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 Value Minivan - 2007 Hyundai Entourage
  By John - September 15 - 2:56 pm

  If youre buying a minivan, you can not beat the value of this Hyundai. Its at the very least neck and neck with Toyota and Honda and the price is far and away a better deal. Go for the Limited with all the bells & whistles and you wont look back. If youre nervous about a first year vehicle, get the dealer to give you free maintenance for 12 months, that should alay fears of unknown bugs in the design. Minivans are all about functionality, they were designed for one purpose: ease the travel & logistics life of a family, and Hyundai is one of the best before price is even in the equation. Hyundai has put together an excellent package; cant wait for the editors review & validation!

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  A lot of car for the price I paid. - 2006 Hyundai Azera
  By Yifan - September 15 - 11:24 am

  Nobody thought Id buy this car, including me, but I havent regretted since. A lot of power for its curb weight. The other day, I had no problem keeping up with a Mazdaspeed 3 on the freeway going 90mph. Like some people say, you dont realize how fast you are going because the ride is very quiet and smooth. Of course, it also helps that Hyundai has such long warranties on it. Havent had need to take it back to dealer yet though. Roomy interior and superb upholstery, though not leather, all the nice touches are there including the "fake" wood plastic finish. Large trunk. Exterior styling is ok, but not the best. But for a $23K car, its not bad.

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  Confident Purchase - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By 09GLS - September 15 - 8:00 am

  Out of the blue decided to trade in my aging 1995 BMW 525i for the Sonata. While the 08 models sharp exterior styling initially caught my eye, the only 4 cylinder models in stock were 09s. The spacious updated interior truly feels classy and the fake manual mode lets you play a little. Acceleration is lacking and gear changes clunky, yet justified by your last refueling receipt. Great gauges and wood trim throughout. Upholstery is bland but practical. Although innovative, integrated USB/AUX ports suffer from compatibility issues (ie. iPhone support). Overall, best value for the money, if you can live with a goofy H on your grill.

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  You have to drive this car! - 2003 Hyundai Elantra
  By swim77 - September 15 - 2:00 am

  I test drove the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla before I drove the Hyundai Elantra GT 4-dr hatchback. I bought my Elantra in May 2003 and I still love it. The car drives great, feels solid, and has more standard features than the Civic or Corolla. If you are looking for a car in this class you MUST drive this car!

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  Bought it 4 safety and glad I did - 2006 Hyundai TUCSON
  By Chip H. - September 14 - 6:26 pm

  Bought 06 Tuscon for daughters 1st vehicle. Was captured by the amount of standard safety features packed into vehicle along with crash ratings for the price. Build quality was good, sound system good, original tires did not last, gas mileage not the greatest but she is a heavy vehicle so what do you expect. We found 4 cylinder unimpressive and went with the 6. Ride was good, plenty of space for my college bound daughter and she felt good in it. Last Saturday evening boyfriend was driving and he fell asleep at wheel with my daughter sleeping next to him. They hit a concrete wall at 35 MPH. Front end of vehicle demolished and they essentially walked away from a potentially lethal crash.

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  Great Car - 2008 Hyundai Accent
  By kevperro2 - September 14 - 5:45 pm

  Ive had it for a month and no regrets. It is what it is. A small efficient car that is inexpensive to buy, own and operate. In addition to that the car is well put together. It feels tight with everything working the way it should. Hyundai has really closed the gap with the Japanese. I am VERY happy with this purchase.

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  I love my car - 2008 Hyundai Elantra
  By Linda - September 14 - 6:26 am

  I purchased my auto Elantra Se in Feb 08. I love the mileage Im getting. I average 29-31 miles combined city/hw driving. On the highway going at 65, I averaged 36.9 miles to the gallon. WOW. Its very comfortable. Ive made 2 trips to MS so I have almost 13,000 miles on it and still loving it. Its a great car and would recommend it. Yes some can get lemons in any make/model but dont let one lemon spoil your awesome driving experience.

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  This Car Rocks - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By ronaldg261 - September 14 - 12:28 am

  This is a fantastic car. Quick acceleration, quiet, comfortable, economical. Great value.

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  Great Car - 2006 Hyundai Tiburon
  By earl engel - September 14 - 12:20 am

  Excellent handeling and pickup power. Sharp styling and very well designed interior space. Very nice split leather/cloth seats.

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  Impressive Vehicle - 2008 Hyundai Elantra
  By Lei_Momi - September 13 - 10:20 am

  When I bought the Elantra, I thought I was downsizing from a Suzuki Grand Vitara, but the interior of the Elanta offers more hip, shoulder and leg room. The gas mileage I am getting is better than the EPA sticker, at 35 HWY. The first weekend I had the car I went to Mt. Rainier here in Washington. The car handled like a dream on tight curves and was never sluggish on the climb up. There was always lots of power for any steep grade. The car is comfortable, peppy, very fun to drive, solid, responsive and feels larger inside than my parents Intrepid. My husband is 62", and even with some back problems, he has no problem getting in, and has lots of leg room. I absolutely love this car!