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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  Ice Blue Accent GS 3-door - 2007 Hyundai Accent
  By 06ultra - June 16 - 8:55 am

  I am 63" and find more than enough room to drive. I am impressed by the interior room and the easy access through the rear door. I found the price outstanding. I elected not to get any thrills such as electric windows and locks so I found the price outstanding. I compared about 7 other cars in the price range and found the Hyundai to be the best buy. I found the vehicle was only about 10-12" shorter than her PT Cruiser but the Access "looks" to be a much smaller vehicle. I am really impressed with the mpg. It is outstanding.

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  Great car overall - 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Kristin - June 15 - 1:16 pm

  Love my new Santa Fe - no transmission issues, great gas mileage (I read reviews here before buying and was concerned but Im getting consistently around 23 for combined driving. The only complaint I have is with the infinity sound system- I also have the high-pitched whine at lower volumes that others have alluded to. It gets very annoying and the dealer has replaced my entire system to no avail. They seem to think the amp is overpowered for the speakers and causing feedback. At high volume, the sound is great. Overall fun car and Im thrilled with the value.

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  Love it, but... - 2016 Hyundai TUCSON
  By Brett VanBenschoten - June 15 - 10:55 am

  The automatic shift from depressing the gas pedal to accelerating is frighteningly, dangerously slow.

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  Excellent Car...!!! - 2009 Hyundai Genesis
  By David S. - June 15 - 10:50 am

  Excellent ride, for normal driving (highway and city drive) it is fantastic. Very comfortable seats, lots of leg room. Fuel economy is decent for the car size. Very happy with my car...!!!

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  Modern throwback without the throwback! - 2016 Hyundai TUCSON
  By Tim - June 14 - 10:39 pm

  Great overall small SUV! The turbo is more than enough and the 7 speed transmission is smooth and efficient. It has a dual clutch transmission which acts like a manual at low speeds without depressing a clutch or shifting. Reminds me of my first vehicle I ever drove except with ALOT more technological advances. Nice and roomy inside. Safety features galore. My only complaint is the somewhat numb steering feel. Three different driving modes (Eco, Sport, Normal) that allow you to tailor it to your surroundings. Im averaging 27.4mpg with 80% city driving in Normal mode. Overall I felt I made a wise choice.

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  buy this car - 2007 Hyundai Elantra
  By greg - June 14 - 9:22 pm

  i had a 2003 elantra and loved it and now i just purchased the new 2007 and love it even more. cant say enough about this car except that if you are considering buying a car in this class, then this one needs to be the one

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  My XG350L - 2002 Hyundai XG350
  By Pete Carlson - June 14 - 2:00 am

  Interior is Excellent. Rides like floating on a cloud. Have had in the ship twice for defects in mfg. Shorts in the wiring for A/C and sunroof

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  What a lemon! - 2001 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Michelle - June 14 - 2:00 am

  After 3 months of owning my Santa Fe my nightmares began. In the first 10 months I had it in the shop for service 14 times. Ive had my Santa Fe 2 1/2 years and have had a new engine, on going transmission problems, on going electrical problems, Im on my 4th battery, brake problems, cabling in my doors replaced, 2 transmission sencors replaced, rear differential problem (replaced carrier)all covered under warrenty but only after review of service and maintenance of the vehicle

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  Good choice!!! - 2001 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Freak_SUV - June 14 - 2:00 am

  Im a lover of HONDA but tried to find something different this time. After searching and read a lot of SUVs reviews from the web and magazines I tried to ride and compare. My choice was the SF V6 GLS 4D of 2001. Very good SUV for the price. I had 8,200 miles without problems. But I heard that the warranty its not good in Puerto Rico. Its difficult to find parts and always have to deliver it from USA and takes more than 3 months...and this is not a joke. And theres a recall for this Santa Fe if nobody know it, wath this URL: http://www.autosite.com/library/nhtsa/re cltext/AS000848.asp

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  What a lemon! - 2001 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By MICHELLE - June 14 - 2:00 am

  After 3 months of owning my Santa Fe my nightmares began. In the first 10 months I had it in the shop for service 14 times. Ive had my Santa Fe 2 1/2 years and have had a new engine, on going transmission problems, on going electrical problems, Im on my 4th battery, brake problems, cabling in my doors replaced, 2 transmission sencors replaced, rear differential problem (replaced carrier)all covered under warrenty but only after review of service and maintenance of the vehicle