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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  Very reliable little car - 1999 Hyundai Elantra
  By Love my Lantra - April 25 - 2:00 am

  I bought my Elantra in June 2000 and 65,000 miles later have nothing but good things to say about it. I have yet to need to bring the car to the mechanic other than for scheduled maintenance...which is a very welcome change after my last car, a 92 Thunderbird which had a tendancy to blow head gaskets. The only complaint was with the factory stereo, but with the low price tag on the car(paid under $11,000) you have plenty left over to head to the electronics store and get a top notch aftermaket stereo installed. All in all, a great, reliable car for the money.

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  LOVE My Hyundai!~~!~~ - 2002 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Boobearzoo - April 20 - 10:00 am

  This car has been so reliable and so wonderful. It has not loosened up or turned into a rattle box. I have had very little go wrong with it and it is silly things like a switch light. It is the MOST incredible vehicle EVER in the snow. NOTHING got in its way!!!! I would buy another one without a doubt!

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  Shark by any other name - 2004 Hyundai Tiburon
  By ghostlion - April 20 - 10:00 am

  I knew when I first sat in a Tib at the autoshow that Hyundai had turned themselves around. I went with a friend a couple of months later for a test drive on a whim, more for fun than to purchase. We were both blown away. Fit and finish are great, quality of materials is above what the price would suggest. I ended up purchase my Tib in Nov 03. I cant tell you how many compliments i have gotten, and how many times ive been forced to open the door to let people get a look inside. Everyone that has gone anywhere with me has just ranted and raved about the car. If im feeling cranky I slip the trans into manual mode and drive some fun.

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  parents car - 2004 Hyundai XG350
  By cherriebaby136 - April 20 - 10:00 am

  I just got back from visting my parents and drove their 350. What a car! This car drives easy & has the feel of the older caddies & Lincolns. Quite smooth ride, lots of get-up & go. This car has all the buzzers & bells. User friendly interior. Great car for the money.

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  My New Elantra GT - 2004 Hyundai Elantra
  By Kandbsdad - April 20 - 10:00 am

  I have had this car for exactly 2 weeks now and am pretty happy with it. I have logged over 500 miles and the car drove just as well fully loaded with my family on last weekends getaway as it does everyday getting me to and from work! The ride is solid and it handles well, although Im still getting used to it! The only problem I have had is with the stereo; it wont play CDs without pausing intermittantly. Fuel mileage varies greatly; the MPG meter shows 35-40 on flat highway stretches but dips into the low 20s during my 13 mile commute thru a rural canyon, but it seems to be improving. The buying experience at San Bernardino Hyundai was Excellent!

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  quality of paint coat - 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By kessler17 - April 18 - 12:32 pm

  I have a 1996 Ford Taurus with 155000 miles on it and a 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe with 15000 miles on it. Both cars are driven on similar roads most of the time. The Taurus has scratches on the body but no rust spots whereas the where ever there are scratches on the Hyundai, it starts to rust. This is a major problem with this SUV.

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  V6 6spd Tibby - 2003 Hyundai Tiburon
  By chilli0007 - April 17 - 2:00 am

  Awesome car. Looks sporty yet classy. Handles great. Brakes are great. No problems exept for a faulty speaker which dealer replaced. Alpine supercharger in the works to make this car even faster and fun to drive.

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  Traded my 2002 Accord in - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By FRANK - April 16 - 10:16 pm

  Perhaps just the winter cold...not happy so far. Dead after work would not start. At speeds feels floaty. 3 Recalls, I cant remember ay for my Honda. Good thing I leased it. Its a Sonata, its So-not-a-Honda!

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  Dont Go With A 4 Cyl. - 2002 Hyundai Sonata
  By Dennis Perkins - April 16 - 2:00 am

  Its a sharp looking vehicle but the four cyl. is a dog. With the air on I could probably run a half a blook faster than the car. I also hate the climate control. When you start the car up the climate control goes to fresh air. This is not a possitive option when you live in the city. A lot of the time I forget to switch it to the cabin setting. I know this because I smell exhaust from a older car or bus. This is not healthy.

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  My first Hyundai - 2013 Hyundai Veloster
  By penguin103 - April 14 - 3:32 am

  This is my first Hyundai and so far, its a mixed bag. I am in my late 30s and I wouldnt consider myself the intended demographic for a Veloster. Pros - The car is fun to drive, handles great, gets about 32 mpg average. Plus, the base model includes bluetooth, A/C, cruise control, XM and keyless entry. Just what I needed and nothing I didnt- well done Hyundai. Cons - There is a constant loud rattle/creaking in the dash/glove box area that is driving me absolutely nuts. I hate for this to be a reason I dont like driving it, but its getting to that point. Im going to see if the dealership can do something at my first oil change.