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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  So So Car - 2004 Hyundai Tiburon
  By tibby - January 26 - 8:10 am

  I have a 2004, i find that this car doesnt preform to the styling that it has. From the looks you would expect preformance, but in turn you get an "economy" quality built vehicle. the main issue that i have come across is the clutch and flywheel assy. these two components are possibly the two worse designed components on the vehicle. and there is no point in having a backseat you can fit MAYBE one person back there.

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  Hyundai Genesis - 2009 Hyundai Genesis
  By vjk6666 - January 26 - 5:40 am

  Ride is busy.. reflecting a stiffer suspension than the Azera. Rear seats do not fold. No passenger seat memory. Rear leg room limited for a 115 in wheelbase. Interior is nicely finished. Cassette tape player not included.

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  Terrible Fuel Milage - 2007 Hyundai Azera
  By HB - January 25 - 1:09 pm

  EPA ratings must be a joke to the Koreans. A loaded truck will get better fuel milage than I am getting with the Azera with 6500 miles on it. I have also had to get the rear window shade repaired. The dealer had to order parts, it would seem that since they have had so many with problems they would just stock parts to repair them.

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  Electrical problems- warranty ignored - 2000 Hyundai Tiburon
  By Adriane - January 25 - 8:23 am

  This car had persistent electrical problems, and the dealership was dishonest about the cause of them. The car would power surge and burned out 12 headlights, 2 radios, and 3 new batteries. The dealership replaced the individual parts per warranty, but would not investigate the underlying cause. Then, when it was humid, the car would not start. Once the 5-year warranty expired I took it to a non- hyundai mechanic (and my electrical engineer father), and they immediately identified the problem. The specs in the factory for the plating in the electrical system were off, and the connectors would vibrate loose (as evidenced by corrosion) which would cause arcs and surges. I had the car 6 years.

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  GLS Sonata was my Easiest Purchase yet - 2007 Hyundai Sonata
  By johnnyatbat - January 25 - 3:53 am

  I have owned both Toyota and Honda vehicles over the years, but tried the Sonata this time because my co-worker got one and he likes to run cars till the wheels fall off. I told him I was thinking about a new car and he let me try his Sonata Limited. Whoah- I was surprised- it was better than what I expected from a Hyundai. The Sonata had Side curtain airbags, Stability control, XM radio, roadside assistance and a 10 year warranty- ALL STANDARD! If you try it, you’ll rethink paying more for a Toyota and Honda with far less features. For me, the Sonata GLS had everything I wanted, except in- dash NAV. I never had satellite radio in a car before, and this XM radio rocks!

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  This Is the One! - 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Clancy - January 25 - 1:53 am

  If you can find anything close to a match for this vehicle.....good luck. For the price the Hyundai Santa Fe cannot be beat. The looks, styling, handling and performance are outstanding.

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  Good car - 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe
  By wthornton - January 24 - 11:49 pm

  Better than the Tiburon only problems pin holes in tran cooler other wise no problems ,fun to drive plan on keeping it. Grew up driving mopar muscle , then supras and now this.

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  Love it - 2007 Hyundai Sonata
  By whateverusay600 - January 24 - 9:13 am

  I just bought this car after driving a Grand Am for 7 years. The Sonata drives so smooth and is so quiet I can hardly tell its running. So far I love it and so does everyone who has ridden in it.

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  Good daily commuter - 2002 Hyundai Accent
  By Chrisndogs - January 23 - 11:34 am

  Bought this vehicle when gas prices were going up and I didnt feel like feeding the SUV anymore. It was purchased from a dealership and had previously been a rental car. Ive now owned it for 2 years and have put about 20K mi on it (roughly 60% city, 40% highway). I have done all the suggested scheduled maintenance, and I can honestly say that the car has been reliable. While its not thrilling to drive, it makes a great city commuter car for someone on a tight budget.

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  I love Hyundai - 2004 Hyundai Tiburon
  By MarissaP - January 23 - 10:00 am

  For the past 13 years I owed a Hyundai Excel hatchback. It was killed by a drunk drive. It was a most perfect car. Never had any trouble with it at all. I bought a Honda Civic, and hated it with a passion. I decided to go back to Hyundai and found another most perfect vehicle, the Tiburon. I love it. It is great on gas, better then the civic. It is very sharp looking, as well as a joy to drive. I am positive it will last for a very long time, as my sweet excel did. I love all the truck space and the fold down sets give this car a huge amount of carrying capacity, more than it looks like. If you buy one you will not be sorry.