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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  Love It! - 2007 Hyundai Tiburon
  By tigerchk09 - February 21 - 7:33 pm

  I purchased my Tiburon new in 07 and a few months after I bought it it died on the railroad tracks and they had to come get it and take it to the dealership to fix it. After a week of having it back supposedly fixed it died again but after the second time they fixed I havent had another other problems from it. Its a great car and I get tons of compliments I even walked outside one day to find a woman taking pictures of it because there arent many in my area and mine is the only Limited for miles.

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  What a deal ! - 2005 Hyundai Elantra
  By Chris - February 20 - 9:43 pm

  For the money I dont think you can get a better deal with such good quality. I was so impressed with what you get that I am sure this is the best bang for the buck. The engine is the smoothest 4 cyl I have ever driven... bar none, something I never expected. Solid feel seems like a much bigger car. Be careful though, when on the highway you can easily get to 90 without noticing, thats how good the ride is and how zippy the motor is. Overall one of the best purchases I have ever made.

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  Very nice car for the money - 2010 Hyundai Sonata
  By ky - February 20 - 8:16 pm

  I bough this car with 5100 less than invoice with the manufacturer rebate included. I like the color. It has some many luxury features. The only thing that I do not like is the gas mileage. It is supposed to make 22 mpg in the city, but does only 18.5 mpg. I have not tested in the highway. I especially like the fuel usage computer in the car. I am sure the heated front seats will come handy during cold winter months. The build quality is very good. It feels like an expensive car.

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  Money Well Spent - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By mausman - February 20 - 2:03 pm

  I just took delivery and am pleased thus far. The interior upgrades (esp. The dash) are vastly improved. Getting about 29 mpg so far. I personally wouldnt spend the monies on the v6 as the upgraded motor has plenty and the throttle response is right there when giving it gas. Also why we bought is the increased seat width and more spacious cabin. We were looking at a 06-07 Nissan altima, but found the 4 cylinder to be noisy when shifting through gears. Plus the altima is priced 5-6k more. The fit and finish is tight and the ride is very quiet and smooth! Only thing missing is the tight steering response. Ill write more when I can get it away from my wife and finally drive it!

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  A solid bargain and eye-catching at that - 2003 Hyundai Elantra
  By barney345 - February 20 - 10:00 am

  When you tell people it is a Hyundai, they still raise their eyebrows... "really? a Korean car. Well, I drive lots of miles and I love the car. The 5sp manual gives it a sporty feel, and the quality is very sound. The only reason I wouldnt recommend it is because once a person breaks the mental barriers to driving what seems to be an econo vehicle, and you drive it, you wont want to pay for the toyota, nissan or subaru name; my vehicle wont seem such a special car on the road. I think it is a winner over entry level cars in these other brands as well as volvo or even mercedes c-class (really, who wants a rwd car- unless you want to pay for the emblem).

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  Its so easy - 1996 Hyundai Accent
  By Dame Carter - February 19 - 10:32 pm

  Truth is the car uses a mitsubishi engine if people didnt know and its so easy to to customize, its not a car people normally assume is fast so when persons realize whoa thats a hyundai, its like yea fast isnt it. Its cheaper than alot of other cars to maintain and cheap to boost if your interested in speed.

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  2009 Auto of the Year for good reason! - 2009 Hyundai Genesis
  By CommanderSea - February 19 - 1:36 pm

  I researched this auto in depth prior to purchase. After driving it, I traded my Corvette for it! 375HP, accel that pulls "Gs", Beautiful finish, luxury leather, 1500 mile trip: 27.5mpg at 70mph. Quiet, cool, beautiful, people ask me if its the new BMW/Mercedes/Infiniti--they cannot believe it when they see the Hyundai emblem! Acoustics are phenomenal, tech package is a must! I LOVE MY GENESIS!!

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  Love Hyundai - 2005 Hyundai Accent
  By J8 - February 19 - 9:58 am

  I had a 94 Excel before this and although that was the best car in the world, the Accent is basically its younger sister. I love hatchbacks to begin with and prefer Asian cars. The Accent will take whatever you throw at it, even though its not exactly in a big hurry. If you want a powerhouse, this isnt the right car the Accents all about economy. Handles great, fits in anywhere, I complain if my MPG dips to 27 (only in winter - when it warms up its back pushing on 40). Also, never having dealt with a warranty before, I was impressed by how simple Hyundai is to deal with. The speed sensors went out & I was a bit late finding my paperwork to transfer the warranty but it was no problem.

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  Good alternative to the new Genesis - 2016 Hyundai Azera
  By Rick - February 18 - 3:11 am

  This new model came with all the technology features I was looking for in a slightly upscale sedan.

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  Former Lexus Owner - 2007 Hyundai Veracruz
  By Ex Lexus - February 18 - 1:13 am

  I must admit I was nervous buying a Hyundai. The Motor Trend report was what caused me to take a look at Hyundai. I must admit that I lost sleep, and almost canceled the order twice. Now that I took delivery, am I glad I did not cancel. GREAT ride. I have driven it 1100 miles and it has been like a mobile library. Quiet. The 6 speed trans is trend setting and super smooth. I love all the toys and features. The sound system is second to none. It is a car that shows innovation, creativity, caring assembly great styling. Keyless entry is one of those things you wonder how you got along without. The same for the auto lift gate. Hyundai has a winner. Someone said "Car of the Year." Just wait.