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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  Great car for the money - 2004 Hyundai Tiburon
  By Donnacoolcar - August 21 - 10:00 am

  I love this car and the the car gets many approving looks.The sound system is fantastic!!!The car looks like a very expensive car ,but is very reasonable.

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  2004 Hyundai Elantra ;) - 2004 Hyundai Elantra
  By drago65 - August 21 - 10:00 am

  Plenty of get up and go, I drive alot through steep mountains with the AC on and do not lose much (if any) power. Passes other cars with ease on steep inclines. Very comfortable seating with plenty of room, the seats are wider than other cars in its class. You get alot of extras for an inexpensive price. You cannot beat the price, paid a little over 11k and a comparable Honda or Toyota would have been 15-16k. No need to pay extra for an extended warranty, comes with an awesome standard warranty. I would suggest this car to anyone. Why pay more for less, this car rocks;)

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  BELIEVE IT or NOT. Cant beat this sedan - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By Jimmy K - August 21 - 5:43 am

  Ok guys here is the real deal got the car on 03/27 1. Saw the car during superbowl ads thought it was a VW cc or the lexus ES 300 but could not believe it its was hyundai sonata, which led into my research and comparisons with other sedan brands. 2. Test drove the camry , accord ex-l,VW TDI and the Ford Fusion and of course this car. 3. Now, what made me get the car? power,trunk,engine,features and unbelievable warrant etc etc. 4. Do your research as I have you will have people wondering what you driving!! 5. Price for limited edition is worth it when compared to other luxury brands 6. Just go test drive for the heck of it.

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  I love my car!!! - 2008 Hyundai Sonata
  By Lori - August 19 - 9:23 pm

  The Sonata is a very comfortable and roomy car. My husband is 64" tall with very long legs and he is very comfortable driving it. I am averaging 32 miles a gallon. It is loaded with all the features I wanted at a reasonable price.

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  WELL WORTH IT - 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Robby - August 19 - 2:00 am

  Never thought I would own a Hyundai. I am happy I do. Well built. Well Engineered. A lot of thought went into the design of this car. I would buy one again. Thanks Hyundai

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  Love it - 2005 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By JC - August 18 - 7:26 pm

  I love this vehicle. Its fun to drive and it handles very well. Glad I got the 3.5, as it has fantastic pick-up. The only draw back -- it is a little thirsty at the pump. I would not, however, go back to Auto Nation.

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  I like it.... - 2005 Hyundai TUCSON
  By mylai - August 18 - 2:43 pm

  I just got my Tucson and i love it! I do agree with everyone about the get up and go on it. It could be better. Other then that it is perfect for me. I had a Jeep Grand Cherokee before this and i am happy about my new choice.

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  Happy - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By Dirk - August 18 - 11:56 am

  It is a beautiful car. I liked the very responsive mannual shift yet smooth. One of the best vehicle out there for your money.

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  Nice Car - 2004 Hyundai XG350
  By Nick - August 18 - 9:30 am

  For the price this is an outstanding car. The only thing I miss is a compass.

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  2007 Sante Fe, Fantastic Value - 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Joe W - August 17 - 11:16 pm

  I purchased a Hyundai for my son 2 years ago and was very impressed with the value of the vehicle. I did not like the 2006 Sante Fe exterior but read that the 2007 was going to be a significant redesign. When I found phots of the 2007 I began to compare the Sante Fe to the Hondas and Toyotas. I think that the value for the price is not even a close comparison. I knew I wanted to purchase a new Sante Fe as soon as I was able to find the best price for the model and options I wanted. I like the ride and handeling, I like how quite the interior ride is, I think that most of the controls and features are well thought out and placed within reach of the driver and I really like the way it looks.