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!! - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By ClancySRB - July 17 - 4:26 pm

  Absolutely LOVE the car!! It provides comfort & very high safety features, sleek, fun design. Great gas mileage! GREAT buy!!

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  worth every penny - 2001 Hyundai Elantra
  By Ela - July 17 - 1:34 pm

  From the day I drove it off the lot Ive never regretted owning my elantra, milkruns, cross country jaunts, piled high with friends into town its simple interior makes it easy to clean and pack full of stuff. The fold down back seats have been a huge convenience as Ive moved big pieces. The engine is great for the size of the vehicle, and once I replaced the factory-standard tire I found the ride to be really enjoyable! Fuel efficient, especially for a car form 2001, its had a two mechanical issues in five years, but the warantee is the real deal, I didnt pay a penny.

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  Great looks Great comfort Great car - 2007 Hyundai Azera
  By pmerutka - July 16 - 10:38 pm

  I dont see many other Azeras on the road. That is very surprising to me! Word must not have gotten out about how great of a car this is. The interior is spacious and very comfortable. The ride is smooth but not floaty. It is extremely quiet. There are times I need to look at the tach to make sure the engine is running. Even at highway speeds things are quiet in the cabin. The upgraded Infinity sound system can definitely overcome the quietness. It can easily pump out clear sound that you can feel. The 3.8 liter engine has plenty of power to give quick acceleration. The auto trans can lag when trying to kick it in to down shift for passing, but slipping it into manul shift mode solves this.

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  Mrs - 2003 Hyundai Sonata
  By Teresa Wilson - July 16 - 10:00 am

  I love this car! It runs great and has all of the features I wanted.

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  Find a nicer car for less....NOT - 2003 Hyundai Sonata
  By Tony Qt - July 16 - 10:00 am

  When you take in the price, options and warrenty...how can you beat it? You cant!

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  Shark Attack:Love @1st Bite! - 2003 Hyundai Tiburon
  By BUCK OF KENT,WA - July 16 - 10:00 am

  Bought 03 Rally Red Shark 7-19-03 w/4- cyl. A/T and body- color spoiler due to performance of the engine in a Carbon Blue 03 Elantra GT hatchback I got in March 03. Put 4500 mi. on fam-owned 02 Santa Fe,20k mi. on 99 Sonata,2500 mi. on GT. Have replaced a h.Light bulb in these combined 27k mi. while owning Hyundai products...I was a lost soul, a car guy with a Elantra GT I adore but this 9-3 clone no Sophia Loren.Then ,I saw her...There is substance beneath the beauty of this head-turning,crowd- pleasing,conversation-starting triumph.Bravo,HYUNDAI...

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  Nice car - 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By BIG_STEVE - July 16 - 10:00 am

  This car is beautiful. The front and profile are classic. Got the 2.7 six instead of the 3.5. 2.7 goes good, but I wish Id gotten the 3.5. Cargo area is very good sized for an SUV in this size range. Very nice ride, even compared to the Town and Country minivan I traded in for this. Radio (monsoon) sounds very nice, switches and knobs are laid out pretty good. Ample leg and torso room in front. Rear seat okay for 3 average adults. Tall/larger folks would be cramped for 3 across. Electric moon roof rocks. 60 month/ 60,000 miles warranty, 10 yr 100000 mile drivetrain warranty.

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  Gary and Sandys Toy - 2003 Hyundai Elantra
  By Gary L. Christy - July 16 - 10:00 am

  We really love this car. Very reliable and comfortable. Get one, youll love it!

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  traded up from the 2004 elantra - 2007 Hyundai Elantra
  By Drew - July 15 - 5:40 pm

  just upgraded from the 2004 model. I find myself driving faster I assume its because the ride is smoother and quieter. The increased leg room and wheel size is nice. Its fun to drive and has a good sound system. Probably better to wait till they really start the rebates to buy this car. You cant see as much of the hood/front end on the car as in previous years.

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  Youll be pleasantly suprised - 2006 Hyundai Azera
  By PleasantlySurprised - July 15 - 4:35 pm

  After over 230,000 miles on my Toyota Camry LE wagon, I began looking for a replacement that would not only be as reliable as the Toyota, but also well- made and safe. I looked at several comparable vehicles and consulted many consumer resources (kbb, edmunds, JD Powers, Consumer Reports, etc.), and chose the Azera as the best value overall. I have the Limited Edition pearl white exterior with the light gray interior, leather seats, beautiful wood trim, sun roof, rear sun shade, with dual climate control. The ride is very comfortable and quiet, with minimal wind/road noise. The fit and finish is comparable to models with higher price tags. People have asked what import model I drive! :-)