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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  Best Car I Have Owned - 2008 Hyundai Azera
  By Leslie - August 18 - 4:15 pm

  This is our 5th Hyundai and they just get better each time. Great car to drive back and forth to work everyday (50 miles so comfort and safety are paramount). The leather interior is luxurious and the wood trim gives a sense of elegance and opulence in an otherwise very affordable car. Such a smooth comfy ride, reminds me of my Mothers 1978 Cadillac El Dorado.

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  Michelin tires - 2010 Hyundai Azera
  By JIMT - August 16 - 6:06 pm

  The tires on this car are very noisy. The car rides very roughly. Next time maybe try a sonata.

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  Ol reliable - 2001 Hyundai Accent
  By florencejeanne - August 14 - 3:26 pm

  This has been a generally great little car. It is not very peppy when you first take off, but it is great once it gets going. I get 33mpg in town and 36 mpg on the highway. Mileage with ethanol is lower. It is unbelievable how much this can carry with the rear seat folded down. This car was in an accident about 5 years ago. I t-boned a Ford LTD that ran the light. I hit their center support column and their car was a loss, not mine. The crumple zone did its job and nothing farther back than the battery was touched. I had no major injuries. The car went for years with only oil changes. In ten years, besides belts and hoses, I have only replaced the computer and the water pump.

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  Very Impressive - 2011 Hyundai Genesis
  By Old Fogey - August 13 - 8:59 pm

  In less than a week this car has knocked my socks off. This is our first foray into the upscale market, we had been Honda devotees. This car has the best brakes, acceleration, quietness, space, and safety ratings, Ive ever experienced. The "driver information system" has more features than I can count and the sound system is Superior.

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  Not quite what a luxury car should be - 2009 Hyundai Genesis
  By ddmoore - August 13 - 6:05 pm

  I leased the Genesis when it first arrived at the dealers. I will be turning the car in soon and finding a replacement due to some issues I have with the car. The stereo has terrible sound quality. They claim this car has the same stereo as a Roll Royce. Well I guess the stereo sound is bad in a Rolls too. The car has plenty of power but has a problem putting the power to the road. The six-speed transmission has a shift point from 1st to 2nd right in the middle of a turn from a stop that makes the car "jump" and engage the traction control. The stereo only supports 1st and 2nd generation iPods. Ive never been able to use my iPod. If they fix some of these issues, maybe Ill buy one.

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  Engine Noise - 2010 Hyundai Genesis
  By genesis - August 8 - 2:08 pm

  On normal acceleration at about 1800 rpm there is an engine noise. The dealer service mgr and factory rep have heard this noise and say it is a piston slap due to phenolic piston skirts. I wrote the company and they agree but say it does not effect the engine. Maybe not but it effects my hearing as I have to turn up radio not to hear it. I am sorry I traded in my M35 for this car.

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  Is This a Hyundai? - 2010 Hyundai Genesis
  By Dallas Gen - August 8 - 10:12 am

  What a beautifully finished car. 4.6 L with tech. Ive owned many new cars and this one is perfect - I have been over it with a fine-tooth comb and I cannot find any flaw. The paint is absolutely perfect. It is really fun to drive and hugs the road. Its tight, however, the ride is harsh, especially on rolling bumps for those in the back seat.

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  I love my car! - 2008 Hyundai Elantra
  By KA Seattle - August 6 - 10:38 pm

  I was so hesitant to purchase a Hyundai after owning a 1998 Honda Civic for 11 years. I absolutely love Hondas, period. However, I read all the reviews and did my homework and felt prepared to buy this little gem. I now find it now laughable that Honda and Toyota insist on charging a horrendous amount extra for AC, a sunroof, automatic trans., power steering, cruise control, IPOD compatibility, etc. A $12,000 2008 Civic gets you "maybe" 2 of the above items (read the fine print people!)I only paid about $12,100, 10Kmi, and got all of the above features and this car gets about 32 MPG with a warranty that knocks Honda out of the park. I may just be a Hyundai fan now for life. Well see!

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  Excellent automobile - 2009 Hyundai Genesis
  By rjj - August 5 - 8:29 pm

  Nothing is perfect but in my opinion there is not a better automobile for the money nor one worth the cost of the difference up the price scale. Mine cost $32,600 and its flawlessly built and has been completely problem free for the last two years. Everyone notices it and comments glowingly about its interior and exterior look. The more I drive it the more I like it.

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  Blue 2010 Accent Blue - 2010 Hyundai Accent
  By Dave H - August 5 - 8:42 am

  I bought this car new in July 2010. Great gas mileage, especially since I use the manual transmission for fuel economy vs speed. Averaged 40 MPG for the first tank 50/50 city/highway and am presently at 45 MPG on this second tank. I use a ScangaugeII to monitor MPG as well as other information about the car as I drive.