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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  FUN TO DRIVE - 2003 Hyundai Tiburon
  By KMAN - September 2 - 10:00 am

  THE TIB IS FUN TO DRIVE PLUNTY OF POWER AND THE AUTOMATIC WITH THE SHIFT-MATIC MAKES IT FUN TO DRIVE AND WORKS JUST LIKE A MANUAL...

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  Rodriguez - 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By JLRA - September 2 - 10:00 am

  Excellent built, great performance (higher than expected), pleasant and safe for driving, smooth ride, roomy inside. For me this have been my best car in the few days I have it.

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  Great Ride - 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By stefred - September 2 - 10:00 am

  We love it. We are expecting our first child in June and needed a bigger and safer vehicle. I love the style and the interior of this SUV. Theres plenty of room up front and in back for tall and large people. So far after every baby shower weve had plenty of room for our gifts. The dash and other components on the inside look very fancy and are located in perfect positions. We love this car.

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  My first new car - 2003 Hyundai Elantra
  By Jamien - September 2 - 10:00 am

  I tested the Saturn Ion 2, and the Kia Spectra. When I drove the Elantra, I knew I had found the car, the deal, and the warranty for me. It accelerates well, feels good, looks good, and with only an extra 400$ I got all the power gadgets I wanted. I love the way it shifts, and it has plenty of places to put my stuff. A lot of the interior was similar to the Spectra, but it was way more comfortable. Steers like a dream, nice stereo, even if it is just a cassette, but I had to have a cassette for my xm radio.

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  Cant say enough good things about car! - 2007 Hyundai Elantra
  By clcotton32 - August 31 - 4:04 pm

  This car is so amazing. I first purchased an 06 Elantra which did not come standard with ABS. After doing some looking to purchase another 06 with ABS, I saw the 07 Elantra and immediately fell in love. It is larger and more comfy. However, I did really like the 06 but the 07 had all the features and the look I wanted. I cant say enough about the car. It is bigger than my previous 94 Sentra and sits higher off the ground. The 138 hp is great. The sound system is wonderful. Road noise is minimal. Some say the interior looks cheap but I dont think so for the price you pay. Great warranty. Once I bought this car I felt at peace with my decision.

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  Best In Its Class - 2007 Hyundai Elantra
  By David - August 31 - 10:01 am

  Traded in may 04 Elantra for the 07. The 04 wasnt bad, but the 07 is much improved. It handles better, especially on turns, and feels tighter. It now has all the features I wish the 04 had such as, keyless trunk opening, auxiliary stereo jack and XM radio. The controls are placed better and operate more intuitively. The 07 is quieter than the 04. I seriously compared all other cars in the same class and the Elantra is clearly the best price to feature selection.

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  Love this car - 2007 Hyundai Sonata
  By Rtuh Bishop - August 31 - 6:16 am

  I bought this car to replace my 10 year old Nissan Altima. I have to do quite a bit a difficult driving in the D.C. area and needed a car with some power for beltway driving. I was going to buy another Altima, but felt that the Sonia was a better value. I drive my cars for ten years plus so the lower resale value of the Hyundai was not an issue. I found for the same money I would have spent on a 2006 used Altimia I got a fully loaded Hyundia with a better warranty. I love the ride and handling and would defiantly recommend this car if your in the market.

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  A Fine Lil SUV - 2006 Hyundai TUCSON
  By jojo - August 31 - 5:56 am

  Best small SUV value out there (besides the Kia Sportage, but Kias still seem to lag in quality). Great styling, both inside and out, very roomy, standard ESC/ABS/TC, well laid out controls.

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  "my sonat is hot - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By rockstar - August 31 - 1:13 am

  After having a 01 Saturn, elantra07 and now the sonata. After originally test driving Genesis, priced to high, but loved it overall. Without even test driving sonata I said, if price was good Id buy. After the test drive, I was impressed! Bought it, traded 07 elan (elantra). I really enjoy my 09 sonata it turns heads where ever I go its black on black (black out) and pulling up next to a Toyota cam, Honda accord, even a c-class Benz. I truly recommend if you looking for a great car sonata 09 is it. Buy it now. Proud to drive a sonata.

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  Great vehicle for the money! - 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By peoples1234 - August 30 - 11:30 pm

  Having put almost 7000 miles on the Santa Fe in 4 months, I have to say that I am very satisfied. Overall a great vehicle. It is comfortable, spacious, and tows anything I can put in a 4x8 utility trailer. Gas mileage has been about 18 mpg with mostly suburban driving, but I leave it idling a lot for my daughter in the summer. Highway is about 22, but would be a lot better if I could keep it below 80. My wife frequently gets 24-26 on the interstate when she drives. Power is adequate, but not breathtaking. Overall the best value in the 20K SUV price range.