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 Car - 2003 Hyundai Elantra
  By mike332 - December 27 - 2:00 am

  I love it! Best deal for the money and warrenty. Glad I bought it. Great little car.

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  perfect for starting a family - 2010 Hyundai Sonata
  By pickle55chevy - December 26 - 7:33 pm

  me and my wife recently bought a Sonata and we both love it its comfortable and reliable.our daughter loves makeing messes in it but it is definatly big enought to get the gold fish out on a quick fast and hurry standard for the first new car that dad has owned.roomyness was the key with this car meaning we could put the stroller 2 million bags that baby needed and then mom and dads one shared army duffle bag in the trunk. the acceleration is great and this mid size will definatly keep up and leave thoese tailgateing mustang gts. trust me i have done it. the braking is very reassuring especially when it comes to you or the garage door. and its fun to drive. more fun then my last sports car

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  The great car people dont know about. - 2005 Hyundai TUCSON
  By Richard Miller - December 26 - 1:30 pm

  This car rides like a dream, easy on the body and smooth like a car. It gets much better gas mileage that the EPA number. It has all the extras as standard equipment and is a great small SUV for the money.

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  Hyundai Santa Fe - 2005 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By halgsmith - December 26 - 10:10 am

  I like the Santa Fe 2.7L V6 very much. It is relatively quiet and handles well on curves, and the mileage I get is 20-22 around town and 26-28 on the highway. No long trips as yet. The steering is a little too responsive if you take your eyes off the road to adjust the AC or heating, or radio.

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  Love my Sante Fe - 2002 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Arbas - December 26 - 10:00 am

  I love my Sante Fe. Talk about fun to drive. My complaints are that I have yet to get 19 mpg in the city, Accelaration is a little sluggish also, and drivers seat adjustment knobs are awkward to use.

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  Very very nice car - 2002 Hyundai Elantra
  By NY Chris - December 26 - 10:00 am

  I love this car. I had a 2000 Ford Focus and it doesnt come close to this car. It has zip. It has pep. It is very fun to drive and you would never even know it was a Hyundai (as compared to those boxes of cars in the early 90s). I strongly, strongly recommend this car.

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  Might Be Too Soon To Rate, But... - 2005 Hyundai Tiburon
  By FeRoWorks - December 25 - 5:10 pm

  I think Im in love. This is my first time buying a new car and/or a stick shift for that matter, but I am really enjoying this vehicle. You will definately get a lotta eye contact from others with the very sleek and unique look of the Tiburon. Im still new to the whole manual driving thing, but in comparison to many cars i have been in this baby can move. I have a best freind who has a 2002 RSX S and he prefers to drive my Tiburon. Im definItely goinG to customize my ride, but as is from the dealership you will definItely love how this car looks, sounds, and performs stock.

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  Fantastic Ride! - 2004 Hyundai Tiburon
  By Bennie - December 25 - 7:26 am

  I bought this car new and I love it. It has to be one of the best cars, if not the very best car I have ever owned. Plenty of power, looks great, outstanding gas mileage (over 30 MPG) and extremely comfortable. Great compliments wherever I go.

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  POOR SHOCKS - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By RetiredRich - December 25 - 6:10 am

  We have had our Sonata almost a year now and very pleased with all but one thing. I have got as much as 33 mpg on trips and low as 22 mpg around town. All around quality seems great. Ride is smooth until a big bump is hit and the shocks dont prevent it from bottoming out. So it makes a loud bang on big bumps. I think the shocks are weak. That wouldnt keep me from buying another Sonata.

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  "Highway Robbery" - 2002 Hyundai Elantra
  By rwrslickrick - December 25 - 2:00 am

  I absolutely love this car. I will find myself driving down the road with a stupid grin of delight on my face. I walked away with this car for under $15K and almost feel guilty as if I stole it. The manual (my first) is a blast to drive. If you dont have a stop and go commute, I would definitely recommend the 5-speed. The interior is nicely thought out with alot of storage. All in all, this car has a little something for everyone. Sporty, roomy, efficient, practical, and luxurious (no joke). I couldnt be happier, because I didnt break the bank, but yet, I dont feel as if I compromised. I doubt I wouldve said the same with a Civic, or Corolla.