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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  Absolutely outstanding - 2009 Hyundai Genesis
  By Humphrey - June 25 - 11:32 pm

  I have bought this car two weeks ago as my substitute for my old BMW 525. Genesis is really excellent car. It is really smooth and luxurious.As long as I know, there are no comparable cars in this segment in terms of cost- benefit analysis.

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  Rear Brakes - 2007 Hyundai Sonata
  By Miller - June 25 - 10:05 pm

  My rear brakes need replaced at 21,000 miles. Dealer said it was from rust on rotors and caliper pins sticking. Also they said it was because of driving in bad weather. My wife drives this car and very seldom when roads are bad. Replacing pads and resurfacing rotors at 21,000 miles is ridiculous.

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  "I THINK THIS IS NOT A HYUNDAI !" - 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By CARL KIM - June 25 - 10:00 am

  ACTUALLY, I WAS LOOKING FOR BMW X3 AND AFTER I TEST DROVE X3 2.5. I REALIZED THAT IT IS NICE CAR BUT, ITS TOO EXPENSIVE TO PAY ALMOST $40,000 FOR MINI SUV AND BMW USE CHEAP MATERIAL AND NOT MUCH STANDARD OPTION COMPARE TO ITS HIGH PRICE. ONE DAY WHEN I WAS DRIVE IN GARDEN GROVE AREA. I SAW HYUNDAI DEALER AND I GOT CURIOUS ABOUT HYUNDAI. SO, I WALKED IN HYUNDAI AND ASK DEALER "I WANT TO TEST DRIVE SANTA FE 3.5." AFTER I DROVE SANTA FE I WAS TOTALLY SHOCKED. ITS MID RANGE ACCELERATION IS EVEN BETTER THAN MY FRIENDS BMW X5 3.0. SO, I FELT LIKE I DRIVE CHEAP PORSCHE CAYENE. SO, I PURCHASED CAR AFTER I FINISHED TEST DRIVE. EVEN, I CAN AFFORD BMW X3

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  drcar - 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By ftspec - June 25 - 10:00 am

  have had this vehicle for over a year. great car. does what i want it to do and more. excellent buy

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  Car of The Year For A Reason - 2009 Hyundai Genesis
  By David George - June 25 - 1:23 am

  I bought the Genesis new in 2009 (the year it was selected as the Motor Trend "Car of the Year"). I was amazed at the features and quality. No other car at the time came close to the quality and refinement for the price. The Lexicon sound system is the highest end system ever installed in a production car. The ride quality was good and improved to excellent when I replaced the touring tires with all season tires. I live in an area that gets snow, so the all season tires were a must. The car is rear wheel drive and is difficult to drive in the snow with touring tires. The luxury features go on and on. The navigation system is one of the better systems. Updates require a dealer visit and are not free. I have not had significant repair issues as of this review. It is by far the best car I have ever owned.

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  Well Worth It - 2006 Hyundai Azera
  By DoBee - June 24 - 7:26 pm

  The Azera is the best value Ive seen. Features/performance/comfort/design/rel iability/warranty/price. I just dont think you can beat the combination offered by the Azera. Heres hoping that Hyundai continues to build on this concept.

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  Power Failures - 2005 Hyundai TUCSON
  By College Student - June 24 - 2:06 pm

  Bought a Tucson for female, working college student who commutes. Nothing but TROUBLE. Year 1 -it began flashing power lights, and dying on her while driving. Then began having dead batteries randomly. Hyundai Service refused to replace the battery until 2 year warranty was up so we had to PAY for one. Also dead if it isnt driven for several days. Something in the elec system is pulling juice during non- running time but they cant find it and have now given up. We will replace it with one she can be secure and safe driving (and not driving). SKIP THIS MODEL TUCSON!!!

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  Love, Love My Genesis - 2009 Hyundai Genesis
  By Happy Granny - June 24 - 10:04 am

  I love driving this car! We purchased the 3.8 with the tech package & tinted windows. It got great mileage on a recent trip. Enjoy the quiet ride. Definitely a luxury vehicle.

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  Hyundai Sonata Hybrid 2011 - 2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid
  By tlowery - June 24 - 4:25 am

  I purchased one of the first 2011 models in July 2011. I am VERY satisfied with the car in general including the fuel economy. I recently made a 1,000 mile trip driving 68 mph and averaged 40.2 mpg. Around town I average 37 to 38 mpg. I drive to maximize the fuel economy by accelerating mildly from stops. The only negative is the seat comfort. The seats are hard and the passenger seat sits too low. Seat comfort is very important; so important that Hyundai must improve before I will consider another one. The 2012 models have a lifetime warranty on the drive-train; whereas, the 2011 models have a 10 year, 100,000 mile warranty. Hyundai should retroactively upgrade 2011s.

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  my korean experience - 2006 Hyundai Azera
  By william rubenstein - June 24 - 4:13 am

  excellant value for the money recently took it for a 2000 mile trip wonderful car to drive long distances ,comfortable cool, fun very peppy easy on the eyes and not one in every driveway like camry or accord.