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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  Very Good but no Great - 2008 Hyundai Azera
  By shagnat - February 9 - 10:28 am

  This is my first Hyundai. I had done loads of research before purchasing this car. Ive been a Toyota man for 20+ years and it was difficult to change brands. The low resale value of this cars helped me to purchase the Hyundai. Im not sure if I regret this decision or not, but, time will tell. I dont believe it is the same quality as Toyota, but, its close in many areas. The performance is excellent, gas mileage is very good for 263 hp. Seating comfort is a little lacking due to very short seat bottoms. Many many lxury features, but, they havent changed much at all since 2006. Needs a major updating.

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  Reliable Hyundai - 2001 Hyundai Sonata
  By Love my Sonata - February 6 - 9:35 am

  After doing much research, I found my Hyundai Sonata to be everything claimed. The six cylinder model is a very quiet, smooth ride. It accelerates when applied and the cruise control is amazing. Other than the big turning radius(which was disclosed), I have nothing but good things to say about it. It is a large roomy car so 20 mpg (in town) wasnt a bad statistic. As with all automobiles, regular maintenance is a must.

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  Very pleased with the Sonata - 2008 Hyundai Sonata
  By Family44 - February 3 - 2:54 pm

  The car has 40,000 miles on it now and its been a great car thus far. Absolutely no problems yet. Granted, the car is not a speed demon, but for commuting to work or driving the family around, the car is fantastic.

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  Yin and Yang - 2007 Hyundai Azera
  By Mole - February 2 - 5:58 pm

  Great car for the money. Looks and sounds high-end. Great engine, nice stereo, acceptable mileage, very quiet inside, transmission is fine. Suspension is rough over bumps yet not firm in the corners. Rear sun shade is nice touch, until it broke (fixed under warranty). Rear mirror fell off. Big car but seat doesnt go back far enough. Trunk does drip in water when opened but that doesnt really bother me. Great trunk w/cargo net & split folding seats. Good in stop/go and on highway. Leather isnt super supple, but is durable. No problems with build quality, rattles, or peeling trim. No mechanical problems. Lots of safety features.

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  Love It - 2010 Hyundai Accent
  By practicalme - February 1 - 4:47 pm

  This is my first NEW car and Im 51 years old. I was waiting for this car. It cost me $8,900, has a great warranty and is fun to drive.

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  Good overall Deal - 2001 Hyundai Elantra
  By Ken2400 - February 1 - 3:04 pm

  There is a recall on the Lower control arms due to salt in given states. Look it up. Mine failed at 137K miles. Dealer fully covered it. 5 SP GLS

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  Big Mistake - 2010 Hyundai Elantra
  By Chuck - January 25 - 7:36 pm

  Tried trading after 1000 miles. Depreciated 25% plus. Rough ride,hard suspension, noise from rear. 25.8 MPG HW. uncomfortable in back seat. look around and compare comfort. Drive on an uneven road. Great Heat/AC, radio, sunroof. Drives well in snow/ice. Looking for a trade or sale. Little help from dealer.

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  Not pretty but very fuel efficient! - 2003 Hyundai Elantra
  By Steven - January 22 - 2:39 pm

  I have had this car for a little over 2 years now. It has 98000 miles on it and have never had a single problem with the car. The gas mileage is excellent! I always average 31 mpg! I would recommend this car for anyone who doesnt want to spend a bunch of money with upkeep and gas!

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  2007 Hyundai Elantra with Paint Problems - 2007 Hyundai Elantra
  By frustatedhyundaiuser - January 17 - 4:10 pm

  2007 Hyundai Elantra (fiery red color), 32k miles, “under warranty”, with sections of peeling clear coat and localized areas of fracturing paint, penetrating through the clear coat & top coat on the hood, roof, and trunk. Car was bought brand new in late 2007 (previous year’s model). Within one year, these issues began appearing, and have progressively gotten worse. Now, there are 50+ total spots throughout the car’s paint surface.

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  My First New Car - 2009 Hyundai Elantra
  By Gabe - January 14 - 7:29 pm

  I love this car it is very good on gas and its little enough to park almost anywhere! Ive had this car for about 4 months now and I love it, and its quiet on the highways. it needs a little work in the upgrading department as far as bluetooth, and interior and exterior accessories.