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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  WOW!! - 2007 Hyundai Entourage
  By s_yma - November 15 - 10:16 pm

  We NEVER thought that we would buy a Hyundai. We decided to look at this one originally because of the warranty and all of the problems we were having with our then-current minivan. After driving the Entourage all we could say was WOW!, and were do we sign. We bought an SE with every option except leather. The build quality, seating, standard features, optional features, ergonomics, ride and drive, and anything else related to a vehicle are as close to perfect as you can get. Anyone looking to buy a van will be doing themselves a huge injustice if they dont drive a Entourage before making a purchase.

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  Hyundai Tucson, LX 2005 - 2005 Hyundai TUCSON
  By Rawal - November 15 - 4:43 pm

  Really wonderful vehicle to own with an excellent driving experience. Dealer ready to discuss pricing and very comfortable buying experience. Awesome features. Atleast 4-5K more on any other brand model. Wonderful warranty. Must check out if in market for a compact SUV. I am getting a mileage of 26-27 miles a gallon.

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  BEST CAR ON MARKET - 2007 Hyundai Tiburon
  By JOE L - November 15 - 4:56 am

  This vehicle is amazing. It rides nice and everyone will look at you when you are on the road. There are not alot of them on the road which makes them unique. If i got to choose to buy this car again I would its the best on the market. I have not found anything to complain about this car.

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  This is not Your Fathers Hyundai! - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By Shawn D. - November 15 - 4:53 am

  Not only does this car look like a luxury car, the actual features makes it feel like a luxury car! I compared the Camry as well as the Accord, and for the money, the Sonata comes with more standard features for the money. At first glance, many of my friends and family cant believe its a Hyundai, with many mistaking it for different cars such as the Accord or Benz, looking at it from a glance. The sound system is great, the space is really impressive, especially the back leg room, as well as the trunk space. The only drawback Ive found so far are the "break-in" period is opposite from anything Ive ever heard before. For the first 1200 miles, youre not supposed to drive over 55MPH.

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  Love this car - 2002 Hyundai Elantra
  By Manton863 - November 15 - 1:32 am

  This car is great it is roomy and fun to drive and holds up well with day to day driving. Like the rear disk brakes but only if you have abs. I have found that if you put fuel injector cleaner and a stp 4 cylinder oil treatment every time you do the oil, (which is only another couple bucks) you get alot better gas mileage out of the car.

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  Hyundai Sonata Review - 2016 Hyundai Sonata
  By Brian Kenison - November 14 - 5:46 pm

  Sleek styling, comfortable ride, adequate pick-up and plenty of room for passengers and cargo. Environmental (heating) takes a bit longer to warm up the cabin, but gets there. Could use more air flow to the feet. Handles firmly on the road, but road noise is louder than expected. Overall good value for the money.

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  Test Drive this Car and You Will Love It - 2005 Hyundai Elantra
  By Tim - November 14 - 4:36 pm

  I just bought a new 2005 Hyundai Elantra GLS 4 Door Sedan Automatic Transmission about a week ago, and I love this car. The styling and standard features of the Elantra rival that of a luxury car, but the price tag is $10,000 - $15,000 lower. It has a lot of power and size for a small car, and gets good gas mileage. I have only had the car for a week, and have been driving it around the city, and have put 200 miles on it, and I still have about a half a tank of gas on it. Trust me, test drive this car and you will love it.

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  HyundaI Elantra GT - 2002 Hyundai Elantra
  By NMayer - November 14 - 3:42 pm

  I think it is a GREAT car. Would buy Hyundai again.

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  Happy Owner - 2003 Hyundai XG350
  By dsd1994 - November 14 - 10:00 am

  Ive had my XG350L for 6 months now and am very pleased with its comfort,features,quality,reliability,war ranty, and at a remarkably low price. My wife loves it too and is very impressed. Whats not to like? Its as solid as a brick and Im saving a ton of money compared to similarly equipped luxury cars! Why pay thousands more for an overrated name.

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  Top Notch - 2004 Hyundai Tiburon
  By Dogmeister - November 14 - 10:00 am

  I bough this car on my birthday for a cheap price and went for a "joy ride" with my dad in the passenger seat. We drove for about an hour and then went home. When we got out of the car. Both me and my dads hands were pure white! This car is really fun to drive. I got it up to 90 on the highway and it flew with no problems. I had the sound booming and the air blowing through my face. I have never felt so alive. I driven a 1995 Pontiac sunfire and it doesnt even compare. I wish I turned 16 alot earlier than this year