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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  Practical but not pricey - 2005 Hyundai Elantra
  By jayupark - February 22 - 9:40 am

  We managed to get the car near invoice price. Ive had it for 1 year now, and it has not let me down. It has enough power to not be considered slow. The fuel economy, while not stellar, is acceptable. In my humble opinion, there is no car in this price range that even comes close.

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  My First New Car - 2011 Hyundai TUCSON
  By Deborah - February 22 - 2:00 am

  I love it. Like the sporty feel to the handling, love the room and all the amenities.

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  Good Hyundai Sonata - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By abghar - February 22 - 2:00 am

  I bought a limited turbo in iridescent silver blue with grey interior about a week ago. It has 600 miles on it today. This car is amazing. Feels like you are in a high end much more expensive car. Very quiet so far with no issues. Picks up speed in no time. Look out for my next post a few months into the new ride.

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  No Complaints - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By FormerHondaPerson - February 22 - 2:00 am

  First half year....No problems. Great ride, Looks, and Gas Mileage. Very Happy

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  Inherited Azera - 2006 Hyundai Azera
  By Dave - February 20 - 2:48 pm

  I inherited a black Azera Ltd from my mom. She asked me about Hyundai before she bought this & I told her that Id rented a Sonata & thought it was a great value. This Azera easily surpasses the Toyota Avolon that I test-drove. The fit and finish is comparable to my partners Mercedes and Lexus. Some early reviews complained about uneven gaps in the dash, hood, etc. I compared mine and theyre all within 1/16th of an inch, which I consider excellent. My only complaints are why only a single-disc CD player and why no plug for an MP3 player (it only accepts MP3 discs)? Oh, also, the manual shift will not allow you to hold it in gear to the redline, shifting early at about 6500 rpm.

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  Worth The Money - 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By ardiemuse - February 20 - 2:00 am

  A fine vehicle to date. All the amenenities at an affordable price. Fit and finish very good. I live in northern NY and the Santa Fe has served me very well in this last rough winter. The AWD feature is sure footed for safe, comportable and reliable transportation. The 3.7 V6 is powerful and very quick when passing another vehicle. I would buy another in a heartbeat but I would buy it somewhere other than a Fucillo dealership. The reasons for that decision would be material for a book.

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  Love my Santa Fe - 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Pharmdoc77 - February 20 - 2:00 am

  I was looking for a sporty SUV that is reliable and efficient. I got it with the Hyundai Santa Fe. No need for 4WD as I purchased the 4 cylinder model with front wheel drive. This baby plowed through 12 inches of unpaved snow without a buckle with no problem. On dry roads, this automobile gives a smooth and solid ride and takes the bumps effortlessly. The interior is stylish and well thought out. The 4 cylinder engine gives plenty of pep. I couldnt be happier with my purchase.

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  Great Little Car! - 2001 Hyundai Elantra
  By Jay - February 19 - 4:46 pm

  I have enjoyed this car greatly. It is much better than the Accord I used to have. I drive mostly city and consistently average around 28 mpg which is not bad. One of the best things about this car, though, is its performance (especially with a manual). This car actually has torque (unlike my previous vehicle). This makes for a peppy car (that gets better with a few modifications). Overall a great value.

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  Economical and Reliable - 2002 Hyundai Elantra
  By drbr - February 18 - 10:33 am

  We bought this car new in 2002. We test drove Toyotas and Hondas and tried Hyundai on a whim. Price not a factor, this was still our favorite of the three (Civic, Corolla and Elantra). It doesnt have much of a personality and some people sniff at the name badge, but for our money we couldnt be happier. Weve replaced the tires and brakes and have 57k on the vehicle now. We get 33-36mpg highway. People complain about resale but we plan to keep this little econobox until it wont run anymore. My highest compliment for the vehicle is that we bought it while I was still in professional school and now that Ive graduated IÂ’m still proud to drive it though now we could afford something more.

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  love my Genesis Coupe - 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe
  By CW - February 17 - 8:41 pm