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 Little Car - 2002 Hyundai Elantra
  By Ashley - March 28 - 5:36 pm

  I love this car. Its great on gas, its fun, and its cute! Im hooked on Hyundai Elantra. Whenever this one has seen its best days Im getting another one. Its well worth every dime!

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  Great car - 1995 Hyundai Elantra
  By My Hyundai - March 27 - 4:34 pm

  I have owned my Hyundai for 13 years and only have had to have regular maintenance on it except for the sensor which just went out this year (2008) My car is a 1995 Elantra. My husband and I basically keeps it going with regular oil changes and regular maintenance. I have owned at least 5 cars in the past but this is the best one except for the gear shift which sticks a little at this point. This car drives better than most brand new ones. It has a smooth fast and easy take off. Some of the others that I have owned usually hesitated after the light turned green as if to say do I want to go or not. I really like my 95 Hyundai!

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  Great car for the money - 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe
  By Mladen - March 27 - 10:00 am

  Frist of all this is a great car. If you are going to buy it, make sure you shop around first, I got my Genesis Coupe for $18,500 + tax, title, processing fee. The turbo model is great, its not super fast but it has enough power with great handling and great looks. I get about 420-450 miles per tank of gas, that is great for a sport car. The interior is beautiful, comfortable, and the whole cars looks great. No other car out there in this class can offer you the options, looks, and fun this that this car gives you. I have people stop and check out my car while its parked, that says it all. I cant wait to go to work in the morning just so I can drive my Genesis, love this car.

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  Very reliable - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By Sandy1123 - March 27 - 9:56 am

  Ive been driving the Sonata for a couple of years now and I cant stop harping on its astounding ride quality and handling. The plush interiors and space are also great. My only quarrel with the car is the rather low mileage.

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  Great car for the money - 2006 Hyundai TUCSON
  By Randy - March 27 - 4:26 am

  Bought this vehicle a few weeks ago, drove to ca from az. was impressed with the interior features and general comfort. a bit weak on the gas mileage thus far. Smooth riding/good handling vehicle. fun to drive. nice size. could use a bit more cargo space.

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  What a great car, just not comfortable - 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe
  By medoc - March 27 - 12:22 am

  I must have gotten a really well built one, because I never had any of the problems with the electrical system, transmission or windows coming off. Ive had my car for three years, it was one of the first to hit Detroit in 2009. I did have the problem with the brake sensor not allowing the car to start, but that was replaced and havent had a problem since.I love the way this car handles and its power, but I have to say that I cant drive more than 45 minutes without severe butt pain. Thats why Im moving on to the Genesis Sedan when my lease is up, and thats now.

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  Spend more, go for Honda or Toyota - 2007 Hyundai Entourage
  By Jenn - March 26 - 12:38 pm

  We have had nothing but problems from our 2007 entourage. It has been in the shop for 26 business days (m-f only) and 5 times (8000 mi). We have the same knocking noise others have mentioned, which it has gone up in smoke for (a/c burned out) and stranded us on the interstate w/ my 4 mo old. We have rattles/creaks etc. Poor gas mileage. The a/c is knocking again and we are claiming lemon law. Just yesterday after picking it up from being at the dealer 2 weeks, the airbag light came on. We were told they couldnt get it in until Friday (it is wed) but not to drive it b/c we wont have airbags in the event of a crash (no rentals avail). And Hyundai warranty does not guarantee a rental.

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  Azera Vibrations - 2007 Hyundai Azera
  By MXV4hater - March 25 - 10:50 pm

  The Azera has a vibration issue related to the 17" Michelin MXV4 tires. Michelin dealers wont replace the tires even after 2 dealers found problems with them, because they didnt sell them. Hyundai wont replace them (300 miles on the second set. Two sets vibrate!)and customer support wont discuss it beyond saying its Michelins problem. 17" low profile tires require nylon that remembers the flat after parking especially in cold temps. Shipping from Korea really puts a flat spot in them that wont come out with driving. Tech bulletins reveal the problem, but Hyundai will not resolve it. Very poor customer relations from Michelin and Hyundai. Demand non-factory tires before buying.

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  Good purchase - 2007 Hyundai Elantra
  By Dan - March 25 - 1:08 pm

  Our Elantra is perfect for shuttling our four kids around to school and sports functions. We are getting about 28-29 miles per gallon in mixed driving. As many reviewers point out, this car does not give you a nice smooth ride, and is easily blown all over the road by high winds, but I think that is to be expected by cars this size. It does however handle well. I experience some annoyingly long gear shifts in the automatic transmission but it is still rather responsive little engine. After 1 year of ownership with heavy use I recommend this car. Only problem experienced so far was with a light in the driver side sun visor.

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  Quite Happy - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By jrenk - March 25 - 9:43 am

  A whole lotta car for not a lot of money. Went with the LX to get the 17 inch performance rated tires and the auto climate control. Generally a comfortable, well handling car however I find the gas mileage to be abysmal in that its not even close to the EPA estimate. More like 15 mpg in the city (sometimes less!) and a fair 28 mpg on the highway. Acceleration lags a bit however at highway speeds passing speed is achieved quickly and powerfully. Carpeting in my car was not installed properly; molding on spare tire cover has come off. Paint easily chipped to base coat. Overall, Im quite happy with this purchase.