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 and Economy - 2008 Hyundai Accent
  By Ron Hansen - November 12 - 8:26 pm

  The car is fun to drive great around town. Quick and easy 5 speed makes the drive interesting. Plenty of front seat room with great driving position. This is our third Hyundai and we enjoy the security the added value options and safety provided. My accent has six air bags giving the car a five star safety rating. Great value with long term economy. Better then a hybrid.

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  Great for Commuting - 2009 Hyundai Elantra Touring
  By NCdrvr - November 12 - 2:00 am

  Based on good CR ratings for the Elantra SE sedan, I bought the Touring model when it first came out. Not easy to find with the manual transmission - but I preferred the performance of the Hyundai 2.0 engine with 5 spd over the Toyota Matrix 1.8 engine. Some reviewers have found this car to ride a little rough, but personally I think other Hyundai models are a little too spongy. This car is very roomy for its size - I managed to get a 9 cu. ft. freezer in the back with room to spare. More than enough space for four adults - rear seats are another advantage over the Toyota Matrix or Mazda 3 hatchbacks. Im averaging 29 MPG in commuting, 34 on long trips - would like to see a 6 spd manual.

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  Not Bad - 2003 Hyundai Tiburon
  By Peter Masters - November 12 - 2:00 am

  Fun driving this car: smooth ride, good viewability and great for pick-ups (wink...)

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  Bang for the Buck! - 2003 Hyundai Tiburon
  By Steven Owens - November 12 - 2:00 am

  I just wanted to look at it, but after driving the Car I had to get it. (V6 auto) I practically dragged the salesman inside to talk numbers. I have owned five cars in the past and had been a car salesman myself at one time so I have driven quite a few. I havent had this much fun with a car ever before. This car could easily sell with a price tag of $6,000 more.

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  (Sadly) Owning is Believing - 2002 Hyundai Sonata
  By patchman - November 12 - 2:00 am

  Good first impressions of the car. It rides very comfortably and quietly. Alot of car for the money. BUT be prepared to know your service writer on a first name basis. Mine proved to be very problematic. Brakes (front and rear) power windows (both front windows, twice) various rattles etc. Worst, I had a continuing engine cutout problem that finally caused me to file for the "lemon law" in my state. Hyundai Motor America was not helpful in any way. BEWARE!! You DO get what you pay for. Mine is now gone at 22000 miles.

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  Really nice car - 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Dave - November 11 - 6:26 am

  I just traded in a 2001 BMW X5 so once I got over the BMW/Hynudai issue, I was fine. Its a great car for the money. I originally purchased the GLS but went back the next day and got the SE. I like the little extras, especially the on wheel audio controls, compass in the rear view mirror, trip computer, and more.

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  Golden! - 2005 Hyundai TUCSON
  By Crystal - November 10 - 1:03 pm

  Love the car and all its outstanding features. Looks great, drives great...I could not be any happier.

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  Best Car Ive Ever Owned - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By Gary - November 10 - 4:43 am

  I spent 4 months researching cars to replace my beloved GMC Envoy (SUV). Everything else was too small, or overpriced, or didnt have stability control. And while I had my mind set on a 4 cylinder SE (for the price and fuel economy), a V6 came along as a dealer demo with 9500 miles on it. Thus, it was cheaper than a "new" 4 cylinder and now I have a car with a super-powerful and smooth, unbelievably quiet engine. The car now has nearly 11,000 miles on it with no rattles. Im averaging 24 mpg on my 12 mile suburban commute. I got 35 mpg on an all-highway trip. Great in the mountains. Great looks, super comfortable, very modern. Beats every car Ive owned, including a Passat.

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  They built a beauty! - 2001 Hyundai XG300
  By Bob Colucci - November 9 - 7:00 pm

  XG300 by Hyundai. Sharp design, five speed tranny, posi-traction front wheel drive, great radio, heated rear view mirrors, good mileage, great paint job all add up to a car that was ahead of its time for Hyundai. Not too many built but most are still on the road. No trouble with mine. Worth every penny and then some.

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  02 Accent - great car for the money - 2002 Hyundai Accent
  By Lori - November 9 - 1:27 pm

  I just resisted the urge to trade in my 2002 Accent largely because it is so much fun to drive and has been so reliable for me. At 80,000 miles "Little Red" is still zipping along merrily. Average MPG in the high twenties for city driving. Totally agree that the standard tires should be jettisoned ASAP. Like all Hyundais this Accent runs and drives (and on the inside, looks) like a more expensive vehicle. Exterior styling is a bit on the dumpy side, but hey, you cant have everything. This Accent is a terrific buy, especially at a used price.