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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  Best Car Under 22K - 2002 Hyundai XG350
  By Bikulano - November 27 - 10:00 am

  This is an awesome car for 22K. I compared it with a 2003 Altima 21S and Accord LX w/ leather, prices for these cars are around 23K. Most car review magazines compare the XG350 to V6 of these models, which is ridiculous cause those trims will run you over 27K. Besides more power and torque than the Accord LX and Altima 21S, the XG350 is packed with features like a $140 dollars Michelin Tires, Auto Climate Control, and ShifTronics. The styling is clean and timeless. This car rocks.

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  12000+ on the odo and still diggin it - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By still very happy - November 26 - 9:00 pm

  This is my 3rd review and I now have over 12,000 miles on my Sonata. I recently averaged 31.6 mpg on a family trip at speeds between 75 & 80 mph, which seems to validate the "broken-in engine gets better gas mileage" statement. My ONLY gripe thus far is the low tire pressure warning light that comes on intermediately in error. Not the end of the world, but annoying when you find yourself pulling over to check your tire inflation for no reason. Otherwise, for above-average "basic" transportation, this car is hard to beat. Id even recommend this car to my enemies.

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  More than a good deal - 2005 Hyundai Elantra
  By frank.hujsa - November 26 - 5:30 am

  I was skeptical about getting a Hyundai Elantra at first, but I was impressed enough by the warranty and features to be satisfied. Since then, Ive come to realize that it wasnt only a fantastic deal for about $15,000, but would have been a good choice for thousands more. There is no other car that offers the combination of style, comfort, drive, and price that the Elantra provides. And, its not a bland and overpriced Civic or Corolla. This is my first online post, but I feel that strongly about this car. Spend some time researching the Elantra and comparing it to the others. Youll quickly see that its more than a good deal; its a car youll love.

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  Not what I expected - 2008 Hyundai Accent
  By mechanic - November 26 - 2:32 am

  The overall configuration of the two door hatchback is nice because it gives you large doors to get in and out of and large items can go in the back without the limitation of a small trunk opening. My Hyundai only got 21 mpg to start and that declined to 15 mpg!!! For a 1.6 liter engine that is unreal. The wipers did not work from day one and the dealer took over a month to get the part. It ran cold always, the transmission way slow to react and locked up at times. The engine would tach over 4000 on the interstate in any kind of a grade and gave the feeling of going backwards. The service department was impossible to deal with at my dealer making the warranty useless.

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  Bad Tires - 2013 Hyundai TUCSON
  By jrb14 - November 25 - 7:14 pm

  I have 15k miles on my car and the tires are bald (3/32 on both front tires). The car is supposed to have a bumper to bumper warranty, but it doesnt cover tires. I went to the tire company (Kumho) they informed me these tires were not meant to last but they will allow me to buy much better tires and they will pay 50%. Hyundai says they are sorry Im unhappy buy not their problem. I was given lemon tires and now I need to spend more money to replace them.

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  disappointing purchase - 2001 Hyundai Elantra
  By georgina - November 25 - 1:39 pm

  When you own it for over a year...I bought my elantra dec 08/2000. Within 1 1/2 years had to replace right front bearing - not on warranty. This car has been a money pit. I kept up on my oil changes and warranty work at the dealer. The motor went @ 5000k over the warranty - used motor, towing and rentals - @ $5500. Hyundai did nothing to stand behind the car. Among many other things, i.e. struts, other bearing, cv joint etc., transmission went on 5th anniversary of car - $3000. I paid $15,000 for this car and have spent that much in various repairs. I have spent close to $30,000 on this car. My Mazda 323 was 7 years old before I had to spend $$$ on it. Buyer beware.

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  Air Bag - 2005 Hyundai Elantra
  By A. Stewart - November 25 - 8:05 am

  On October 14, 2008 We hit a deer with the car and then also hit a cement culvert before driving into the ditch. The car was a complete write off. The air bag never deployed and the appearance of the vehicle was of minimal damage. Though there was a twist to the frame from the front right impact, and cracking to interior rear door panel (nothing noted damage wise on the outside of this same door). It concerns me that a crash that was enough to bend the frame would not deploy an air bag. I have since replaced this vehicle but did not repurchase another Hyundai.

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  really nice for the money - 2008 Hyundai Elantra
  By bostonb - November 24 - 10:23 pm

  Really Nice car for its price. Fuel economy in the city 23 mpg using it for pizza delivery around 100 miles a day. Suspension can be better. Also there is a little bit of cracking in the interior but cant complain since I got the car for only $14,200 (a lot of negotiating). This car is made for gas saving so dont expect any good acceleration for racing. A lot of room inside and trunk is huge. Looks a lot better with tinted Windows and make sure you get seat covers in they are not black. All my friends have been impressed. If I dont get any mechanical problems, I will recommend this car to everyone.

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  My 2nd new Accent - 2008 Hyundai Accent
  By ANNIEMONTE - November 24 - 5:52 am

  I am on my 2nd Accent and the first was a 2005 Accent. I have driven this new car over 2 weeks now and I love it. Compared to my other car, it rides better, drives better and there is less road noise. I have 6 ft plus sons who has head room to spare. The color is perfect and with the spoiler in the back quite cute.

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  Kory The Korean - 2007 Hyundai Elantra
  By First-time Foreigner - November 23 - 8:54 pm

  For the last year, I have been the excited owner of this remarkable economy car. Driving this vehicle is an absolute pleasure as it is very comfortable, quick, and excellent on gas. I have taken several road trips including a 3000-mile round trip to Arizona and have never been more comfortable in a vehicle, especially not one of this size. The dashboard layout is impeccable and the lights are beautiful. The engine noise is minimal and returns fantastic performance, even while climbing 6% mountain grades in northern AZ. With 48,000 miles, this car gives me great reason to expect several more years of reliability and and pleasurable driving.