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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  VALUE VALUE VALUE - 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By puckguy59 - November 24 - 2:00 am

  We have only had the car 2 months but it is well worth the money. There have been zero problems with the car. You get a lot of features at a great price

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  Quick, fun, economical, no problem - 2003 Hyundai Elantra
  By Doggy Daddy - November 24 - 2:00 am

  After driving this car for a year, I have no complaints and still have some fun everyday, even if its just pulling some Gs on a freeway cloverleaf. Handling is quick and tight, very little understeer, and in good balance with the modest power. This car has good horsepower/weight ratio, so youre never left in the dust. Also, great utility- I can carry an upright bass or set of drums easily. Overall mpg over 30 mpg.

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  Great deal for the money - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By JohnJ - November 23 - 6:56 pm

  Ive got 1,300 miles on the car and so far its been great...... lots of room inside and a huge trunk. Im 66" and fit in the car well. XM radio and sound system very good. My only complaint is the car seems to ride a little hard, bumps are jarring and there is road noise even with the correct air pressure or a little lower. I rented a Sonata a few months ago on vacation which got me interested in the car in the first place, but dont remember this hard ride as an issue. I think the 08 Accord ride is smoother, but at a much higher price. I wonder if anyone else has found the ride to be an problem.

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  Best Yet - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By Burdland - November 23 - 1:46 pm

  going on 3000 miles.i had a honda ex 6 cyl before this and this car is far superior in all areas except gas mileage. I only get 18.3 in local driving. I will have to live with that. My only other complaint is the automatic air does not come up for the first 60 to ninty seconds. It seems longer than that in the summer heat of florida. I would recomend this car to all.

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  Love it! - 2010 Hyundai TUCSON
  By Jm - November 22 - 10:00 pm

  I am very impressed with this car. I havent had a new car in 10 years, trading in my 1999 Honda Accord, which was a great car, and I made a great choice. I drive a LOT for work and this is a comfortable and fun car to ride when you have to be in it for long periods of time. Im impressed with the leather, I use the bluetooth ALL the time as I am constantly making work calls - people say they sometimes cant tell I am on a bluetooth. Little unimpressed with the speakers. My first tank avg was 24 mpg, second was 25, third was 28. Just seems to go up! GREAT car! My dad, a picky car mechanic, even loves it!

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  Great Car / Great Value - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By Eric in Concord, NC - November 21 - 4:56 am

  I test drove the BMW 328i, Acura TSX, Audi A4, Volvo S40, and the Lincoln MKZ. Went with the Sonata... It has all the features (or more), better syling, and more room than any of those cars, at a price they cant touch!

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  What a Pleasant Surprise - 2004 Hyundai XG350
  By surprised - November 21 - 1:03 am

  After pricing new & used cars, we Test drove the XG - we couldnt believe it! The XG was equal to anything for far less $$$. The Warranty backs up their claims - havent had to use it yet. The interior is equal to the best available (Audi A6), we now compare the others to the XG. The engine feels very strong & braking is great. All the Safety features - 4 wheel ABS,Traction Control, even Side Airbags.Dont believe Edmunds Editor Review - JD Powers Rating (10/04) puts Hyundai #2 behind Lexus, guess where all the other high priced cars were !! Highly recommend this car - you wont believe what your getting. Quality Quality Quality How do they do it ?

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  Its a pleasure to drive and look at. - 2005 Hyundai TUCSON
  By Anthony Vozza - November 20 - 12:46 pm

  This is my first Hyandai and I must say I am so pleased. Its more than I expected and a good looker many stop to look at this suv. I get a new car every two or three years and I would imagine that this company will get my attention all the time. I was also impressed with the management of the dealership I purchased my car from.

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  I love this CUV - 2010 Hyundai Veracruz
  By ab1608 - November 19 - 11:10 am

  Were glad we bought this CUV after lot of shopping and very much happy & satisfied with Hyundais luxury car- Veracruz.I think Hyundai should market/advertise more about this vehicle so people will know how good this is and what a best value for the money! We like the luxury look & feel of the vehicle with lot less money.

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  Best In Class - 2003 Hyundai Elantra
  By Honda Eater - November 19 - 10:00 am

  I also have a 2000 Elantra. The improvements the company made to the vehicle are too many to list here. I test drove almost every other competing car. There isnt another car I would have wanted but this on. Every thing from the price to performance make this vehicle a perfect 10. For every Honda lover, I ask, can you get leather in a Civic from the factory?