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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  love my XG - 2003 Hyundai XG350
  By lee24017 - July 18 - 10:04 pm

  I owned as Pontiac G6 and was not happy with the payments, so I took it back. Bought this out of the classifieds in the local paper and I am very very happy with it. For a small price, with some minor repairs from me, I love the smooth way it drives. Everyone says they though I was driving a Jaguar when they see me pull up. Very classy car and the ride is great. I do not race the car, I do however take it on the highway and it has not had any problems keeping up with the big dogs. I highly recommend this car, be sure to do regular maintenance.

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  Gr8 Car! - 2005 Hyundai Elantra
  By ITSME - July 17 - 7:03 pm

  I have had my Elantra a little over a week. I have already been on 2 long trips. It does so good. I love it. My friends all love it. And even my friends who said "Dont get a Hyundai" are very impressed! And are thinking about getting one! The car drives very well. I love the gas mileage, espically coming from an SUV. Its very roomy. Drives great. And has an awesome Heat/A/C system! I love my car. I hope to keep it for a long time.

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  Love It!! - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By ClancySRB - July 17 - 4:26 pm

  Absolutely LOVE the car!! It provides comfort & very high safety features, sleek, fun design. Great gas mileage! GREAT buy!!

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  worth every penny - 2001 Hyundai Elantra
  By Ela - July 17 - 1:34 pm

  From the day I drove it off the lot Ive never regretted owning my elantra, milkruns, cross country jaunts, piled high with friends into town its simple interior makes it easy to clean and pack full of stuff. The fold down back seats have been a huge convenience as Ive moved big pieces. The engine is great for the size of the vehicle, and once I replaced the factory-standard tire I found the ride to be really enjoyable! Fuel efficient, especially for a car form 2001, its had a two mechanical issues in five years, but the warantee is the real deal, I didnt pay a penny.

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  Nice...but still need improvement... - 2006 Hyundai Azera
  By Tom Kim - July 17 - 11:18 am

  I been drive azera for little over a year. very nice car for money, but still need improvement, such as performance, gas milage, interior lay out, etc. Before i buy this, i did alots research... azera is best car for 30k and under, but doesnt feel like or compare to lexus nor infinity. im happy with azera for now, but in future i may trade in with lexus GS...

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  I didnt buy a Supercar - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By 1stxhyundaiowner - July 16 - 11:26 pm

  I like my car. I didnt buy a super car so it doesnt get 10s for "performance" or "fun to drive", etc. Ive had this car a little over a year and never regretted it. Ive averaged 26 mpg in mixed driving. It has a nice ride and the handling is fine. Seats are comfortable even on long trips. It has a roomy feel to it too. I put three kids in the back seat and they do fine. Plenty of trunk space too. I had a squeak in the dash when I went on rough roads that lasted for about a month but then it disappeared. It also gets a little noisier on rough roads but still feels solid. I have strangers ask me about it in parking lots which Ive never had before.

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  Great looks Great comfort Great car - 2007 Hyundai Azera
  By pmerutka - July 16 - 10:38 pm

  I dont see many other Azeras on the road. That is very surprising to me! Word must not have gotten out about how great of a car this is. The interior is spacious and very comfortable. The ride is smooth but not floaty. It is extremely quiet. There are times I need to look at the tach to make sure the engine is running. Even at highway speeds things are quiet in the cabin. The upgraded Infinity sound system can definitely overcome the quietness. It can easily pump out clear sound that you can feel. The 3.8 liter engine has plenty of power to give quick acceleration. The auto trans can lag when trying to kick it in to down shift for passing, but slipping it into manul shift mode solves this.

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  Good auto for the money - 2001 Hyundai Elantra
  By Reg - July 16 - 10:29 pm

  Was a great car to drive. Gas mileage could be better.Trunk lid did not open high enough and would always hit my head on the latch. Another weak point were the front disk brakes. Had to turn rotors 3 times in 60000 miles. Had to replace rotors and calipers. Had to replace the radio twice and needed relacing again when I sold the car at 73000 miles.

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  Mrs - 2003 Hyundai Sonata
  By Teresa Wilson - July 16 - 10:00 am

  I love this car! It runs great and has all of the features I wanted.

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  Find a nicer car for less....NOT - 2003 Hyundai Sonata
  By Tony Qt - July 16 - 10:00 am

  When you take in the price, options and warrenty...how can you beat it? You cant!