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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  a good family car - 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By A Hayes - April 5 - 8:43 am

  This vehicle handles great, even in heavy traffic. Plenty of leg-room in the back, even for a 62" guy. My family of four adults has gone on several long trips and been comfortable the whole time.

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  My friends thought it was a Lexus! - 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Ed - April 4 - 11:06 pm

  Did the Cash For Clunkers program; $27945 sticker, $3500 CFC, $2000 Hyundai rebate, $1100 additional dealer discount = $21345 total paid plus fees. First day driving it, my friend sees it and says "Dude, you got a Lexus?" True story. I love the way it drives. Good visibility from the drivers seat. AC works great. Smooth acceleration and shifting. More than ample cargo space. Have never had a vehicle with this many great features including AM/FM/XM/CD radio w/steering wheel mounted controls, powered drivers seat, powered moonroof, and Bluetooth equipped.

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  Beware Windshield Wipers - 2005 Hyundai Sonata
  By Jim - April 4 - 11:41 am

  Hyundai wont admit this and the dealership says its a recurring issue and nothing can be done...the windshield wipers just stop working....rain or snow. Its a MAJOR safety issue and there is no remedy. Ive owned two Hyundais and Ill NEVER buy another. Unless you want to jeopardize your life or the life of you children, dont buy this vehicle unless this problem is permanently remedied by Hyundai.

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  Can this be True? - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By Tekeleo - April 3 - 11:33 pm

  Saw the new sonata in front of my Gym and was impressed. Went to the dealer following day and traded in my 96 Camry. Wanted a V6 but I think 4 felt plenty powerful. Extremely well built. Feels solid and confident. Looks BEAUTIFUL! This is by far the best deal out there!!!

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  Hyundai got it right! - 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By pmack - April 3 - 3:50 pm

  I researched this vehicle purchase for two months. It boiled down to the Santa Fe and Dodge Journey because of our current experiences with both Hyundai and Dodge vehicles. Did not like the looks of the smaller SUVs such as the CR-V, RAV-4, & Escape. Drove the Journey and was sorely disappointed. Hyundai had the big rebates at the time, so it was a no- brainer. Good choice! The car is easy to drive, view from the drivers seat is great, averaging 21 mpg for the first 1,000 miles. All those reports about the bad transmission - not evident! This is a well-made, very comfortable, and whisper-quiet vehicle. And you can hardly beat the warranty! Totally satisfied 2nd Hyundai owner!

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  2007 Hyundai Entourage Limited - 2007 Hyundai Entourage
  By Jake - April 3 - 10:31 am

  Great price for a long list of options. I am impressed with the quality, fit and finish. Lots of power and very comfortable to drive.

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  A great car! - 2010 Hyundai Elantra Touring
  By Eddie - April 3 - 8:20 am

  We replaced a Honda Oddessy with the Hyundai Elantra Touring. It is far more pleasurable to drive than the Honda was and much quieter on the turnpike. It handles great, very smooth on the turnpike. Feels like a much bigger car than it is. Excellent visibility. The headlights (particularly high beams) are superb. Excellent brakes. The car has plenty of power and it is no problem to keep up with traffic on the expressways. The Hyundai warranty for 5 yrs/60 K miles is a big selling feature of this car. I am averaging 26.5 mpg mostly on Orlandos traffic clogged streets. Great sound system and love being able to just plug in a flash drive with my CDs on it.

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  New SUV/Santa Fe Owner - 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By sanantonio,tx - April 3 - 7:00 am

  Drives well. I used to be a Nissan owner, previously owned Maximas. Loved Nissan and looked at Murano but decided on Santa Fe based on the great look, amenities and price. So far I like the way it drives. Price of gas is about the same as the Maxima, as I used to buy premium gas w/the maxima.

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  love my car - 2002 Hyundai XG350
  By asdflaskjdf - April 3 - 2:00 am

  love my car. fun to drive. comfortable.

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  My Tiburon Review - 2004 Hyundai Tiburon
  By eli ramirez - April 3 - 2:00 am

  This Vehicle is a Good Investment, for those who dont have the money to buy an expensive sports car. this car has sport tunned applications and with the sporty looking design.