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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  Most Car for the Buck in a Compact - 2007 Hyundai Elantra
  By blkhd07 - October 26 - 2:39 am

  I did extensive research and while there are cars in its class which have more style, more power, more reliability, more cargo room, more mpg, and get u more pats on the back, the Elantra scores high enough for me in all the categories above, but it comes in at 100s to 1000s of dollars cheaper than others in its class. Only 1400 miles on it, so my reliability rating is just my expectation based on last gens Elantras. The 132 hp is more than ample for everyday driving. Engine and cabin is fairly peaceful when cruising above the spd limit, but potholes can ruin that peace easily. A speedometer issue was fixed for free. MPG avg still only 27 in mixed hwy/city driving.

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  Great Small Family Car - 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT
  By rem836 - October 25 - 6:44 am

  I shopped and shopped and finally decided on the Elantra GT. Main factors in my decision were price and cargo space. I was a bit worried about fitting two car seats in the back seat, but both fit comfortably and the middle cup holder can still flip down...not that Im going to show that feature to my kids! The car handled well in the winter ice and snow.

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  A true gem - 2002 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By twospirits - October 25 - 2:00 am

  I bought the SUV in July after a month of researching the best suv for my money. I tested quite a few but my sights were always going back to the Santa Fe. The research was impressive but nothing like actually siting in one and going out for a drive. The handling, smoothness, features, crash worthyness and looks combined with one huge warranty made my decision a no brainer. Its quite amazing how much one can fill up the cargo area with. Im still amazed of how wonderful this vehicle is. With the added feature of the shiftronic makes driving fun. Took it on a long trip and it performed like a gem, impressive mileage. Truly an outstanding SUV.

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  Is this Hyundai Elantra really that good - 2002 Hyundai Elantra
  By Reliable Info - October 25 - 2:00 am

  I bought a 2002 Elantra (7 months/ 3200 miles, as 2nd car). First off, poor mileage for a small car, < 20 mpg city driving. Engine revs up until 30 mph, then RPM spikes up, and shifts to higher gear. Once there, it drives well. Small rear seats, esp with infants car seat in the middle. Flimsy trunk hood and that leads me to worry about overall quality -unsure how sturdy it is in a collision. For all that, the car has its plus points. Drives well on the highway (40 mph or higher zones), AC works well, and nice defogger that clears up real fast. Handles turns better than Corolla (which I test drove), interior is much quieter than Saturn & 2002 Nissan Sentra.

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  Love my little Hunny :) - 2007 Hyundai TUCSON
  By Lesley - October 24 - 8:56 pm

  I love this vehicle. I have a round trip commute of almost 100 miles a day and the Tucson has done awesome. I also went on a 2500 mile road trip with it only a month after I got it and went through everything with it. Blinding lake effect snow in the mountains, flat lands, New York City traffic and the it always did great. Its a comfortable ride (kept my teen relatively happy for long trip), stereo sounds wonderful, enough storage too. Its a great looking vehicle too. I get a lot of compliments on the dark metallic grey along with the matching SE trim on the bottom.

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  I Love My Car... - 2007 Hyundai Azera
  By nowphoenix - October 24 - 11:18 am

  This is the best car Ive ever owned. It would be "perfect" if it were a 2-seater convertible, but Im extremely happy with it. Fuel economy could be "greener" but its a big car, so... Its extremely comfy on short and long rides and my friends continually ask, "This is a Hyundai?" I really dont have any bad things to say which is rare since its my 17th car. I tend to switch cars every year or two, but can see myself keeping this one for quite awhile...at least until the new Hyundai Genesis hits showrooms! Dont smirk before you try it. You will be pleasantly surprised how nice the Azera is...especially if youre over the sky high repair bills of Mercs and BMWs.

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  Best bang for your buck CUV! - 2016 Hyundai TUCSON
  By tthacker32@gmail.com - October 23 - 10:43 pm

  This crossover is amazing! The power from this little thing is amazing, dont let the size fool you. This thing has everything you could want in a crossover. Whether your looking for a family vehicle or just looking for something thats versatile for your everyday agenda, this will exceed your expectations. The interior is extremely roomy, I am about 6 1" 175lbs and can sit in the back seat and have plenty of room to relax. The back seats recline just like the front seats do which is great for long trips. The dash layout is very logical but also feels high class. The exterior styling is very sporty and aggressive, plus the 19" rims complement the styling even more. Ive had this car for a month now and love it. My favorite things are: -Panorama Sunroof -Beautiful leather interior -Super spacious -Great styling -Quick engine and transmission I looked at all the other cars in this class, but the only one that came close was the Mazda CX5, but I think this is better by far. I havent had this car long so I will post in the future with a lono term update.

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  Entertaining Little Car - 2013 Hyundai Veloster
  By Mike_rg - October 23 - 5:16 pm

  Ive loved everything about this car, and Ive not had a single problem with it in my ownership. There are a few departments where it is lacking, namely its lack of power, however this was to be expected with the range of cars that this is offered/compared as well as for the price. It is very comfortable to drive, maintaining it is a breeze, insuring it is cheap, and the warranty is wonderful. One of the only other drawbacks I know of is if you have taller passengers in the back, theres not as much headroom there.

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  Great little car - 2001 Hyundai Accent
  By PBishop - October 23 - 3:48 pm

  This is a great, fun, dependable little car. It has been reliable, and saved me hundred$ in gas over the years. It is also easy to park and great in traffic. Plus with the hatchback I have transported 8 ft 6x6 lumber, rototillers and a water softener. The interior is so roomy that my kids call it the "clown car". I would but another in a heartbeat.

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  Love it!! - 2004 Hyundai Tiburon
  By anita3394 - October 23 - 10:00 am

  I have had my Tiburon for the last 5 months. Never had to fix a thing. Love the smooth shifting and the 6 speeds. Comfortable to drive and so much FUN!