems. Buy Hyundai it is totally worth it!