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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  not too bad - 2004 Hyundai Tiburon
  By bpg - June 30 - 5:19 am

  Ive had my tibby for almost a year. it has 39,000 miles. Im pretty pleased with it, but for being a 4 cylinder "sports" car its pretty slow.. I tried racing my friend who has a very old crappy car and he kept up with me the whole time. i wish it was faster.. the only problems I had was a headlight going out and the tires seem to bald quickly. but the style is awesome. its a good little car for a small gal like me.

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  Experience with the Hyundi XG350L - 2004 Hyundai XG350
  By Charles Gail Oliver - June 28 - 10:00 am

  When reading the so called experts review of the XG350 I wondered if they tested the same automobile I was driving. I based by decesion to try the XG350 on the opinions of other owners. Once I drove the vehicle I was hooked.

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  Review - 2003 Hyundai Elantra
  By spiffsteruno - June 28 - 10:00 am

  The Elantra is not a reliable car. It was at the dealer every other week for transmissino problems. The car has died on the highway and hyundai did nothing for me. I had to wait 2 hours for their tow truck to get me and they didnt even give me a loaner. I am very disapointed with this car.

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  Satisfied but not ecstatic - 2003 Hyundai Elantra
  By dbh1 - June 28 - 10:00 am

  I had to have the starter replaced. This was covered under the 5 yr 60k warranty. The roadside assistance program works.

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  Good Value - 2003 Hyundai Sonata
  By Steve Lautenschlager - June 28 - 8:33 am

  I would recommend this car based on price, performance and reliability. The 6 cyl engine has sufficient acceleration and the car handles very nicely. Change the timing belt prior to 70k miles (highly recommended). Overall, I am very happy with this purchase.

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  Not to bad - 2008 Hyundai Tiburon
  By jbeach - June 28 - 12:23 am

  Fun to drive.comfortable for driver.people like my car when they see it.

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  mynuts - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By fabio - June 27 - 10:37 pm

  good vehicle, does everything ok, superior MPG, I get 33 avg. The trans is generally smooth but it has its hiccups. Plenty of interior room, very comfortable inside. Overall satisfied but would not buy this car new (resale value is horrible).

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  Decent - 2007 Hyundai TUCSON
  By kpiechoc - June 27 - 12:50 pm

  Bought car 3 months ago and Ive had it in for service 5 times in the last month and a half for a squealing problem it makes when I first turn it on in the morning. Very unhappy with the dealership and service techs at van dyn hoven for not fixing what seems like a simple problem and offering a loaner vehicle. Gas mileage is less than 20 mpgs. Sunglasses holder to small and doesnt fit glasses. Fuel door broke off already when my husband bumped it with his arm when putting fuel in. Made of cheap plastic. Headrest and armrest are also awkward for me.

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  Side Impact - 2007 Hyundai Sonata
  By Sonya Jones, NC - June 26 - 9:09 pm

  I love Hyundai after my experience on 6-25-08. I was t-boned in the driver side by a man running 50 mph. My side airbags done their job and saved my and my nieces life. Up until then I had no problem from my Sonata whatsoever. It has been a wonderful car, and I do believe my car will be totaled out. When everything is said and done I do plan to go back and get another Hyundai Sonata for sure. It was a very well built car in my opinion, cause I was able to walk away from this wreck by the Grace of God and a good car.

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  Horrible Car!!!! - 2005 Hyundai Sonata
  By Amy M - June 26 - 7:56 pm

  My husband and I bought a Hyundai thinking it would be a great purchase....We were wrong!!!! After 2 months of owning the car it has needed a new timing belt, radiator and engine!!!!! ALSO, under 3 RPMs the car rattles. We have brought it to numerous dealerships and none have been able to fix the problem. We wish we could just return the car!!!!