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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  Sub-Frame Rust - 1999 Hyundai Sonata
  By Jeff Monroe - July 15 - 12:25 am

  I was surprised to see the review by leon written 1/15/2008. I have just experienced the exact same failure on my Hyundais front passenger side wheel collapsing. My local dealership also refused to repair my sub-frame rusting under warranty. This seems to be a wide-spread problem. And I too believe this should be repaired under their 10 yr bumper-bumper warranty. The Sonata is a fun, sleek and enjoyable car, but Hyundai often waffles on their warranty coverage which was one of the major selling points that impacted my purchasing decision. .

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  2013 Hyundai Santa Fe - 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By yooperbill - July 14 - 11:41 pm

  I very much like everything about the car except the steering.

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  Im in LOVE!!! This Hyundai is Stylin - 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Maria - July 14 - 8:46 pm

  I loved this car when I drove it for the first time. Thought it was fantastic that the dealer let me take it for 24 hours to test drive, that made me love it even more. My husband really wanted the Honda Pilot, but once I brought the Hyundai home, he loved it for me. Plenty of room inside and love the hideway trunk space.

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  From Truck To Car - 2008 Hyundai Elantra
  By Tom - July 14 - 7:59 pm

  For the past several years I have been driving a Full size 1/2 Ton truck and moved to the Elantra because of the price of gas. Once I got past the idea of staring at truck lug nuts I have found this car to be very fun to drive and the ride is way better than my truck. Cant complain about the gas mileage either, I am getting 31 mpg on the highway and a little better than 26 mpg in the city. I cant even come close to the gas mileage in my truck.

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  could be better... - 2008 Hyundai Accent
  By a3406cat - July 14 - 9:13 am

  I got my accent about seven months ago, the drivers side window rattles when opened from just a crack to about half way down, same thing on the other side just not as bad. It gets very good gas mileage but could use a little more power. I do like the leg and head room. The paint is very cheap. Mine has spots blistering already.

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  Love it - 2003 Hyundai Sonata
  By kduluth - July 14 - 2:00 am

  After lots of research I finally bought this car yesterday - complete with option package 7 (Moonroof, ABS, Traction Control, HomeLink, cargo net, mud guards, floor mats) and I couldnt be happier. The styling is so attractive and the car is incredibly quiet. The stereo sounds nice though I have yet to really crank it up and see what it can do. The V6 isnt as powerful as some that Ive driven but its acceptable. The under-the-hood components are very easily accessible. There is lots of storage and the backseat armrest is a great addition. I highly recommend this vehicle - with that price and these features, you just cant go wrong.

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  Enough Power For Me - 2002 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By rgunnc - July 14 - 2:00 am

  This car rides and handles far better than Ford Explorers I have ridden in for the 3000 miles we have driven it. We took it to the mountains of NC for a real trial and it climbed even the steepest hills with little effort and maintained 60 mph in cruise, downshifting as needed. Got 25mpg going up and nearly 30 coming back. The horsepower is adequate, not exceeding 4000 rpm on the steepest incline.

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  I love this 2003 Tibby!!! - 2003 Hyundai Tiburon
  By Optimummind - July 14 - 2:00 am

  The moment I saw this vehicle, I knew I had to testdrive it. Although I had my initial doubts since its a Hyundai vehicle, my research and test drive told me that the 2003 Tiburon was an excellent deal. NOw, after 4600 miles of driving, Im still having fun driving this car and the looks and comments I get from people are awesome!! The engine is responsive and sporty, the interior is comfortable, the placement of the radio and AC features are within easy and comfortable reach, the dashboard and other inner components are well-designed and feel like good quality. And, of course, the exterior styling is just so cool!

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  the honest truth - 2006 Hyundai Elantra
  By susan erlich - July 13 - 9:59 pm

  I am a third time Hyundai owner. I started in the 80s when they first came out and I have been buying them ever since. I have to admit that I noticed the difference between this car that I own and the other two that I owned. I presently have 2006 elantra, and am looking into purchasing a 2008. I love these cars. There reliability is superb and I encourage everyone that I know, family and friends to buy a Hyundai. They are great cars and they have come a mighty long way!

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  Awesome - 2005 Hyundai TUCSON
  By Don Slocum - July 13 - 10:00 am

  We have had the Tucson for about a month and a half...I have already taken a 2000 mile trip....what a great vehicle. The only challange I forsee is being able to get the Tucson away from my wife. We live in Michigan and we cant wait to see how it handles in our winters. With all of its safety features it is very reassuring for my wife to drive. This is our first foreign vehicle.....but if this is any indication.....it will not be our last. The dealership that we dealt with has been fantistic so far...no high pressure...very professional...they let the vehicle sell itself. Try the Tucson..it is a great ride !!!