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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  Better than expected - 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By John Rumbach - May 22 - 2:00 am

  We traded a Subaru Forester which we liked very much, but the Santa Fes power, style, size and other features for the money made it irresistable. The quality is outstanding, and we appreciate the effort Hyundai has put into this SUV, to make it a superior purchase for us. John and Ellen Rumbach

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  I love it! - 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By shezshells - May 22 - 2:00 am

  It is very comfortable and fun to drive. My only problem with it is that it doesnt have the power, the get up and go that I wish it did. I really do love the Santa Fe though, its probably the most comfortable and fun to drive of any vehicle Ive owned.

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  Sante fe - 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By egerssp - May 22 - 2:00 am

  Love our Sante Fe, very comfortable ride.

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  Elantra full of surprises - 2008 Hyundai Elantra
  By mike - May 21 - 11:13 pm

  Transmission seems odd at first, but it learns your habits and adjusts. Got better every day for 1st week. Much smoother transitions now. Feels like Im sitting still at 70mph. first tank of gas 33mpg almost all highway. Handles very well, corners very well. Does not float like a chevy - you feel the road and get responsive handling. It even looks/feels stylish inside.

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  Nice ride, but whats with the headlights - 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By dave - May 21 - 10:40 pm

  I dont know if its just us, but in 45,000 miles we have replaced (3) foglamps and (5) low beam headlamps ... what is the problem ? otherwise, i have no complaints ... but it is a problem that needs to be resolved by Hyundai

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  Great Christmas Present!! - 2006 Hyundai TUCSON
  By MLP - May 21 - 10:06 pm

  We purchased this car on Dec. 18th and have had a lot of fun with it so far. It handles beautifully and is extremely comforatble on long drives. The engine is quiet, the ride is smooth and the interior is very roomy. Incredible standard equipment and the safety specs. were a huge selling point. The price was fair and the value, for what you get, is exceptional, not to mention the amazing warranty. Some would say that Hyundai gives that warranty because they expect the car to break down BUT we think they give it to you because it WONT!! We are extremely pleased with the car overall and hope to keep it for a LONG time!!

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  GREAT - 2002 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By PATRICK - May 21 - 10:00 am

  SMOOTH RIDE,GREAT ACCESS TO INTRUMENTS,

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  GREAT CAR LOVE IT - 2002 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By anthony vazquez - May 21 - 10:00 am

  BEFORE BUYING I SEACHE AND STUDIES MANY MANY SUVS AND CHOOSE THE SANTA FE DUE TO PRICE,STYLING AND COMFORT SURE THE WARRENTY IS GREAT BUT I AM NOT ONE TO USE THOSE I WILL FIX OR GET FIXED MOST THINGS WITHOUT WARRENTY AS I HAVE IN THE PAST. I JUST DONT LIKE WAITING WITH DEALERS SO THE WARRENTY WAS NOT ONE OF MY CONCERNS, I AM VERY VERY HAPPY WITH THIS SUV I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT IT EXCEPT FOR THE NOISE IN THE PICK UP I HOPE IN THE NEAR FUTURE THEY INCREASE ENGINE POWER EVERYTHING ELSE IS GREAT

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  I Love It - 2002 Hyundai XG350
  By john115 - May 21 - 10:00 am

  In my opinion its better than Camry for the same dollars.Solid build,roomy,nice standard features.And o yes $9,000.00 less than the Avalon XLS!

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  A fun car for a cheap price! - 2002 Hyundai Elantra
  By Jeff Koehler - May 21 - 10:00 am

  The Hyundai Elantra GT 2002 is an amazing car for the price! I have the automatic with the moonroof/abs and traction control. So far, I have not run into any problems of the car being too slow. If your buying this car, your main goal isnt to burn rubber against a corvette so who cares about the speed. But its honestly fast enough for everyday driving and fun as heck in the city; mainly because of its cornering ability. It grips the road with ease at every turn. If you get the hatchback styling, youll always have enough room for more than enough stuff to throw in the trunk, especially with the seats down. All in all, a worthy investment!