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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  I Love My Sonata - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By Connie - October 7 - 3:16 am

  I love the car.

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  Second Time Around - 2011 Hyundai Genesis
  By K.B. - October 5 - 12:11 am

  This is my second time purchasing a Genesis. First one was 2012, the current one is 2011. The 2012 was a great car but after about two years I really wanted a Cadillac CTS which was a nice car but they charge for every little amenity. Their packages seem to leave out some of the best features. But after getting rid of that vehicle and dealing with Mercedes and BMW, I feel like I get the most for my money with Genesis. And much better reliability than the other brands.

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  Good overall, except for transmition - 2000 Hyundai Elantra
  By DJD - October 4 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car for value and I think I have it. Ill be paying it off tomorrow and know that with the warranties its guaranteed to last many more years! The transmition is my biggest complaint since its not-so- tight and it had to be repaired. Hyundais not perfect but theyve come a long way, baby! So many standard features for very little money.

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  Good SUV, Poor FM Radio - 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By John - October 3 - 5:03 pm

  After tons of research, we went with the Santa Fe. Consumers top pick for mid-size SUV. With the warranty and price, seemed like a good deal. Gas MPG is about 20 for city driving. Got the premium package. Heated seat are nice.

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  Great car fot the price - 1995 Hyundai Sonata
  By jonas - October 3 - 2:00 am

  Its a very great car for the price, I have paid 3500$ CAN, a civic 92 worth 3500$ CAN. and I can tell you that the sonata 95 is better on all points. Its smooth and with the 5 speed model, the mitsubitshi (137 hp) respond very well. At 175 000K the motor lools like a new one!.

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  Gets me there - 1997 Hyundai Elantra
  By Runabout - October 3 - 2:00 am

  This car has transported me to and fro and never broken down on me. Its got responsive trans (manual) goes pretty fast and gets good mileage. Too bad it depreciates quickly. Only problems were with a recall for fuel tank vacuum pressure that took the dealer a while to diagnose/fix properly.

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  GREAT car for the price! - 2002 Hyundai Accent
  By Tony in Northeast PA - October 2 - 2:00 am

  I owned 3 Honda Civics before trying out the Accent. "Pleasantly surprised" would be an understatement. I cant imagine a better car for the price. Its loaded with more features than I would have ever expected. Its really peppy and runs like a champ (so far!). The Hyundai warranty is what sold me...if they are willing to stand by their products, I was willing to give it a try. Im glad I did. Terrific around town car and even good for longer hauls. A great 2nd family car (I have a Hyundai Santa Fe to do the real family hauling).

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  I should have - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By Matt_Landers - September 30 - 10:06 pm

  Bought my 2011 Limited in Feb.10. Traded from an Accord EX-L. Should have kept the Accord. Traded back three months later to an Accord. The Sonata wasnt a bad car but MUCH preferred how an Accord handles and holds the road. The Sonata had a lot of features and value for the money and for some people it may be a great car. It wasnt for me. Had some issues with the muffler and build quality problems inside the cabin that the dealer was unable to make right, in my opinion. Ive found there is less risk with Honda quality and resale value for sure. I may consider a Hyundai down the road but for now, ill pass on the Sonata. Hyundai def. has come a long way and I hope they keep going!

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  Very Good Transportation - 2003 Hyundai Elantra
  By Lyn Webb - September 30 - 2:00 am

  This is my 2nd Elantra, I owed a 2001 (it burned in the San Diego Fire) I loved that car. Drove it for almost 60,000 miles with no trouble. My 2003 feels just as good. It is quite inside and drives smooth. I believe the Hyundia Elantra is a Great deal, but I think most people still think it is a throw away car. You can pay alot more for a car and get alot less.

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  Still a good car - 2007 Hyundai Tiburon
  By Maine - September 27 - 5:00 pm

  Ive owned a 97 Tiburon, a 03 tiburon, and am now the proud owner of a 07 tiburon. I love the line, its always provided me with fun driving and this year is no different. The most notable is the chassis just feels stiffer then ever. The steering is very tight and gives that racing feel. The 07 looks better then ever and Im enjoying it. I suppose when the new model comes out in 09 I will wait till around 12 and purchase that year! keep up the good work Hyundai