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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  Still going strong - 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By CDF - November 11 - 12:27 pm

  It has been an unbelievably reliable vehicle, is comfortable, and still looks good. Its had minimal issues beyond routine wear and tear and maintenance. It has fewer electronic bells and whistles (nav, entertainment, etc) than newer vehicles, but the stereo and Bluetooth and cruise control are really nice.

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  Very happy with our Santa Fe - 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Opie_2k - November 11 - 4:36 am

  My wife and I purchased this vehicle as a hauler for our new baby and cross country trips. We bought it in Fall 03 and have not been disappointed at all. Since it is her car I make up errands just to drive it. The handling is fantastic, the options are generous, the safety is great, and the warranty makes us feel comfortable with the future. We have the 2WD version of the 2.7L V6 and it performs admirably in the snow and the rain. The "manu-matic" feature on the transmission is really great for low grearing through snow or steep grades. We also opted for the 6- disc player which rocks. On our long haul trips (8hrs+) Ive found the seats to be very comfortable and the driving enjoyable.

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  Very Impressed - 2005 Hyundai Elantra
  By llslice - November 10 - 11:01 pm

  This car has a quality feel to it. Very smooth shifting automatic,good pick up and turning circle. Firm comfortable leather seats. Switch gear for climate control and turn signal has the feel of Toyota quality. Windshield washer nozzles spit out 3 streams each.Ice cold A/C. No wind noise on the highway.Sporty handling. Bright brake lights(I can light up the persons face sitting behind me at a stop light) For the weekend mechanic oil filter and spark plugs are easily accessable. NOW THE BAD: It took 3 trips to 2 different dealships to fix the leaky moonroof. Front and rear passenger seats need to sit higher for more thigh support.Mushy brakes. Overall a great bargain.

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  SONATA THE BEST!! - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By stockmanjoe - November 9 - 5:33 pm

  The 2006 Hyundai Sonata is truly a great car. It is miles ahead of its Japanese and of course American competition in style, price, performance and warranty. I highly recommend you test drive one.

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  great economy car - 2002 Hyundai Elantra
  By Greg - November 9 - 3:57 pm

  I have had no real problems with this car. I wanted a vehicle that could haul my upright bass and other instruments but also had decent gas mileage. The Elantra hatchback fit the bill. It has performed marvelously. It has many of the ammenities of luxury cars at an affordable price. I liked the car so much, that we bought a 2002 Hyundai Accent hatchback as a second vehicle. By the way, it too can fit my double bass, but the neck does extend between the two front seats!

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  Great crossover! - 2007 Hyundai Veracruz
  By Stella - November 9 - 4:06 am

  I looked at most of the crossovers, such as the Pilot, Outlook, Acadia, and the Mazda and Nissan versions, before deciding on the Veracruz. I do not regret my decision at all. The kids love the DVD and mom loves the sunroof and leather. The heated seats are nice too now that it is cold. The gas mileage could be a bit better but it is improving since the 1st oil change. You wont regret buying this one.

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  Fun things do come in small packages - 2005 Hyundai Elantra
  By Ralph - November 5 - 10:48 am

  The car is small, yet big. It is a comfortable car on long trips and surprisingly it holds alot of luggage, bags and whatever else you want to bring home from vacation. Fuel economy on this car has been great. I drive a mix of highway and city and I have been getting between 29 and 31mpg, On trips, I have been getting 34.5mpg. It is fun to pull in to the gas station, fill up and leave, while the SUV guy is waiting and waiting and waiting to hit the full mark.

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  Best thing Ive done for myself! - 2008 Hyundai Elantra
  By K - November 4 - 8:56 pm

  The rebate caught my attention, I wanted to upgrade from my 2001 Hyundai Accent, and this was a perfect find! I love the exterior (black) and the two-tone interior. Excellent features for a ridiculously low price - sunroof, cruise control, XM radio, fog lights. It it very spacious, and driving it feels so comfortable. Wishing for lumbar support, though. You cant beat the warranty, and the extra features, and the gas mileage, and the sleekness, and the value...and I could go on! Ive driven 350 miles since I bought it and I havent filled the gas tank yet!

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  Good for the buck - 2013 Hyundai Azera
  By Seth Duncan - November 4 - 9:58 am

  I love the curves of the car. I love the many options that it came with as standard. I love the price and the power train warranty. The audio is terrible though and the ride a little bumpy. I am getting about 16 miles to the gallon instead of 20 for city driving. Will keep an eye on that especially as I have it on ECO.

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  Love to drive it! - 2005 Hyundai Elantra
  By aauummm - November 4 - 12:03 am

  I traded in my 2003 Elantra for the 2005 Elantra GT, four door. The GT is well worth it. I like the leather seats but think they should be heated. The car is comfortable on the road and in town. On the road it rides like a much larger sized car. It takes curves like a sports car. Its roomy and well laid out on the inside. Ive added HID headlights, a Wheelskins leather steering wheel cover and an exterior temperature monitor.