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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  Wide grins for me and wifey - 2003 Hyundai Tiburon
  By weeeeeeee! - January 27 - 10:00 am

  The wife and I bought a 6-cyl, 5-spd Tibby and we just love it! Its got plenty of power for around town. I mean, lets face facts...where do everyday joes get to use 250 or 300hp anyway? The 170ish hp that comes outta the box is sensible yet still fun. Gotta go with the 17in wheels though. They look kewler and help to stiffen the ride a bit. Otherwise, the car is keen on standard features and the exterior is better than the RSX and not as goofy as the celica. For the money, I feel the Tib fills a niche between bland status symbols (RSX), overpiced and under powered cliches (Eclipse), and over done sillycars (celica).

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  Fell In Love With Looks - 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By shirley - January 27 - 10:00 am

  Looks like a car/drives like a car and is so fun to drive that I make up excuses to drive it. Ive had lots of complements on its looks, and the two toned paint color. Everyone is impressed at the looks of the interior. For the price you get a really great looking car.

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  The Perfect Car! - 2003 Hyundai Elantra
  By babygirl10 - January 27 - 10:00 am

  This is the best car that I have ever had. It fits my needs perfectly. It is a perfect size, and rides beautifully! It was also priced unbelieveably great. The gauges are easy to read and everything inside is easy to find. There were even a few extra perks that I didnt expect the car to have. For instance, I now have a special holder for my sunglasses. This comes in handy because I always leave them in the car, and this way they dont get scratched. Sometimes it is the little things that get the consumer excited about a car. I must say again how pleased I am with my new Hyundai Elantra!

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  Love my Elantra - 2003 Hyundai Elantra
  By Amy Davies - January 27 - 10:00 am

  When I had my second child, I needed a reliable 4 door vehicle, within our budget. I did a lot of research and found that the Elantra was affordable and classy. I went to our local Hyundai dealer and in no way was I pressured to buy. I went in and told them exactly what I was looking for as far as options and it turned out everything I thought was an option, came standard. For example, dual front airbags, side impact airbags, and power windows and locks. After I test drove it, I bought it! I love my Elantra!

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  Great Car - 2003 Hyundai Elantra
  By Spohn - January 27 - 10:00 am

  I am only 49 and I sit great in it. Have great visiblity. It is a great car for a short person. When I sit behind the wheel, I feel like it was built for me.

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  Joss Car - 2003 Hyundai Elantra
  By Jos Sante - January 27 - 10:00 am

  I am 62 year old man and have owned 8 new cars in my lifetime. A VW, Chevy, Mercury, Toyota, Mitsubishi and this Hyundai is the best new car I ever owned. The design is smart, well done, clean and safe. It is also the best price car I ever bought and with the most conveniences included in standard price.

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  Very comfortable Ride - 2003 Hyundai Elantra
  By Ralph T - January 27 - 10:00 am

  Bought my Elantra May 2002 and to date I have been pleased with the overall car. The reliability of some parts slightly disappointed me but I guess the warranty made up for it.

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  2003 santa fe 3.5 awd - 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By pss - January 27 - 10:00 am

  Vehicle has very slight lag on initial acceleration to about 2200rpm and then its very good. Ride is firm- seating very comfortable. Slight reflection of dashboard in windshield and of rear brake light under some lighting conditions. Gas mileage about 13 mpg under suburban non highway driving. Engine smooth- trans shifts smooth and not overly active.

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  You Bought a What? - 2016 Hyundai Azera
  By Jim Halerz - January 27 - 7:25 am

  I have owned many of the upscale brands including Mercedes to Lexus. I am very pleasantly surprised at how the Azera stands up to the higher-priced spread in comparison. The exterior style isnt necessarily a show-stopper but my black and tan Limited with 19 inch wheels stills looks pretty cool coming down the street. The interior is top quality with heated, perforated leather seating, a great sound system and plenty of room -- front and back. The 293 hp engine has plenty of acceleration and gets up to cruising speed on the highway very quickly and smoothly. And a big, big plus is high 20s mileage with regular gas. I considered a pre-owned 5-series Beemer but am very happy that I chose the Azera. This car has all the bells and whistles for under $40K... hard not to give it a chance.

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  Great quality car for a reasonable price - 2006 Hyundai Azera
  By Jack Kapp - January 27 - 3:06 am

  It was my intention to choose between the Hyundai Azera (limited) and the Toyota Avalon. Aside from a significant price saving, I have found the bigger trunk and inside dimensions as real pluses over the Avalon. The overall quality after 5 months is quite impressive to me, and it is a very fun car to drive. It is very good in the snow and on slippery roads. I wish I could get higher gas mileage.