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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  No Regrets - 2002 Hyundai XG350
  By New2Fla - March 24 - 10:36 pm

  Recently moved to Florida and needed a car right away. I loved the look of this car at a used dealership. 6 Years old and it ran soooo smooth, I named it "Denzel". It just needs it reagular oil change, ive replaced all belts and, with just one previos owner. So far its been worth its purchase price.

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  Unbeatable for the price - 2009 Hyundai Azera
  By Poppy J - March 24 - 3:11 pm

  What a beauty! One option package includes everything. The fit and finish is excellent. Whomever rides in it has nothing but raves.I have had this car for only 21/2 weeks and have not found a thing wrong with it. The price with all thw whistles and bells is so far below the competitions price. The public does not know what they are missing. It was the top of the Hyundai line but probably will be replaced by the Genesis which goes for about $40,000. Too bad! Ill write follow- up in 6 months and see if I still love it.

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  Love my Hyundai Genesis Coupe! - 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe
  By Richard Hardina - March 24 - 10:46 am

  Have owned my Genesis Coupe for more than 1 year and still get stares from other drivers! This beauty is really FUN to drive! Had a mechanical issue with the Electronic Stability Control light but dealer provided a free loaner and took care of the problem. I cant help looking back at my Genesis Coupe every time I walk away from it! For as my neighbor said: "When they designed the Genesis Coup[e they sure got it RIGHT!" Never would have considered buying a 300+ horsepower car until I saw it up close and in person. Im not a lead-foot, and have experienced a consistent 27 miles per gallon (even though its an automatic)! An amazing car for an amazingly low price! Thanks, Hyundai!

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  Reliable Used Car at a Low Price - 2005 Hyundai Sonata
  By Ledfoot472 - March 23 - 8:58 pm

  I do not own this car, but a family member to whom I recommended it to does, and I do drive it from time to time. Overall, it is a good midsize car. I thas the special edition package that includes heated cloth seats and automatic climate control. Comfort on long drives is fine. The ride is smooth and engine and road noise are well controlled with only an occasional squeak or rattle. The car was purchased with 23k and now has over 40k. Only needed new tires, brakes and belts in addition to regular maintenance, of course. The V- 6 has adequate power, but my much more powerful Azera gets better gas mileage. Overall, a good choice for a reliable used car at a low price.

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  UNBELIEVABLE - 2009 Hyundai Genesis
  By kwiss - March 23 - 8:43 am

  This car is truly unreal. I did all my research, drove all the cars on my list and hands down the Genesis blew the competition away. I am extremely happy with my brand new Hyundai!

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  The Value Leader of the 4-Door Sedans - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By Ledfoot472 - March 22 - 9:23 pm

  I had this car for almost 4 years and just traded it for an Azera. I do not have many complaints. There were only a few warranty repairs. The dealer always honored the warranty despite what some people say. My 4-cyl felt more like 192 horsepower than 162. There was ample power 95% of the time. The 4 speed auto was smooth and the manual mode worked well, if a bit slow. Averaged 30-33 MPG on trips and 16-20 MPG in city driving only. The ride was comfortable, but the car could have used a bit more structural rigidity (a few squeaks and rattles). Interior comfort was also good and noise levels were low unless you really wound up the engine. Doing your own maintenance is also simple.

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  No Better Near-Luxury Car for the Price - 2008 Hyundai Azera
  By Ledfoot472 - March 22 - 9:01 pm

  I traded a 2006 Sonata GLS 4-cyl for this car. I was also looking at a 2009 Sonata 4-cyl Limited. After driving the Azera, there was no comparison. I got the Azera with 15k on it for $1,000 less than the Sonata Limited would have been even after $4,500 in rebates. The Azera is a solid car with a quiet ride. Only over certain types of broken pavement could the suspension be a little more supple. The 3.8 liter engine is very quiet and goes almost unheard up until 4,500 rpm. The engine is very strong throughout the powerband. The 5-speed auto is smooth, though shifts could be a bit more swift. The gas mileage averages only 2-3 MPG less than my Sonata 4-cyl.

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  love this car - 2007 Hyundai Azera
  By James - March 22 - 7:15 pm

  I have owned my Azera for 3 months. We went on a 1700 mile road trip last week. This car is fun to drive, comfortable, quiet, and very responsive. It has the 3.8L V6, and it only has 3500 miles on the odometer. It should get better mileage when it is broken in. I checked the fuel economy and got 28.3 mpg. It holds the road well around curves and when you need to pass on a two lane road the response to a little pressure on the gas peddle is awesome. In conclusion, for the price you can not beat the Hyundai Azera in my opinion. This car is sweeeeet.

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  Great car for the money - 2003 Hyundai Elantra
  By Radley - March 22 - 11:46 am

  Bought this car new in late 02 now have 92K miles. Had only a few minor problems, all covered under extended warranty: E-brake cable, rear wheel bearing, hatch latch. Orig. tires went 40K miles, brakes a bit more. Needs a new clutch, but 90k mile seems about right. Paint is sensitive to dings and scratches, but the body has held up fairly well. Ive lost a few radio control knobs, and the speakers are beginning to give a little static, but the interior has held up nicely. Service at dealers has been mixed, sometimes too expensive and other times they dont do things listed in manual (like radiator flush at 60,000). Resale value isnt great, so I will keep this car until it falls apart.

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  Good cheap car - 2003 Hyundai Elantra
  By Jack - March 22 - 10:09 am

  I drive my Elantra 80 miles hwy everyday for the past year. It has had very few issues such as the O2 sensors failing and my parking break snapped. Relatively cheap fixes. What did concern me was when I hit my cow of a deer, was that the air bags didnt deploy when the whole front end of my car was smashed up. The repairs, covered by my collision insurance were extremely cheap, only coming out to be $1400 total for new headlights, grill, hood, bumper + cover fog lights, horn, paint job and tire. It has been a great car and has been a pretty good winter car.