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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  Looking good so far! - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By Luther - July 13 - 9:10 am

  I am a former Honda Accord and Nissan Maxima (3) owner, so my standards are high. The Sonata is not as "cushy" as my former cars, but it measures up very nicely when one examines the overall look, fit and feel of the car, the warranty, the standard features, and then the price one pays. This has excellent value. I bought mine for $3000 less than the MSRP. I am pleased with the handling and overall comfort. The 4-cylinder engine has plenty of power. I especially like the Shiftronic feature, having owned manual transmission vehicles for more than 25 years. I can shift down when descending steep hills in my community. If the reliability of the car meets expectations, Ill be a winner!

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  I love my Elantra GT 2005 - 2005 Hyundai Elantra
  By nick - July 13 - 2:50 am

  After visiting a Mazda dealer for used Protege5 2003 car, I went to the Hyundai dealer. The Protege5 2003 is a very good car, but when I tested the 2005 Elantra GT, I felt completly in love. First this car is very funny to drive, even in winter weather (it was - 15 Celsius, and full of snow when I drove the car for the first time - in Montreal, Quebec). I tested the car for at least an hour, and my choice was made....financing package was unbeatable - 0%/5years - first payment will be in May 2006!!!! I bought the GT premium version - sunroof, ABS (great brakes), spoiler...but no TCS (Traction Control), they told me it comes only in the GT version, no premuim...I did not understand why...

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  Never Go To Anything Else - 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By howard434_Toronto - July 13 - 2:16 am

  I love this suv its 3000 less than a rav4 and is 2500 less than a crv I got into a minor accident with a parked truck and my Santa Fe only got $1253.11cdn worth of damage. And the truck got $5000.00. That tells you something! Ive only had one problem and that is the battery in Canadian winters is useless [go to Costco and get a cheap battery its better than this one]

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  dont buy it - 2002 Hyundai XG350
  By royalty - July 12 - 10:00 am

  I purchased my Hyundai after looking over lots of cars as it seemed the best buy for the money. I WAS SO WRONG! You DO get what you pay for and I got a good looking but cheaply made car. "Drive by wire" accelerator is horrible; bogs and lunges despite reprogram. Transmission has been replaced 4 times. Brakes warped twice and they only cover them once so second time you pay. Battery failed after 2 years and you pay for it - not warranty. Horrible vibration that they couldnt fix until I showed them the TSB to fix it. Clunking noise in front end they couldnt fix until, again, I showed them the TSB to fix. Lots of other problems too numerous to list here. DONT BUY THIS CAR!!!

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  Tib is a Winner - 2004 Hyundai Tiburon
  By rishthe1 - July 12 - 10:00 am

  Owning this beauty for two months now it remains flawless and always fun to drive. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking in this segment; fun, sporty, and quick.

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  Great vehicle - 2008 Hyundai TUCSON
  By DeerJohn - July 11 - 8:26 am

  When I decided I no longer needed a pickup, I looked at RAV4 and CRV, but chose the Hyundai because of price and warranty. I no longer consider American-made cars. The Tucson is roomy, comfortable, handles well, and has great visibility. The 4c engine seems noisy and underpowered to me compared to my wifes 4c Accord, but I no longer need those features. I did expect better gas mileage than 24 mpg, but that may improve. One bad feature is the light-colored interior, which is hard to keep clean. Did not think of that when I bought. I always felt that home carpets and car interiors should be a dark color, as people tend to walk on them. Seatcovers and mats help.

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  Hyundai Paving the Way to #1 for Sedans! - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By Michael P. - July 11 - 6:06 am

  I commute 60 miles round trip to my job and my 2006 Hyundai Sonata GLS V6 4 door sedan makes this trip very pleasurable. The ability to go from 0- 60 in about 7 seconds is great for moving from one lane to another on the highway. It provides a very quite, smooth, ride. The body style is also very attractive. The standard ESC really works extremely well, providing additional safety when needed.

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  Great car - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By pfred912 - July 10 - 11:20 pm

  I knew nothing about Hyundais before this vehicle. I have enjoyed other foreign models. This car is a joy to drive. Small enough to be economical and large enough to have a solid feel and ride. This car is very responsive when power is needed with a 3.3 L V6. There is plenty of room in front and adequate room in back. Trunk space is impressive. Stability features really smooth out the ride. I would not mind taking the car on any trip. Great sound system and plenty of comfort. I am glad I found this car and will get another if they keep manufactoring this kind of quality.

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  Very Pleased - 2002 Hyundai XG350
  By ZootInNH - July 10 - 7:16 pm

  Bought a 2002 XG350L with 32,000 miles on it nine and a half months ago. In that time Ive put around 19,000 miles on it. Only problem Ive had was a headlight that needed replacing, and that was covered under warranty.

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  45,500 Miles Not A Problem - 2006 Hyundai Azera
  By Silver Azera - July 10 - 4:28 pm

  The Hankook tires will just about make my next 5,000 miles which will be my first big investment in this car- new tires at 50K miles. Rain, sleet, snow and clear skies, the car handles well and is comfortable for both front and rear passengers. Ive had the dealer just perform oil changes (wiper blades at 40K)and rotated the tires. No other maintenance required. The body finish has held up well and the car looks brand new coming out of the car wash. Everyone who gets in cant believe how comfortable it rides, quiet and roomy. Overall this has been one of the best cars I have bought.