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:

• 

  Hyundai Warranty - 2013 Hyundai Sonata
  By mmm22 - May 3 - 6:56 am

  This warranty is a joke. It is not more than a selling tool. The quality of the car is poor. I spent more money repairing Sonata 2009, V6 than at Honda 2002. At 64000 miles the alternator had to be replaced as result if front valve oil leak. Contacted Hyundai who refused to pay for the cost of the repair. Trust me do not buy Hyundai made cars. The warranty is useless. Quality of the car is not good, oil leakage seems to be a problem with the Sonatas.

• 

  Dont buy a Hyundai Genesis - 2011 Hyundai Genesis Coupe
  By davidirn - May 1 - 4:12 pm

  We bought a new Genesis coupe in 2011. This is the worst mistake of our lives. It is by far the cheapest vehicle we have ever owned. The ride is so stiff and uncomfortable. We dont dare take it on long trips. The road noise is so bad you cant even hear the stereo or hear yourself think. The interior is so cheap just touching the interior causes marks that will not come off. The navigation system has taken us to places we never programed it for. After owning it for just a few months we had to take it back to the dealer to have the seats replaced because the stain on the leather was wearing off and white spots are coming thru. The transmission is very difficult to shift. Dont buy!

• 

  Major repairs on used purchase - 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By rhonda28 - April 23 - 5:32 am

  I purchased this vehicle used a 1 1/2 yrs ago and had nothing but problems. Major cost to fix each problem. The front and rear catalytic converter had to be replaced as I could not get speed over 25 mph. On trip 2 hrs away from my home a month ago and the car just shut down on me. This past week belt which controls the a/c condenser and power steering just completely broke. Now I need a a/c condenser which is over $1000. NEVER will buy a Hyundai again.

• 

  Be Prepared for Panic - 2000 Hyundai Accent
  By B Hines - April 16 - 2:00 am

  Our unfortunate and frightening experience of owning this car. We feel as though it is unsafe. On three different occasions, after about an hours driving on highways, All in a sudden "BAMM" Scared,thinking we hit something, after the car suddenly jerks, as in "the whole car locked up instantly. What would have happened if we were on ice or a curve? The third time in the shop the computer, relay and a connector was found to be the problem. Make sure you keep good maint. records. Now we are left with a car driven 15,738 miles on their assumtion it was OK. Will this car last? I found large metal shavings and a thick grit in the trans. pan. More important. IS IT SAFE TO DRIVE?

• 

  Disappointed - 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Disappointed - April 7 - 6:20 am

  I have had this car for 18 months, having bought it used with 20,500 miles on it.It now has 49,000 miles and I just picked it up from the dealership from having the transmission replaced. The check engine light, is always on, and it didnt fail me today, 8 miles from the dealership (where they also fixed a vacuum problem to correct the CEL), it was on again. I had high hopes for this car, but after being in the dealership at least 8 times in 18 months (CEL and tranny issues), I no longer have any hopes for it. Although I love the style and size, it gets fairly decent gas mileage and it rides nice, those things just do not make up for the mechanical problems and being w/o my car.

• 

  When given lemons.... - 1994 Hyundai Elantra
  By Amber - April 5 - 2:00 am

  This is a visually decent car to look at however as you all know, Hyundai did a TERRIBLE job with the earlier 90s versions of ANY of their vehicles. I would NOT recommend this year car to anyone. The transmission started going about 3 months after the purchase (which was a used purchase at 9,000 miles) and has been a constant headache along with the steering and brakes ever since. Luckily, mom only drives it 25- 30 miles a week so I let her keep it.

• 

  I Dont Like My Sonata - 2000 Hyundai Sonata
  By kaybella - April 2 - 2:00 am

  I will be taking my Sonata back to the dealer for the 4th time (only 17,000 miles as of 4/2/02) to have them see if they can fix the squealing/sqeaking noise they make every time I step on the brake. Im tired of hearing from the service department that this noise "is the nature of the Sonata" Ive already written and e-mailed Hyundai Motors Corp.

• 

  always check before you buy - 2001 Hyundai XG300
  By patricia - March 23 - 2:00 am

  i had a poor experience with this vehicle.it appeared to be a beautiful,econimical,reliable...i had more problems with this car and it took 3 tries to fix the problem before they took it back...always bring your car to a mechanic to check it out before signin any papers

• 

  Worst Vehicle Ive ever had! - 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Samsara - March 21 - 10:00 am

  The moment I drove this vehicle off the lot, Ive been having problems. Molding on the hood is coming off again; no pickup whatsoever; braking is poor; gray panel across bottom of vehicle chips very easily; back door of vehicle is way tooooo heavy. Previously had a Honda CRV -- the best! Mileage is terrible. Not sure what good I can find. Every week, if its not one thing, its another.

• 

  Hyundai is a big mistake - 1997 Hyundai Accent
  By redsphinx - March 11 - 5:07 pm

  I made the mistake of buying a Hyundai Accent brand new with a 3 year/36,000 mile warranty. At 40,000 miles, the entire car just fell apart.I spent over $2,000 repairing the car in six months.A go-cart is more powerful and reliable than any Hyundai. Plus the resale value of this car makes it a horrible investment. I recently purchased a 2001 Pontiac Grand Am and am very satisfied.I feel sorry for anyone that just bought a Hyundai.