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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  Will not disappoint! - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By Sonata SE Fan - June 13 - 10:00 am

  The Hyundai Sonata SE is the best looking out of all three models. I dont know why other reviewed as noisy and that it has a stiff ride. Believe me, ride is JUST PERFECT. Definitely worth a look if youre in the market for a sedan. You will fall in love with this car, trust me!

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  Move over Honda/Toyota, theres a NKOTB! - 2007 Hyundai Entourage
  By Dan - June 13 - 1:33 am

  I researched mini vans for nearly a year before purchasing our Entourage last week. We had settled on a Sedona, but when the Entourage became available a few weeks ago we loved the sportier look, the chrome, the whole package. We went with the Limited to get the options we wanted. After all my research, I can say we got the best deal of them all. More room, more saftey, more power, better sound, head and shoulders better warranty, all the same bells and whistles as Honda/Toyota for nearly $10K less! If anyone is looking for a van, I say stop looking and buy and Entourage! If a company is willing to cover their vehicle for 10 yrs/100K miles Im going to trust that company!

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  Driving IS believing...really it is. - 2002 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By paulc1994 - June 10 - 10:33 pm

  Ive been impressed. Being a long time Honda/Toyota buyer, I was somewhat skeptical about Hyundai. But what really drew me to the Santa Fe was its unique and bold styling..so I got one last fall. Its been an impressive experience for me ever since. Hyundais advertising claim, "Driving is Believing"...is reality. Once you drive one (especially the FWD version - sportier)...youll want to get one.

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  bought today......wonderful !! - 2007 Hyundai Accent
  By doug - June 10 - 6:07 pm

  just bought car, they have done many refinements as i have a 98 gsi too, i can compare ,they are as different as night and day

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  Genesis is the new BMW!!!! - 2009 Hyundai Genesis
  By Genesis - June 10 - 5:36 pm

  Absolutely love it! I drive approx 23,000+ miles annually so its extremely important I have a vehicle that is comfortable, has get-up-and-go for the freeways, is great to handle up and down the mountains in California, that is classy yet sporty...Im telling you this car has it all! Everyone stares at the car - even those with Beemers and Mercedes B drivers in total disbelief. The car is a total dream to drive. I set cruise, set the seat back, plug in the IPod and off I go. I stayed with the V6 because that had PLENTY of power. I dont know Id do with the V8. As it is I do 85/90 and dont realize it. Awesome, awesome, car! Go for it...seriously give the Genesis thought.

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  I Am Impressed. - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By mark - June 10 - 2:03 pm

  Im 55 years old and have purchased many vehicles thru the years. My last being a 2006 Lincoln Zephyr/MKZ which is an " entry Luxury Car" This Sonata blows it away. When I first went for a test drive I was impressed when closing the door and hearing a beautiful "Thup" sound which showed me quality.I read EVERY review on the internet before I made the decision to purchase. Car is tight and drives with a heavy car feeling. Enough power, more then the Zephyr which is a 6 cyl. Beautiful in black. I was going to buy the 2010 Taurus which is also nice but to big and probably slow due to its weight. I cant believe I bought a Hyundai.

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  2004 Hyundai XG350L - 2004 Hyundai XG350
  By philk - June 10 - 12:33 pm

  I like this car immensely. I wish it had a smoother transmission, but it is not bad, only 1st gear is a little goosy. The fit and finish is comparable to Lincoln, Lexus and BMW. It is far better than the small Cadillac CTS. It is a great all day cruiser and is exceptional in mountain terrain with its Selectronic transmission. I have been getting 29.7 mpg on highways trips at speeds of 70-75 mph with a/c on. It is not that good in stop and go traffic more like 20-22. This car has just about every conceivable option that one could want except a telescoping steering wheel, which I would like. I would also like to have a chirp signal to let me know the doors are locked when parking. Great Car.

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  What a car! - 2006 Hyundai Tiburon
  By Ken - June 9 - 4:50 pm

  I just bought this car used with 18,000 miles on it. Bright yellow! This car is way better than I would have guessed. The handling and power are just great. My wife says it looks like nothing can take the smile off my face when Im driving it. I went out looking to replace my Kia Spectra because it was boring. A perfectly good car, but boring, and this Tiburon is certainly exciting. I love it.

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  My view - 2003 Hyundai Tiburon
  By will reynolds - June 9 - 2:00 am

  The structure of this model is outstanding. A week after I bought the vehicle i was in a severe accident. I was at a dead stand still when i was rear ended by a Hyundai Santa Fe who was doing about 40 mph. and the back window didnt even crack. Although there was almost 10K in damage done to the car, it was rebuilt and looks like new.

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  New 2004 Santa Fe - 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Southern Gal - June 9 - 2:00 am

  After doing serious small SUV research,the Santa Fe came out on top! It is well built, solid and fun to drive. The warranty is great as well...Its almost like buying the warranty and getting the SUV for free. We are looking forward to buying another one in 7 years when my oldest son gets his drivers license.