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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  hyundai sonata - 2004 Hyundai Sonata
  By lewisroseville - March 24 - 10:00 am

  surprising pleasant nid-size car to drive for the money that normally I pay for a subcompact car

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  Fun car - 2005 Hyundai Accent
  By ed - March 23 - 1:42 pm

  For how cheap this car is, it is the best ever, i get ok gas mileage about 26-27, but i drive fast. i get 28-30 when i drive sane, and freeway for trips i get 35, once in the mountains driving around 45mph i got around 42. this car can go fast i drove it thru the desert going to tuscon with no one around on the freeway and i was going 110 and it still got good mileage like 33. i love driving this car. this car is off the ground more than most sedans today so i can drive over normal things without worrying

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  One fun little sporty econo-car - 2012 Hyundai Veloster
  By crzydmnd - March 22 - 4:23 pm

  To me, this car is the best combination of having good gas mileage (Im averaging around 33 MPG currently, mix of city and hwy) and good looks. Im partial to hatchbacks and this one is a looker. The interior quality is nice, nicer than the Mk4 VW Golf I owned in the past. The Dual Clutch transmission takes some getting used to (when you let off the brake, the clutch engages and car starts rolling, just like if you had a manual and put it into 1st gear). I like not having a "slush box" between the engine and wheels. Some people have complained about the lack of power. Sure, in 1st and 2nd gears it is fairly gutless, but once you get to 3rd it can really accelerate due to the low weight

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  Best SUV - 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Dick - March 22 - 11:16 am

  So far the best auto yet. I find no fault with it. Find that it drives better then friends Lexus 330. Hope it continues this nice for a few years. As a retired electrical engineer I am looking at every detail of the SUV.

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  Hyundai Sonota is the Perfect Vehicle - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By Casey Klein - March 21 - 10:36 am

  I have owned my Sonota for 2 months now and it is the best car that i have ever driven. I am 6 foot 2 inches tall and this car has more leg room, head room and shoulder room then the Accord or any other competitors and it drives so much better as well. The price was great, there is no better deal out there when it comes to buying new.

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  Best SUV for the money - 2005 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By MICHAELT - March 21 - 6:00 am

  LOVE THIS VEHICLE!!! What a value, smooth handling like a car with plenty of room. 2nd Hyundai in a row, had a Sonata. May never go back to another brand, definitely not an American mad car.

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  replace my bmw 540i - 2006 Hyundai Azera
  By bruce r upchurch - March 21 - 2:50 am

  Car is fast and fun to drive, Loaded with features my bmw had half the price. Overall love the azera.

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  Entry level almost premium quality - 2006 Hyundai Accent
  By the twin - March 20 - 7:39 pm

  I´ve had the car for six months now, the build quality for its price is excellent, the ride, handling and the motor are better than my honda jazz/fit, but you have to sacrifice on gas mileage and top premium finish. The stereo is good compared to cars in its price range. I bought this car vs onother honda jazz/fit, because of its lower price,more space and motor.I love my honda,but liked more the looks of the hyundai sedan,its larger interior space and more motor.If you prefer low gas mileage and don´t mind small interior and like top premium quality materials for a compact sedan, get the honda, for space, larger motor and good quality built at low price, get the hyundai.

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  Too Much Torque - 2005 Hyundai Tiburon
  By mtice1979 - March 20 - 7:20 pm

  I am a big fan of the Hyundai Line, But it feels like the designers messed up one spot. Torque to the front wheels. When pulling out from a dead stop, there is extreme torque steer. Other than that, I love the ride, look, and performance of the vehicle and would recommend it to anyone looking for an affordable sports car.

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  Wasnt sure at first - 2003 Hyundai Sonata
  By William C - March 20 - 2:00 am

  Needed a new car that had a good warrenty for the amount of driving I do. Wasnt sure about the Hyundai but after testdriving and looking I went for it. The best choice I made.