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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  Awesome SUV for the $$ - 2005 Hyundai TUCSON
  By Lisa - January 30 - 5:00 pm

  This little SUV is AWESOME! I have had no major problems except one minor one. A bulletin from Hyundai came out stating there is a leak onto the passenger floor mat when it rains. I live in WA state and it happened to me. Not too worry the service dept will fix it!! I have the base model and I am extremely happy with it. I had an Elantra GT, but the Tuscon goes much better with my personality. Lots of room for moving or buying too much at the store. I decided to go with another Hyundai for the warranty and the service I receive when I take it in. I recommend this vehicle highly. The price is very affordable compared to other SUVs.

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  THE KOREAN LEXUS - 2007 Hyundai Veracruz
  By Bernie Cichocki - January 30 - 3:20 pm

  My wife and I both are happy about this vehicle. We were Considering GMCArcadia or Saturn Outlook purchased VeraCruz instead. Also consider Caddy crossover.

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  Good Bang for the Buck - 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Bob - January 30 - 6:26 am

  I have over 5000 miles on this vehicle and I love it. It handles well, rides well for an SUV and has a quiet interior. That was important to me as my previous Honda CRV drove me crazy with road noise. It is a sexy looking vehicle as well. Gas mileage is not bad for the weight of the vehicle. I get 18-19 city and 22-23 highway at 75-80 mph. Highway mileage increases dramatically to 25- 26 if you travel at 70 mph. I must qualify this by saying that I live in southern AZ where the roads are flat with little hill climbing.

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  New Owner - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By eric914 - January 30 - 6:10 am

  So far so good. Our family now has 3 Hyundais--a 200e Elantra Gt, a 2004 Santa Fe GLS and and a 2006 Sonata LX ( GLS Premium her in Canada)

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  New Owner Review - 2007 Hyundai Entourage
  By bayfamily - January 29 - 11:20 pm

  I liked the vans handsome nonimposing exterior, intelligently appointed modern interior, generous power, ample interated features, and above all, its quiet ride. I drove all other makes and couldnt get over the noise. The Entourage is whisper quiet in comparison. And still, it compares as good or better than other vans in safety, power, quality, warranty, and price. And the stereo is awesome.

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  So Much Fun! - 2007 Hyundai TUCSON
  By LaLu - January 29 - 6:33 pm

  We just bought a brand new 07 Tucson. I traded in an 04 Volvo S40, and initially was a little wary of buying a Hyundai due to the past stigma of these being crappy cars. I quickly changed my mind when I saw how many features came standard on a base model (which is what I got). For example, the electronic stability control system, the 6 airbags, keyless entry and alarm, power locks and windows, ABS brakes, and of course the amazing warranty. We have only had our Tucson for 2 weeks, but we love it! It is well designed and very fun to drive. I would recommend this car to anyone.

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  Great to have - 2006 Hyundai Azera
  By Dong Ki Cho - January 27 - 6:16 pm

  Good car to drive. Decent to handle. Ive heard that there is a rear camera and a nevigation system available. I cant wait to have them on my car.

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  2nd hyundai - 2004 Hyundai XG350
  By w logan - January 27 - 2:43 pm

  I have a 2000 elantra and bought the xg350 based on that experience. except for the dealership, owning the xg has been enjoyable.

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  Dittos with Everyones Review - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By IndyCheeseHead - January 27 - 2:23 pm

  I have 6200 miles since August on my Sonata. Ive been commuting 600 miles every weekend. Smooth ride, plenty of power and excellent interior layout. The car feels much more expensive than what it cost. Im averaging between 33-35 on the highway. I checked out most of the competition and nothing came close for the price, safety features and warranty. Test drive one and youll be impressed.

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  Love This Car - 2009 Hyundai Genesis
  By jhendri - January 26 - 5:23 pm

  Love the Genesis,I had the car for one week the car is a good value for the money. I had an Lexus GS, which was an better ride but the sound system was not as good as Genesis.On rough roads the ride is not stable I have Black/Black wtih Tech package,had the window tinted and the car came with the Wing package.Several people asked what it was. With only 240 miles the fuel economy is unknown.