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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  Love IT - 2003 Hyundai Tiburon
  By Annie1 - December 8 - 10:00 am

  Loved the car as soon as I saw it. Dealership let me take it for an afternoon test drive. Had to have it.

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  This car is a blast to drive. - 2002 Hyundai Accent
  By inuvik - December 8 - 10:00 am

  I was in the market to replace my worn out, trusty Metro (258k) and frankly was shocked about how it was nearly impossible to get a base model commuter car for less than $13000.00 I looked at Saturn, Honda, Toyota and by the time I added air, cd player, power windows, door locks I was in the neighborhood of $15000.00+ I was pleasantly surprised when I drove the Hyundai Accent GS. The DOHC is smooth and with the 5 speed tranny is really fun to drive. It rides, handles great and air conditioning is a standard feature. So I ended up with GS with the Option 3 package (power windows, mirrors, door locks). Factor in the warranty and it was a no brainer decision. The total cost was $10400.00

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  Defintely not a gas sipper - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By bargain hunter - December 7 - 4:33 pm

  I only have the Sonata since October and I am very pleased with the interior of the car. However, the gas mileage is significantly lower (18 mpg) than what I was led to believe by the sticker (26 mpg). I feel like I was duped by the posted info. This car will never average 26 mpg.

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  Good Choice - 2002 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Santa Fe - December 7 - 8:06 am

  For the cost, the Hyundai is a great car. It runs like a car rather than a truck. It handles well, and is very reliable. I am about to trade in for a 2006 model.

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  Great car for the money. I love it! - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By Subin - December 7 - 12:13 am

  Got the Sonata Limited 2 weeks ago. Black paint with black leather + paint sealant + door edge guards + carpets + cargo net + ipod cable. Turns heads, great mileage. On my first day to office driving it, everyone came out to check it out. Visually, it easily outshines my bosss Mercedes CLS when parked right next to it! My sunroof had a dent and the interior map lights were stuck. My dealership fixed it in 2 weeks. But my dealer was lousy and failed to return calls. Not a great buying experience. Check the car in broad daylight (especially sunroof, lights and leather) before you get one.

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  Great Little SUV - 2006 Hyundai TUCSON
  By Sharon - December 6 - 11:00 pm

  I have only had my Suv about 2 months & I love it so far. My grandkids said I was a cool grandma, they love it too. So far I am pleased with it, I also agree could get better gas miliage. Although its not bad. I love driving it!

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  Just Another Car-- Feeling Un-American - 2005 Hyundai XG350
  By Aaron - December 6 - 2:00 am

  Bought new. Bought for the looks, price, and warranty. In the end; the transmission was replaced. $900.00 timing belt plus brakes at 60K. Armrest latch and cruise control button broke. Mysterious air bag light/sensor in seat that took no less then five or six tries to fix, and just out of warantee... main wire harness had a meltdown. So in the end it is just another car. Read the comments below; they are all on the money. (Hope all those transmissions got replaced?) Biggest let down...availability of parts. Nothing like waiting a week for your parts to arrive from Korea. And darn it if I just feel un-american driving it around. Wish I had given my money to an American Co.

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  Bye Honda! Hello Hyundai! - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By Tiffany - December 6 - 2:00 am

  I bought a 2009 Honda Accord Coupe V6 only four months prior and loved the new Sonata so much that I traded the Honda for it! The interior is awesome and I prefer it much more than the Accord which was very boring. Since I just got my car yesterday, I cant say too much on reliability. I already notice the great mileage. I bought the Navigation system and am still trying to understand it better. I also cannot get the Homelink to work with my garage, but I couldnt get it to work on my Accord either so its either me or my garage.

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  Best vehicle purchase I have made... - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By Angela H. - December 6 - 2:00 am

  I purchased my Sonata after dealing with a Pontiac G6 GTP and all its problems for 4.5 years. I had never considered purchasing a Hyundai as I always associated them with throw away type vehicles. My husband had encouraged me to read about the warranty and quality of the Hyundai brand as they have changed a lot in recent years. I was please to see that the Sonata was well equipped, stylish, and had a turbo!! I went to the dealership to test drive a turbo and FELL IN LOVE with this car!! I was stunned by the fit and finish of the car. The navigation, blue tooth, heated seats and push button start were awesome. We purchased a Pacific Blue with Tan interior. LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!

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  I love my car! - 2008 Hyundai Sonata
  By Mary - December 5 - 4:07 pm

  I love this car. It is reliable and I feel safe in it. I have the peace of mind of the 10 year bumper to bumper warranty. I take my car on trips and enjoy driving - something I never really did before, and the stability control is a God-send when driving in the winter.