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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  Terrific Car - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By Richard - September 29 - 9:23 am

  Bought the Sonata GLS a month and 1500 miles ago after test driving the Milan and Malibu. The basic trim with the convenience package is all most people will need. Excellent build quality and its a real eye catcher. Gobs of interior room front and back, with a very large trunk - yet the car doesnt look big from the outside. How do they do that?? This car competes favorably with any sedan in the midsize market, for less money.

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  This car does everything well. - 2008 Hyundai Elantra
  By Jim Hawkins - September 28 - 11:31 pm

  We have had this car for about 5 months and we are very pleased. It has zippy performance and gets 27MPG City and 35 MPG Hwy in the process. Braking is excellent. The four wheel discs do make a difference. The sound system with the XM radio, while not world class, is very pleasant to listen to. In town, it handles beautifully. At speed, there is a bit of extra body roll (especially right turns for whatever reason). I would recommend the 5 spd M. It makes for much more driving fun. The shifter does great as long as you dont force it. This car is extremely comfortable under pretty much all conditions (front and back). There are a lot of things "well done" about this car.

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  Great Car - 2002 Hyundai Sonata
  By Jay J - September 28 - 9:04 pm

  I bought this car off the showroom floor and it has been the most reliable car that I have owned. I have owned a Chevrolet, an Oldsmobile, a Ford, and a Mitsubushi. The only I have done on my Sonata is oil changes, a new set of brakes and two sets of tires. I have 125,000 miles now on my car and I plan on buying a new Sonata in the near future. The only issues I have had is a "phantom" stereo. The CD player died at 100,000 and I cannot turn the radio off. There has been little paint peeling on the roof.

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  Happy with my Elantra GT - 2005 Hyundai Elantra
  By Californiaguy - September 28 - 7:30 am

  I bought my second Elantra, and so far I am extremely happy with the car. Everything I could ask for is there, and improved compared to my previous Elantra. Before I bought it, I test-drove a few different cars, that is the one I like the most. Hyundai, keep up the great work!

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  Fun Little Car - 2007 Hyundai Accent
  By Mike - September 27 - 11:39 pm

  I love my Hyundai accent. Its small and gets around 30mpg on gas. I have had a problem with the ignition, for some reason the key wouldnt turn at all so they had to put a new cylinder in. It didnt really bother me cause of the great warranty so I didnt have to pay a dime. Also I have used the roadside assistance twice and the service has been flawless. Overall, I love the car and plan on driving it until it dies on me.

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  Ole! - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By URNMYWA - September 27 - 4:53 pm

  I previously drove a V8 SUV. Loved my truck but I am in love with this car. I drive over an hour commute each way four days a week. My truck was a tank so I didnt worry about semis and other SUVs. With this car, the speed and ease at which I am able to change gears and lanes means no worries because they cant catch me. I am big so the roomy interior and space between the steering wheel and driver seat is fantastic. A huge roomy trunk and spacious back seats means my passengers are just as comfy. Car only has single cd and no MP3 adapter so aftermarket stereo is a must. The speakers sound pretty nice and since I love all music a booming base is not necessary. Gas is pretty good!

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  I am their best salesperson - 2003 Hyundai Tiburon
  By Atlanta RAK - September 27 - 10:00 am

  I’ve owned many interesting and sporty cars over 40 years but I have never been asked so many questions about a vehicle than this 2003 Tiburon GT. Small children to older adults of every ethnic background seem curious. For me, I knew I made the right decision when I drove it home and feel the same way after one full year and 15,000 miles.

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  Hey -- Get your own! - 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Carl V - September 27 - 10:00 am

  Santa Fe = Value I got my Santa Fe for THOUSANDS less than comparable competitor models. I even got a $1000 dollar loyalty discount because my wife already bought a new Hyundai! I love the ride and so do the passengers. Since I love to drive, its really cool having the most comfortable car in our pack. It’s also great for hauling stuff like: 2 Lazyboy recliners (at once!) 1500 Lbs of gravel/topsoil (at once!) 12 foot 2x4 lumber Two man Auger Rototiller Table saw

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  Loved it until it became unsafe to drive - 2016 Hyundai TUCSON
  By E. Faucher - September 27 - 9:07 am

  Leased the vehicle end of May 2016 - fell in love with the style, comfort, features... On July 25, 2016, took vehicle in for hood latch recall with 1332 miles on the vehicle. While at the dealership service center, they performed a software update. This update created the instrument panel too illegible - the instrument cluster was defected. The part was ordered and it was to take 30 days to be delivered. Fortunately, it took 10 days. Picked up the vehicle on 8/4/16 after work, drove less then 1 mile came to a stop light once it turned green the vehicle would not drive. Being in the center lane of the highway with flashers on, on coming vehicles just missed slamming into the rear. Finally got it back to the dealership, they have indicated it is the dual clutch issue. This is very unsafe vehicle to drive since you would not know when it would just stop shifting and driving. Have registered a complaint with Hyundai Motors as the service department does not know when the vehicle will be repaired. Thank the Lord no one was killed this time! Now I feel this car is unsafe to own. I have a case started with Hyundai Motor Corp. Will see if they stand by their warranties and safety policy!

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  Super Little Car at a low price - 2008 Hyundai Accent
  By Glenn - September 27 - 8:14 am

  I have had my new Accent for a few months now. This is the 4th Hyundai I have owned and Hyundai never lets me down. The best warranty out there. The best price for a small car out there. The 2-door Accent is sporty, peppy, has style and class you cannot find in anything in this price range. I bought the vehicle with automatic and AC with XM satellite radio and CD for only $11,200 including TT&L. No one could come close to that price. Not Aveo, Fit, Yaris, or anything else.