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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  My Elantra is a great car - 2008 Hyundai Elantra
  By billbond - August 31 - 9:57 am

  I bought my 2008 Hyundai Elantra brand new. I have never had a more dependable car. I have never had a tune up and I now have 145K miles on it and it runs great. Just got back from a 10 hour (each way) vacation trip and we had no issues.

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  2015 Hyundai Elantra SE - 2015 Hyundai Elantra
  By jmarie3 - August 19 - 10:48 am

  I love this car! I was going to get the 2014,but these just came out so I decided to go with the 2015 Elantra SE. I just came out of the 2009 Hyundai Elantra GLS, which I loved as well. So sticking with an Elantra was no question for me. There is no difference really with the 2014 and 2015. But, the car I bought had a package with bluetooth, touch screen, rear view camera, and 16 in alloy wheels, which is all fantastic to have. The car was around 20k. If you are looking to get a newer Elantra, the 2014 is cheaper and pretty much the same except the extra package options of course. The car has very good get-up-and-go, awesome updated features, large back seat room and roomy trunk.

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  wonderful van - 2007 Hyundai Entourage
  By kgwirz - August 14 - 12:45 pm

  Ive had my van for 5 yes I still love like it was the first day I got it I didnt really want a van but the family needed one and Im so glad we did. I can fit 7 comfortably and it drives so nice. It doesnt feel like Im stuck driving a van.the kids live the DVD and I love the sliding doors!

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  The Germans Should Watch Out - 2015 Hyundai Genesis
  By msticks - August 14 - 11:47 am

  I took delivery of a 2015 Genesis AWD with the Signature, tech and Ultimate Packages just over 6 weeks ago. This was my second Hyundai as I traded a 2013 Azera in on the Genesis. The car is a wonder. It has so many features it took me a few days to figure them all out. But on a purely subjective assessment the exterior exudes "luxury". The fit and finish are up to luxury car standards. The interior is also outstanding with butter soft leather, burled walnut and nary a hard plastic surface to mar the ambiance. It is a great value and you are getting a superior car. How much is a BMW propeller or Mercedes Tri-Star worth? Not the $15,000 - $20,000 they charge for a comperable vehicle.

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  Some poor engineering ,quality issues, terrible buying experience - 2014 Hyundai Equus
  By carbuyer1929 - August 13 - 5:20 pm

  If you have owned a Lexus, I dont think youll be satisfied with the Equus. I am at 4 months of ownership, 2800 miles, and there are quite a few paint chips on the rocker panels due to stepping in and out of the car. Its obviously not just me, because they are on both sides. Lexus has a metal plate where Equus has a piece of painted plastic. Thats an engineering flaw in my book. Im being told this isnt warrantable because it was caused by the user. I also have a small tear on the leather on the driverss side door. i dont have the space to discuss the buying "experience" but its not one I will repeat...with bait and switch by 1 dealer and addition of BS charges by another.

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  Value - 2015 Hyundai Genesis
  By jparry6 - August 12 - 2:17 pm

  I have the 6 cylinder with premium and tech package. First with the high tech equipment this car compares favorably with a BMW or Lexus costing $20k more. This is the quietest car I have ever driven. I have had Lexus and BMW 5 series. The ride is more Lexus like. Handling isnt as sporty as a BMW but compares favorably Lexus and Mercedes. Has very little roll while cornering. At highway speeds it feels glued to the road. Have had for two months, no problems at all. Very comfortable interior and well laid out controls. Entertainment system is superior.

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  Owned 4.5 years - 2003 Hyundai Elantra
  By pencemen - August 9 - 10:00 am

  I purchased my blue 2003 Elantra GT hatchback with 65,000 miles, and it now has 135,000 miles. The leather seats and sunroof give you amenities not seen in cheaper vehicles like this one. Hyundai parts are easy to find, and repairs are cheap. I bought this car just before I went to college to use while in school. I replaced the audio unit with an updated one, so I could play pandora and hook in my maps. It comfortably seats 4, but fits 5 people. The size of the trunk is nice and not typically seen in hatchbacks. Ive replaced a section of the exhaust pipe for $200, valve cover gasket $25, brake caliper assembly $110. I can foresee that I will have to replace the timing belt and struts soon.

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  Love this car! - 2014 Hyundai Elantra
  By chrisw5000 - August 5 - 11:10 am

  I bought my 2014 Elantra Sport one month ago. I have 1000 miles on it and have enjoyed every mile! I love the larger 2.0 engine and more power over the the 1.8 liter. Its like driving a sportscar with the functionality of a sedan. I have a 4 year old so you can see how functionality is important. Im getting better gas milage than what was shown on the window sticker (with the Active ECO turned on). You do sacrifice power for the economy however. I almost bought a Sonata turbo but decided the Elantra Sport was a much better value for my budget and I still get the sporty feeling I was yearning for. The more I drive it, the more I like it. Get yours today, youll like it too!

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  Beware of water - 2013 Hyundai Elantra
  By ggullett - August 1 - 11:09 am

  I purchased the Elantra limited in 2012 after having done a bit of research on the vehicle for mpg, value, and etc. And after driving nearly 78k miles I can say that there are better vehicles for the money. I am on my second set of tires and both sets have horrible road noise that is amplified when stopping on wet pavement. I have had the car looked at by the dealer and they cant find anything. Also the steering wheel would pull to the left since the day I drove the car off the lot to which again the dealer said nothing wrong.

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  Excellent Car - 2003 Hyundai Sonata
  By blaakhawk - July 29 - 11:17 pm

  I just bought a 2003 Hyundai Sonata with only 41,000 miles on 1 owner carfax showed no accidents and schedule repairs on this car. It rides like brand new.