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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  Great Little SUV - 2006 Hyundai TUCSON
  By stephen - August 22 - 9:16 am

  This is a great budget line SUV that is well designed and tastefully appointed. My other car is a BMW and while this is not an X3 it is a really nice vehicle for the price. Traction control, side impact and head curtain airbags, tiptronic transmission, seats that fold flat,great towing capacity.... The list goes on and on. I only wish the gas mileage were better. I consistently average 21mpg in a 70/30 mix of highway / city driving, and I avoid rapid accelleration.

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  Loved at first - 2012 Hyundai Veloster
  By ecube - August 18 - 8:25 am

  We loved our Veloster at first and driving it was a blast it handles well.Bumps are another thing you feel all of them,, The interior is well designed ,but wish it had a handle above the passenger door, but the back is way to cramped.. Even my golden retriever dosnt like the head space and he wants to go everywhere. The 18 inch wheels look cool but i think the normal size would give a better ride ,that our biggest complaint the second is the engine ,it has no power ,Everytime we go up our drive which is very steep the engine has started to moan ,This is what scares us the most..

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  Sweet Ride - 2005 Hyundai Tiburon
  By Stedman - August 16 - 8:53 pm

  What first attracted me to the car was its looks.This thing looks like a mini Ferrari 356. Its hard to believe it was designed in Korea, and not Italy or southern California. I rolled off the lot - tax, tags and title for $20,300. Not bad for a car with every bell and whistle you can think of!

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  Great Value, but sedan was more practical - 2016 Hyundai Accent
  By Carolyn S - August 16 - 7:30 pm

  Its a great little car for the price. I had a 2012 4 door 4 1/2 years that I loved and the dealership had a special. I had wanted a hatchback. Found out after delivery the hatchback is 10" shorter than the sedan so I really did not get the additional space I was looking for. Gas mileage is less than the sedan, averaging about 28 unless I am really conscious of how I am driving and coasting (I have a manual stick) There is a bizarre film that keeps creeping up on the inside of the windshield that is driving me absolutely batty. I clean it and days later it returns and I cant figure out if the defroster, heat or AC i causing it. but cleaning the inside of the windshield always leaves greasy streaks. Very Bizarre. I had the Simonez coating put in and on the car. not impressed by that - ended up putting seat covers on it anyway and its the only logical cause I can think of for the film being greasy. Sluggish acceleration. Pretty much get what you pay for. I did get the bumper to bumper warranty for 100,000 miles over the 50,000. I wish I had gotten it on the 2012 instead. I probably would have held onto the 2012 longer had the warranty not run out. This has less rearview visibility because of the tiny hatchback window. I had driven the 12 63,000 and loved it. This turns tight, stops on a dime, great for parking in small spaces but interior space is disappointing. Car is comfortable, AC is very cold, heat is great. Stops, goes great.

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  Entry-level lux at a great price - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By emorse - August 16 - 12:53 am

  After 40 years of stick shifts, I was ready for a car that was comfortable and fun to drive. While not a performance car, I still look forward every day to my 50-mile round trip commute. In fact, it seems short now, since I enjoy driving the car so much. Its had no problems and I expect it to be reliable for many years. I have about 11,000 miles on it, and the ride is smooth and quiet.

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  Love looks, could be built better - 2007 Hyundai Tiburon
  By Rae - August 15 - 4:03 am

  The car looks awesome, but I have had problems with it. First off it has rust spots on the hood and Hyundai said they are not responsible for it.Poor paint job. A year in a half into owning it, the clutch went out on me. The dealer asked me if it was my first stick shift car and I told him NO!!He then proceeded to tell me that I must not be driving it right and that I must be riding the clutch too much. I learned how to drive on a manual! It only had a lil less then 15,000 miles on it. After I talked to my mechanic and he told me there was no way that I ruined the clutch and the fly wheel and I informed the dealer of the poor reviews on the clutch, I got it fixed under warranty.

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  Ho Hum Hyundai - 2005 Hyundai TUCSON
  By CB500Rider - August 13 - 9:56 am

  My wifes 2000 Accent got wrecked. It was a good car and shed been asking for an SUV. Because of the reliabilty, service, functionality and fuel economy we had with the Accent we bought a Tucson. We went with the 4cyl because of fuel economy. Hyundai says this engine gets 27mph on the highway. Dont believe it. In a 5000 mile round trip from Florida to California we averaged 20mph at 70mph using the cruise control. My pick-up gets bet mileage that that. The service department overfilled the oil as if it were the 2.7 V6 and then scarred up the dash when the CD player had to be replaced. They also broke off the rear window whiper. Its mount is made of cheap pig- metal.

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  Watch out Japan!!! - 2007 Hyundai Sonata
  By Art - August 11 - 3:13 pm

  Im not one to make rash decisions, so it took many months (almost 3) to finally decide on the 07 Sonata. I looked at the Big 3 Japanese competitors - Accord, Camry & Altima, and I have to tell you, for the money, features and warranty, none of them even came close to giving me what Hyundai did at the price I paid. I have owned my car for over a month now and am so glad I made this purchase. The V6 engine is so smooth, and can definitely "pop" your neck if you have a heavy foot. I continue to get nothing but compliments telling me what a beautiful car it is. If Hyundai continues on this pace, I will definitely buy new one in a couple of years.

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  the poor mans jag - 2003 Hyundai Sonata
  By racecar7d - August 11 - 2:00 am

  they lied about the horsepower. The blower switch for the fan broke. Rides nice and smooth. Good highway mpg. Good Brakes. Overall this car is great for the price, stylish and looks just as good as a jaguar.

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  A Heckuva Deal - 2003 Hyundai Elantra
  By Jomama - August 11 - 2:00 am

  Dollar for dollar, this economy car beats all the rest. Amenities galore, the fun quotient is up there! With a shape resembling the old Saab 9-3, you will be pleased with the practicality of this car. I am totally happy with my purchase;however, a turbo would be much appreciated!