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 value and fun little zipper - 2006 Hyundai Elantra
  By William Fuentes - June 21 - 8:10 am

  I bought the Elantra because I am a big guy and needed a compact car that would fit my frame. The seating is great and with the 8 way adjustable seat I found it incredibly comfortable. I have driven it constantly since buying it, wearing it in and testing it in different situation. The power is there to pass and it is incredibly responsive making it fun to zip in an out of traffic. It looks sleak and had an incredible amount of standard features including cruise control, power windows/doors and remote keyless entry with alarm. All and all this is a great purchase and I would suggest it to anyone looking for a reaonably priced car with enough power and features to make it enjoyable.

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  Worth More Than They Sell Them For!!! - 2008 Hyundai Elantra
  By Doug - June 21 - 5:56 am

  Ive spent over a year looking to buy a new car. I needed something reliable, safe, and economical. This car has it all in spades! Its unheard of to have stability control in a car at this price. And its a blast to drive. It has WAY more torque than the civic so it really moves when you hit the gas! Feels like it has way more horsepower too. And it steers with a perfect mix of feedback and ease.

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  5 Stars All Around - 2006 Hyundai Accent
  By Julie - June 20 - 12:09 pm

  I am very happy with my Hyundai Accent. It is my first car, and it is great. The gas milage i get is super and it is tons of fun to drive. The exterior and interior have a lot of character and detailed touches. I only have two minor complaints, it is a little loud when accelerating, however once at the right speed you could hear a pin drop. The other thing I dont like is the suspension is a little bouncy when you have people in the back seat. Other than those two things, this car is perfect. I chose the accent over the elantra, because it had more safety features and it was smaller. I looked at the Toyota Yaris, but there was a 2-4 month waiting list, so I went for the accent.

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  Im in LOVE - 2003 Hyundai Tiburon
  By JimmyK - June 20 - 10:00 am

  I love my new tib. I first saw it a year ago at the auto show when it came down to miami. My friend and I thought it was the coolest car, and were amazed when we found out the it was made by Hyundai. Just recently I bought the car and got a great deal on it. The car looks amazing from the exterior and interior, and the comments i get for it are the best. I wish it had a little more hp, and I wish that the after market performance parts werent so hard to find. Guess thats what I get for buying a car right when it comes out.

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  Trust me, buy this car and be happy - 2004 Hyundai XG350
  By TOSHMAT - June 20 - 10:00 am

  I have been driving my new GX350L since April this year. I am very satisfied with this vehicle. I am so proud of myself purchasing it. You pay so little for what you get in the car in comparison to the other cars in the similar class. I test drove Honda Accord, Toyota Camry and Nissan Maxima but nothing has come close to GX350L. The interior of the car is very luxurious, comfortable and sophisticated. I would say this is a cheap manÂ’s Lincoln. You will be happy, too when you purchase a GX350L.

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  Great SUV - 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Ruthie - June 20 - 10:00 am

  We bought our Santa Fe in March and already have 7000 miles on it. We take it everywhere! It is so comfortable, whether riding in the front or back. Its always a race when we leave to see who gets to the drivers seat first!

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  Wifes Choice - 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Gary in Illinois - June 20 - 10:00 am

  We needed to find a vehicle that would ride similarly to the unit it replaced which was a 1995 full size Ford conversion van. My wife & I went on an 1100 mile trip in the van and her hip never hurt or caused us to stop. When we would ride in our 1995 Lumina, her maximun duration was an hour. We test drove the Santa Fe and it met her needs. We have the 4 cyl. seems to give it plenty of go at highway speeds. It lacks a little on the low end but not bad. Just put your foot in a little deeper! We hope to drive it for at least 5-7 years.

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  Loyal to Hyundai - 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Meier - June 20 - 10:00 am

  This new Santa Fe is the fourth Hyundai we have bought - 2 Accents and 2 Santa Fes. Hyundai honors its 10-year warranty, although we have hardly had to use it. The Santa Fe is the first car I have had that I truly have enjoyed- all the cars I used to have were just transportation.

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  Nice Little Car - 2006 Hyundai Accent
  By M - June 20 - 9:25 am

  For the first 500 km, not a bad ride. Gas mileage is a little off... either need to break it in a little more or need to have the dealer take a look at it. I got the dealer to pay for cruise control and a car starter before I picked up the car.

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  Luxury at a low cost - 2017 Hyundai Elantra
  By Joe Laslo - June 20 - 3:54 am

  2017 Elantra Limited . Originally I was seeking a SE model but found a dealer that gave me the Limited model for the same price I was going to pay for the SE . Its best to shop around until you get what you want. Make sure you get all the incentives available too, then dicker a bit.