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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  Odor in AC - 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Susan - April 22 - 10:46 pm

  I bought a Hyundai Santa Fe from Coconut Creek and complained about the odor in my car. They would not honor my warranty and wanted to charge $140 for repairs. I took it to another dealer and they used disinfectant and the smell came back. Hyundai admits the problem because they changed the ionizer to eliminate bad odors. I wouldnt buy another Hyundai again since they are not standing behind their problem with the AC

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  Ex-Honda Owner - 2008 Hyundai Elantra
  By chivo - April 22 - 3:27 pm

  bought leftover 08. Paid $13,200. Has automatic, bluetooth, a/c, fog lights, xm radio, mp3, radio/cd. All for a measly $13,200 plus tax. Try buying a stripped civic with a manual and no a/c for that. Extremely comfortable and quiet once you are up to speed. Yeah its a bit loud when youre accelerating hard, big deal. We had purchased a Kia optima lx and loved it. I actually like the smaller elantra better.

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  I love it! - 2005 Hyundai Elantra
  By Colleen Ryan - April 21 - 10:40 pm

  I had to be talked into buying this car against my wishes, but I love it. The car is smooth, reliable, has wonderful design (everything necessary is within reach) and the warranty CANNOT BE BEAT! I bought this car used with only 10,500 miles on it and had a bearing go within the first month. No problem. I took it into the dealership and they fixed it and changed the oil just for good measure while they had it at no charge! I didnt believe the warranty could be that good or that reliable, but it is. Am getting ready to trade mine in for a new one because of how fast I put miles on it (and that is the only reason). Yhinking I might try the Sonata this time. It is a wonderful car!

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  Eighteen Months Later - 2009 Hyundai Elantra Touring
  By Mister Digger - April 21 - 10:00 am

  At 58,300 miles and 18 months of very reliable ownership, it was time to trade this one in on something bigger and more comfortable. I now have a bone spur on my heel, so this very reliable car suddenly did not meet my needs. I had to trade up to a small crossover SUV, which wound up not being another Hyundai. Like Honda, the Hyundai seats seem to be made for durability rather than comfort. Big people like me may find them a bit uncomfortable. Also, it seems that most other drivers on the road hate the way this car looks, so they are constantly trying to push this underpowered car out the way. It also looked like each driver behind me was sitting in my cargo area. A bit unnerving!

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  Excellent Vehicle - 2007 Hyundai Veracruz
  By dave - April 21 - 10:00 am

  The Veracruz is a very well built auto. With the addition of a hitch, it even tows reasonably heavy loads without much trouble. The engine is very capable. The interior is nearly perfect. Material quality is terrific and better than my previous Honda. In 60k miles the only issue I have had is a power window switch had to be replaced. Great stereo. Has been in two collisions, front and rear, with no damage other than bumper cover replacement. One of the other vehicles was totalled with trunk and roof creases. Compares well with my wifes Acadia.

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  Love it - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By Bren - April 21 - 10:00 am

  I love my sonata. I bought the limited. I have only 1000 mi on it so far. the styling is great! lots of compliments. I test drove several cars before I made my decision. I drove Cadillac cts, Buick lacrosse, Buick regal, ford Taurus. I chose the sonata because of value, style, fun to drive.

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  Its not what you think - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By Ray - April 21 - 10:00 am

  The 4 cyl is underpowered. Rough idle. Needs a 6 cyl engine. Honda Accord or GM 6 cyl make this look sick. Dont waste your money.

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  2006 Tucson - 2006 Hyundai TUCSON
  By jcmann01 - April 20 - 5:03 pm

  Bought in JAN 07. Love it!! A must see if your in the market for an SUV. Top rating of 2006 for small SUVs and excellent crash rating by Gov. test standards. 2.7 Liter engine may seem small compared to others, but dont be fooled! This baby has a lot of spit fire, but at the same time is economical. No problems getting up to 80-90 mph on highway without engine strain and quickly. City milege is about 20MPG.

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  2004 Tiburon V6 2-door coupe-Trouble - 2004 Hyundai Tiburon
  By ucppsych - April 20 - 2:50 pm

  I bought this car brand new. Received a lot of compliments. It only has 50,000 miles on it. Prior to this the headlight, lens covers turned a dark yellow. The rubber around all the doors look like its a 3 yr. old car. Ashtray light burned out, check engine light continues to go on and off, side power window wont go up or down, airbag light stays on, rear caliper froze-cost 400.00 to replace. Co2 sensor needed to be replaced..another 400+.The sunroof leaks like a sive into my lap. Coating on the mirrors are peeling off leaving it dull. Cannot repaint because its still peeling. Now its hard to start, then stalls. No one knows why. Loud sound in the front end when you turn the wheel.

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  I love this car - 2006 Hyundai Tiburon
  By jenna - April 20 - 10:16 am

  This is a great and fun to drive car. It was also very reasonably priced. I would recommend this car to anyone. i get looks wherever I go with this car. Thanks!!!