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:

• 

  Great value and performance - 2006 Hyundai TUCSON
  By sreg - August 14 - 10:40 pm

  This vehicle feels big inside but is not much bigger than the Elantra, and parks anywhere. Tons of nice features and safety packages (ABS, 6 airbags, TCS, ESC). Innovative fold-down hard back seats for cargo carrying. Interior looks better than expected for the money. No problems with acceleration or braking. Handling better than lots of non-SUVs I have owned. Warranty cant be beat.

• 

  Still undecided if I made right choice - 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Iownahyundai? - August 14 - 1:43 pm

  I owned a 2005 Chevy Trailblazer LT, loaded to the max. Sunroof,dual zone auto climate. Everything but the kitchen sink was in this truck. I loved driving it but the gas was killing me and the lease was up. I own a 08 Elantra and Im happy with it so I figured I would check out the Sante Fe. Fit and finish is good but I dont think the ride is so smooth. When Im doing 60mph and up I can feel it. On my trailblazer when I was doing 60 it felt like I was going 30mph Gas Mileage is between 18 and 19mpg and this is mostly all highway, so I am not to impressed with the mpg. Santa Fe is basically for the wifey and she likes it but my next truck will be a GM if theyre around:)

• 

  just drive one - 2003 Hyundai Elantra
  By dharmasutra - August 13 - 10:00 am

  Ive owned my 5-speed GT for 9 months, and Im still smiling. At 14,000 miles, Ive had the car in the shop (dealer) once to repair a leaking power steering hose - covered by warranty. It is amazing how quiet and solid this car feels on the road, compared to the other cars in its class. My wife has a 2000 NEON SE, and she drives my car every chance she can get because it "just drives better," in her words. You get a lot more class than you pay for.

• 

  When I want to go....I go - 2005 Hyundai Tiburon
  By YankeeInKY - August 12 - 10:46 pm

  Way fun to drive. Especially in the hills of KY & my many trips to Central NY. This baby loves the hills & hugs the road. Be prepared for others to try to race you. I have been driving (Im 40) and had young kids try to race me. However, I know now whats up and why as when I bought this car I thought it was cute. Only when I got a flat tire was I told this is a "High Performace" vehicle. Not to mention my cousin how runs a shop asked me why I bought it and like I said to him....I missed driving a coupe and it was just plain fun to drive.

• 

  Black Accent - 2003 Hyundai Accent
  By tkmagone - August 11 - 2:00 am

  Pleasant surprise. Engine is very smooth and car has virtually no rattles. Build quality is much better than expected.

• 

  Impressed by first Hyundai - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By fwypilot - August 10 - 7:54 am

  This is our first Hyundai. Between my wife and I, we have put on about 3500 miles (70/30 Hwy/Cty). Gas mileage has been averaging around 27-28 mpg. I am 6 ft. 3 in. tall and my wife is 5 ft. 2 in. We both find the seats to be comfortable and supportive. Our car had a mid level upgrade that came with Nav/XM/iPod/Bluetooth. The 300+ watt stereo with Dimensions brand speakers produces quality sound (not earth shaking) with a variety of music. Interior fit and finish seem to be spot on. Exterior has been holding up well. I just finished a drive to Vegas from L. A. and found the ride to be very smooth, quiet and solid, qualities we didnt expect with Hyundai. Dont pass this car up!

• 

  love/hate relationship with this car - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By karolewithak - August 9 - 7:57 am

  I enjoy riding in and driving this car - when I can keep it out of the shop. The service department people are great to me but cant seem to get all of the problems fixed. So far, the brake sensor went out, had a steering part recall, replaced the shift knob. Theres an AC-related intermittent knock in the glove box area that a new AC compressor didnt fix it. Something in the steering or suspension rattles over rough road or bad parking lots. A new strut assembly didnt help. The auto lock works but doesnt beep, but does double-beep when I unlock it. Sometime the driver window wont go back up, but the service guys cant duplicate that. Its tiresome.

• 

  2010 GLS 4cyl - 2010 Hyundai Sonata
  By Jess - August 6 - 6:46 pm

  Just completed a 2000 mile trip to Kansas from Georgia. The car was very comfortable, handled the rough interstates well, averaged 33 mpg, and held all of our luggage easily. Car replaced a 2001 mini-van. We miss the room, but the cars performance far exceeds the trade-off for room.

• 

  2009 Santa FE for a BIG Man - 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Dave S - August 3 - 3:53 pm

  I really like my Santa Fe however, I find the seat to not go back far enough. That said, the only vehicle that is comfortable for me is my Ford SuperDuty Truck. I stand 68". I do think they could have allowed the seat to go back just another 2". The vehicle is very well made and a joy to drive (except for my hurting knees). The mileage could be better. But I have found the odometer to be off by almost 10% LOW. Which means my mileage is probably 21 rather than the 19 shown on the computer. We only have 8K miles on it and there seems to be some clunking under the back end when going over rough road. Probably a loose shock. Havent taken it in yet to have the dealer look at it.

• 

  wheel barings - 2000 Hyundai Sonata
  By jean ferguson - August 2 - 2:00 am

  Its been a good car for the money. However, with less than 25,ooo miles on the car, and not quite 3 years old, both back wheel barings had to be replaced. I treat this car with kid gloves. NO wear and tear. This would indicate a manufactoring problem. And a dangerous one at that. It is a good solid ride, and I enjoy the car. The Hyundai towing service is excellent. They picked up my car in a matter of minutes and towed it to the nearest dealership to be repaired. The towing, and work on the car were free.