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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  Excellent Performance and Value - 2004 Hyundai Sonata
  By Ben Bailey - March 12 - 10:41 pm

  We looked several of the "big boys"-Camry, Accord, Altima. The Sonata came out on top for us because of its excellent rating on reliability. However, what really sold me was the smooth, comfortable ride. I do a lot of freeway travel and I found that at at freeway speeds the Sonata is much more quiet and comfortable than any of the other aforementioned cars-even the Camry. I get all kinds of compliments on the looks of the car too-something Ive never gotten before on any other car Ive ever ever owned. I love this car.

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  Wonderful vehicle - 2011 Hyundai TUCSON
  By piper15 - March 12 - 2:26 am

  I have had my 2011 Tuscon Limited for one month. I went for the totally loaded vehicle with 18" wheels. After test driving several other small SUVs, I tried out the Tuscon and fell in love immediately. The leather seats are very comfortable, and I really like the bluetooth and navi. The storage capacity is just right for me. As for the mileage, I am getting around 26-28 mpg combined. I am quite happy about this. It seems with each tank of gas I am getting a little better mpg. If I reset the mpg trip when driving on the highway, it says Im getting 33-35 mpg. If that is true, it would be great. Bottom line is, I love my Tucson more and more each day.

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  Everytime I see a 5-series, I snicker! - 2006 Hyundai Azera
  By JonR - March 11 - 2:56 am

  If youd told me a month ago I was going to buy a Hyundai, Id have laughed. That was before driving the Azera. Wow. This car is absolutely loaded with almost every feature you could wish for. And it drives beautifully. All for $20,000 less than a BMW 535i. I drove the Bimmer, and although the handling was tighter, it really didnt excel in any other way. The Azera is just as stylish, roomier, smoother and doesnt have the awful i-Drive system. The Limited with the Ultimate package is a steal at the same price as a Camry or Accord. And throw in the warranty for what I think is a no- brainer. The car is elegant, responsive, fast when you need it to be and build quality is superb.

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  Awesome Car - 2005 Hyundai Tiburon
  By JSENFAN - March 10 - 5:03 pm

  Just bought the car not even a month ago and I love it. Great bang for the buck!

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  Great Value, Great Fun - 2007 Hyundai Elantra
  By Bob in Macon,GA - March 10 - 6:10 am

  Have only owned it for a week,but it has exceeded my expectations so far. Great Interstate cruiser: quiet and comfortable. Build quality appears to be great, and gas mileage looks great so far.

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  2005 Accent in Colorado - 2005 Hyundai Accent
  By Tammie - March 9 - 1:04 pm

  I bought this car for economy, and I got alot more. I has alot of comfort and handles nice. Would buy it again. Keyless remote would of been nice though.

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  1st car in years - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By teresa - March 9 - 8:53 am

  This is my first car in 10 years. I drove a Grand Cherokee Lorado. Since I drive 90 plus miles round trip to work a day, my husband and I decided with gas pricing soaring we need a vehicle with better gas mileage, but for a low price with high performance and the Hyundai Sonata meets all our needs. I had my mind made on Powder White Pearl with Coco(charcoal gray) interior and a 4 cyl. however this was a color combination that was next to impossible to find. I decided to go with Medium silver blue with gray leather interior. I love it. We have put 1299 miles on our Sonata since May 31, 2008. No problems so far. I enjoy driving it.

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  Loving it so far. - 2004 Hyundai Elantra
  By Ema - March 8 - 5:23 pm

  Ive had my Elantra GT for just under a year now.I bought it used for about $11K last May 2005 with 35,000 miles on it. Its fully loaded with sunroof, traction control, Kenwood CD Stereo w/ detachable face. No way I would have gotten so much for such that price from the other cars I was considering (Golf, Matrix, Protege, Saturn).Ive got just over 52,000 miles on it now. I love this car. I drive 75 miles a day to get to work and driving around Chicago streets and highways is so much more comfortable. Cargo space is excellent for the size of the car. Only problem, that recently popped up, is with cruise control switch which was replaced by the warranty. Just regular maintanence so far

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  Excellent Vehicle - 2004 Hyundai Tiburon
  By steeleuci - March 8 - 2:00 am

  This vehicle is great! Not only is it very stylish, but you get more for your money than with other vehicles in the same price tier. I purchased the manual transmission,GT,V6,2-door,fully loaded package and have been completely satisfied. I love this car!

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  Incredible Car! - 2004 Hyundai Elantra
  By Z.S.W - March 8 - 2:00 am

  Engine: Quiet at idle, sounds awesome at full-throttle, responsive, not underpowered. Clutch operation is smooth, yet grippy. Suspension: Unbelievably smooth and comfortable ride - like a Cadillac, yet handling leans more towards that of a sporty car. Stops fast and straight. Quiet tires (Michelin). Interior: Roomy and comfortable. Hyundai thought of everything, from numerous storage compartments to hiding rear cup holders. Factory sound equipment sounds extremely nice, with good bass and ear-tingling highs. Exterior: Attractive styling compared with previous years. Good paint selection.