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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  update to my previous review: SamboPA - 2016 Hyundai TUCSON
  By Sambo - May 24 - 2:21 am

  so my previous review was very positive and I said I would comment once I drove the car more... I still like the car but have found a few small issues with the car: the light in the cargo area is very small weak and totally offset to the left when I am off roads and in the middle of nowhere it is very pitch black back there... I agree the automatic lift gate is pretty slow - so be it.... the wiring for the approach lighting is not even installed on the car, Hyundai assures me they will fix this in good time.... the glove compartment has no lock on it (this is obvious but I overlooked it) Finally I am still not used to the shifting when the car is under 40 MPH it has a hair trigger gas pedal and I feel it shifts too much under 40MPH..... also sensitive breaks - both I think will improve once I drive the car more - my insurance has one of those little computers that records everything to try to give me a discount and I am getting tons of hits for fast acceleration and hard breaking and I am truly doing everything I can to NOT do this but it keeps happening.....doesnt help I am still driving my old car every other day and I have to actually push on the gas or break to get results...also reading the maintenance schedule has me concerned about the 4WD but Hyundai people say no thats only for heavy constant off road use - I hope they are right. I hope wear and tear holds up on this smaller but powerful turbo engine and "dry" dual clutch transmission...the fuel economy seems to be holding true but I have no long highway trips yet....feedback from friends and total strangers is positive they seem mesmerized by the wheels and shape/style asking what is that - obviously it looks more like a Santa fee and I have had some people this it is in Infinity or MazdaCX5 or a few others and they get VERY upset and argue with me when I say it is a Tucson and they say that have "glued" the Tucson emblem on the back of the car......

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  Perfect for single mother - 2007 Hyundai Accent
  By Speedracer - May 22 - 1:51 pm

  I got my accent last year in July. I have about 25000 miles on my car in less than a year. I live in DC but work in Annapolis so that is an average of 64 miles just for work. It is just me and my 4 year old and I absolutely love this car. I drive to New York at least once a month, the last time i was able to drive from DC into NJ then into NY and halfway onto the NJ turnpike on one tank of gas. I went for this car because I know nothing about cars and the best feature is the free road side assistance when you purchase the car as new. The car can also withstand a lot.I have been in two accidents with minimal damage to my car but major damage to the others

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  very satisfied - 2010 Hyundai TUCSON
  By Cecil Gregoire - May 22 - 12:26 pm

  I have only had this vehicle a little over a month, and after trading in a Subaru WRX, was not sure but what I would find this change less exhilarating.To my surprise the Tucson is a fun SUV to drive and offers all that I was hoping for in comfort, gas mileage, zip and style. After a long history of sports car, I think I will be an enthusiast for Hyundai.

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  Thank you Hyundai! - 2001 Hyundai Elantra
  By johnny marshall - May 22 - 8:44 am

  My other gas guzzling vehicles sit while I drive this dependable gem everywhere. It has everything a I need, moonroof, cd, cassette, a/c, power locks, Windows & everything has worked from the beginning. Great gas mileage approx 34 hwy. My wife calls it her "little beamer". Reliability is a vast understatement. Its 7 years old and I still have 3 years left on the drivetrain warranty that I didnt have to pay extra for. What puzzles me is other auto makers claim to make better cars but charge you extra for an extended warranty. Hyundai has the guts to back up their product and I love it! They hit a grand slam!

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  Great Van - 2007 Hyundai Entourage
  By Alman - May 21 - 11:33 pm

  I am a used car dealer and just replaced my wifes Dodge Caravan with this used Entourage Limited with 13,000 miles. Lets just say that she is much happier with this than with the Dodge. Its not that I had problems with the Dodge, its just the package as a whole she likes better. With all the amenities that this van has, its perfect. Its a much better value than the Toyota or Honda. Your dollar definitely goes further.

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  Lives up to all of the hype. - 2007 Hyundai Azera
  By Happy in Arkansas - May 21 - 7:28 pm

  I have had my Limited with the Ultimate package for just over a year now. Everyone who first sees it always asks what the car is. I got tired of explaining its a Hyundai Azera, so now I just tell everyone its an Infiniti. The car has been getting better and better gas mileage as the engine ages and since I put in a K&N air filter. I get between 28 and 32 MPG running 75 to 80 MPH now, where I used to get 24 to 28 for the first 10,000 to 15,000 miles at those speeds. I love the LCD tail lights and the overall look of the vehicle.

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  Interior Integrity? - 2007 Hyundai Entourage
  By Brian - May 21 - 4:27 pm

  I have owned my Entourage SE for approximately one year and 14,000 miles. The squeaks, rattles, and other pronounced noises are very apparent, especially in the cooler weather. Caution! In your Warranty manual, you will find a section where as these obnoxious noises will not be covered under the bumper to bumper warranty. I feel that new owners are not waiting long enough before writing a review. I made this critical mistake. I should have spent a bit more money for the Honda Odyssey.

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  Love this car - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By Kevin - May 21 - 10:54 am

  My first ever experience with Hyundai and I am very impressed with the overall package you get for the money. The V6 is a very strong motor with a sweet sound when revving it. Its proven to be a very reliable performer, I now have over 60k put on it and not a single problem. Just normal wear and tear items replaced. I drive this car very hard because the engine is so eager to please, and the 5spd auto shifts very nice. Fuel economy is decent, even when driven hard its not that bad. I have recently done performance upgrades to it including exhaust, intake and ECU reprogram and its noticeably quicker. 60mph now only takes 6 seconds to reach. I am now a fan of Hyundai.

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  Excellent Car For Price! - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By Las Vegas Len - May 21 - 6:23 am

  An excellent car for the price and a very good car in its class. I now have 5500 miles on my 2006 GL (four- cylinder, four-speed) and am quite pleased. City MPG is at or above the 24 advertised, but highway MPG is above the advertised 33 at about 65 MPH on cruise. Acceleration is what one should expect for a 4.2L mill; get the V-6 if you want quicker performance. Ride is quiet and comfortable with very good road and engine noise shielding. The four- speed is smooth, and the manual override is practical, fun and effective when needed! Drivers visibility is very good to excellent, and my 6-4" frame fits ok. Adjustable-height seatbelts assure a comfortable torso fit. I like this car!

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  4.6 is very good - 2009 Hyundai Genesis
  By jeff - May 20 - 11:06 pm

  Just picked up 4.6 w/ tech pack. We were also considering BMW 550 and MB E500 and have owned two new 530s and Lexus LS. BMWs are great cars but expensive to maintain and repair out of warranty. Drove the 3.8 and was impressed w/ quality and drive. The 4.6 is the ticket though, smooth V8, powerful, great stereo. I would swear this was Lexus if this car were un- badged only because the seats feel more Lexusee than German. Hyundai, very well done!