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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  All 10s!! - 2002 Hyundai Elantra
  By ToddF - March 31 - 2:00 am

  Face it...You are not going to find a better deal anywhere. Hyundai is not the company they used to be. What other car manufacture would stand behind their product for 10 years if they were junk? The Elentra GT is a great car. It is well built, solid, powerful and inexpensive. What other car are you going to get all power, LEATHER, alloy wheels, 4 wheel disc brakes, a/c, 6 speaker CD stereo for under $15,000? And those cool purple illuminated instruments are nice too! I LOVE THIS CAR!!

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  Superb Vehicle, Beautiful Design & Value - 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Seon - March 30 - 9:40 pm

  Just bought this and it looks great from the outside. The inside is pretty good and I recommend the leather seats. The dash and the interior controls are very nice looking and extremely functional. The car drives very well with the larger engine and definitely handles well in passing.

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  Great performance SUV for a low buck - 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By KSS - March 30 - 2:00 am

  It took one test drive in the Santa Fe SE to seal the deal for me. I am 64" and this car has enough room for five of me. It drives and handles like a truck; if youre into sharp handling this may not be for you. It handles bumps and rough terrain really well, and is loaded with power options, bluetooth, and other neat accessories. On my model there is a beautiful wood trim lining that accents the interior, and the paint is sharp and glossy. On the freeway, the shifting is smooth, the kick down with the V6 gets you to a quick 80-90 mph boost in no time, and braking is a breeze.

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  BEST CAR I HAVE OWNED - 2005 Hyundai Sonata
  By katgrl879 - March 30 - 1:02 am

  I love the car smooth ride, classy style. I had the smaller version of the Hyundai, but this Sonata is a great car for traveling far distances and also close to home.

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  Love This Car - 2005 Hyundai Sonata
  By brucew - March 29 - 8:42 pm

  We have had this car for one year now without any problems. I highly recommend it to someone that likes quality at a reasonable price.

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  Best Hyundai yet - 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By ray witt - March 29 - 5:16 pm

  Much quieter and better ride than 2003 Sante Fe. Many more features, bigger and more comfortable seats

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  The Little Car that pleases - 2003 Hyundai Accent
  By Hyundai Accent - March 29 - 11:52 am

  I purchased the Hyundai in 03. It was nice looking, and I loved that it had great fuel economy. I shopped for price, value and a car to take me into retirement without the headaches of expensive repairs. It has been almost 2 years now and I finally acknowledged to myself that I had a great deal. I wish I could have waited for 04 but time doesnt wait. My best friend bought the Sonata and we are both pleased. So much so that we are driving almost 7000 miles this Spring.

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  Sonata - 2005 Hyundai Sonata
  By G Jensen - March 29 - 11:18 am

  Looks great, fun to drive, needs more cabin space.

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  Great Little Big Car! - 2004 Hyundai Sonata
  By Collette - March 29 - 9:45 am

  I have owned my Hyundai since August 2004. My husband and I were looking for a car with enough room for our 3 boys to be able to sit comfortably in the back seat as well as great gas mileage as much as I drive. The Sonata is GREAT! I love my car! It has all the little extras that a higher-end car would have without the big price tag. It handles great, I have PLENTY of room in the trunk for groceries, sports equipment or luggage. The gas mileage is great. We take my car everywhere, especially with the price of gas. I love the CD player and console area where I can put my cell phone and charger. This is a great car!

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  Beats my Astro van - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By chacago - March 29 - 8:50 am

  Great car fun to drive. Price was right wished I would of drove the V6, but was looking at fuel economy. Wife loves the car, now Im driving her van!!!!! MPG on recent trip 33mpg at 59 MPH.