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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  Its the SUV to buy ! - 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Debbie from Georgia - February 2 - 2:00 am

  I have really enjoyed my Santa Fe in the month Ive owned it. It has a wonderful smooth ride. My other vehicle you got jousled when you went over rough roads or bumps this is exceptonally smooth. It came with alot more standard equipment for the price and the warranty is great too!

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  Love It! - 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By shan7797 - February 2 - 2:00 am

  This SUV is the best deal on the market today. It is great to drive and has a ton of power. The interior is very comfortable and the in dash 6- cd changer rocks! I cant say enough good things about this vehicle. I am a very happy customer.

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  I love him... - 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By forgottenchild - February 2 - 2:00 am

  I think the Santa Fe handles very well, rides smoother than any other SUV I est drove, and offered a lot more at a better price with an unbeatable warranty!

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  great buy - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By Al - February 1 - 11:00 am

  great car for the money. you get all the extras that others charge extra for.fit and finish is much better than most other cars at this price range.

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  Mid Life Toy - 2003 Hyundai Tiburon
  By Gregorio - February 1 - 10:00 am

  I test drove all the sports coupes I could find under $30,000.00. I came back to the Tiburon for two reasons. First, the styling, nothing on the market comes close except the Z 350 for ten grand more and if you wanted to spend the money you will have to wait for several months to get hosed by a dealer. Second, the car is just more fun to drive. My 6 speed GT handles like the car it look like.

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  Love at First Sight - 2010 Hyundai Elantra Touring
  By Jim Maloney - February 1 - 9:33 am

  I drove a 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe for 3 years and fell in love with Hyundai quality and service but I needed a more fuel efficient smaller car. Since I carry items on a regular basis I needed a hathback or wagon. The 2010 Elantra Touring filled the bill. I was skeptical about the horsepower but this car really moves. I had 2002 and 2005 BMW 3 series and they have nothing over this car. Solidly built (no noise going over train tracks) and corners great. Looks great and has a great warranty. I call it a win win win deal!

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  Sonata keeps getting better - 2013 Hyundai Sonata
  By fokker45 - February 1 - 6:24 am

  This is my third Sonata, a 2007, 2010, now a 2013. Each is better than the last. I have the Limited with the 2.0 Turbo. It is as fast as the old muscle cars, but smoother and more conomical. Interior is nicer than in the past, dash layout is good and the instrument panel lighting is very sharp. Seats are comfortable and both front and back are heated. Compared to my V-6 Sonata, Im getting 3 to 4 mpg better milage and with better performance. As for reliability, none of my Sonatas ever needed warranty service. The style is better than cars costing twice as much. Every time I park next to a luxury car, I still prefer the Sonata styling and the high quality of the pain

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  GLS with Premium Package - 2009 Hyundai Veracruz
  By Mike C - January 31 - 1:56 pm

  Purchased the GLS with Premium package vs. the Limited package due to price differential. The GLS with premium only sacrifices a couple of options. We did not want the NAV package since portable units suffice well. The car rides and handles well and is very comfortable and meets all of our expectations. The only problem encountered was the road tires were overinflated 48 vs. 30 recommended and the spare was underinflated 30 vs. 60psi recommended. The prep should have caught these items. We have taken two trips of over 300 miles and are well satisfied with the driving experience.

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  Luv it - 2006 Hyundai Azera
  By Eric - January 31 - 11:28 am

  I love my Azera since I have had it, it has been great. We drive out of town a lot and it drives like a high priced car. It is fun to drive and is one of the safest in its class. I is very fast, handles great, rides smooth, and we love it.

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  Dead Battery - 2006 Hyundai Azera
  By Dennis - January 31 - 7:01 am

  Gas mileage is terrible. No front seat drivers side leg room. Not a car to drive if you are over six feet tall. Battery drains after 3-4 days of being parked. Hyundai says that is normal(?) Transmission never knows what gear it wants to be in. No reason to buy this car as long as they are building Accords and Camrys.