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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  Not a happy customer - 2007 Hyundai Sonata
  By sherleej - February 6 - 9:03 am

  Well, it has been in the shop A BUNCH. They cant find the problem w/ the air bag light showing no one in the seat although they replaced the seat w/ a recall. They now say well we changed it we wont do nothing. Car has had one problem after another & now is out of warranty a lot of stuff is starting to go wrong. I am thinking of selling my car & will not consider a Hyundai to purchase. I feel the company has not tried to fix my car & that it is not reliable.

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  Best value I could Find - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By tuckerjm - February 6 - 6:26 am

  Been shopping for a car for 4 years. Intensive research. May not be the best car car, but it is a great car anyway. Definitely the best value for the money in its class hands down. Feature rich vehicle that you dont pay extra for.

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  Actually the top 2005 LX 4WD - 2006 Hyundai TUCSON
  By augg-the-dog - February 6 - 3:30 am

  We love it. We replaced my wifes 2000 Jeep Cherokee and we are very impressed. More head and leg room, better vis, and all at the same overall length (+/- a tiny inch or so). If you are a young family with multiple car seats, playpens and baby stuff to haul, it may not fill the bill. But for my wifes everyday round-town, it is perfect. Remember, most of the folks that report to CR are usually those that are unhappy for both small and big reasons. Personally, if interior noice is rated at 92dbs or 94 dbs or whatever, it is typically meaningless to me. Great car, great ride and great value...we researched them all.

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  Best Ever - 2006 Hyundai TUCSON
  By Armand Micheline - February 6 - 12:53 am

  I drove Toyota for 15 years, 3 vehicles, but after trying to Tucson, I fell in love! I love that the seats fold FLAT...Big selling point for cargo hauling. This vehicle is by far the best for the price, and I strongly recommend anyone looking to check it out!

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  Fine, but too much engine vibration - 2004 Hyundai Elantra
  By jjrobert - February 5 - 9:47 pm

  Maybe I got the lemon, but theres too much engine vibration at 2500 rpm. My rear-view mirror sounds like its trying to tell me something.

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  1.8lt 1999-2000 coupe - 2000 Hyundai Tiburon
  By nick147 - February 5 - 7:13 pm

  love the car, I brought it two months ago from Melbourne (2014) it only has 150,000kms on the clock. I had to fix the passenger window which cost me nothing, just some time as well as a cracked manifold which we ordered a new one for $150 and some time to fix the windshield wiper switch (stalk), the car came with a new windshield and battery but will need a/c re gassing ($200) it is super comfy and I highly recommend getting one P.S I got it for $1,600AUD

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  Just bought for my Daughter - 2005 Hyundai Tiburon
  By gdevans - February 5 - 5:16 pm

  Just bought 4cylinder roof,cloth,dark tint wins,black/black. good quality, good price good looking! less than two hundred miles on it now so time will tell but my daughter picked it over several other autos and she loves it

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  Confused New Buyer... - 2007 Hyundai Sonata
  By magnoliaviva - February 4 - 9:50 pm

  My GLS XM doesnt have the MP3 input jack, or the leather-covered steering wheel and leather-trimmed shift knob, which is odd, because these are standard features! The sticker said it came equipped with fog lights, which the dealer confirmed, but there are no fog lights...which I found out driving home the first night I owned the car in a thick, blinding fog! It seems that there was a shift in the trim lineup the very week I purchased the car. This is something Ill have to resolve on Monday, when the dealership reopens. Meanwhile, this car is so peaceful to drive; its like riding on a velvet cloud - but with great road feel and steering-wheel feedback, as well as decent handling.

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  Great reliable car, yes reliable - 2003 Hyundai Accent
  By KD - February 4 - 12:22 pm

  We bought this car as a cheap commuter car and figured we would maybe get 100k from it. Well at 120k now and still going strong. Only issue was lost a crankshaft sensor around 90k and one battery but that was it. Regular fluid changes and the car is happy. Still get around 34 MPG.

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  Looking forward to owning this for years - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By djali79 - February 4 - 12:12 pm

  I previously owned a 2001 Elantra GLS, which I drove from 31k to 191k on the odometer. I bought this Sonata with 25k on the odo. Hopefully it can get me beyond 191k. I love the bigger engine, even though there is a little sacrifice with fuel economy. The car is put together very well and is a great car for highway driving. Granted, the suspension doesnt shield noise as well as the Accord, but given the price difference, its hard to justify buying the Japanese brands. For the money, this car is difficult to beat.