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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  Great car but.... - 2009 Hyundai Genesis
  By DomK - March 9 - 10:33 pm

  I have been a Hyundai owner for about 5 years and have always been impressed with the quality of the cars for the money you spend. The Genesis is absolutely no exception. I went in for an oil change on my old Elantra, test drove the Genesis, and got it that day. At least once a day I have someone comment on how much they love the look of the car. The solid performance rounds out a really great package. Be careful though if you live in colder climates, the car is a real wheel drive which is great when it is nice out, and even in the rain but when it snows, the car struggles for traction (I spent 35 minutes today stuck on the side of a slightly inclined road while other cars passed)

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  Very good vehicle - 2004 Hyundai Elantra
  By NormE - March 9 - 7:42 pm

  My Elantra GT has been my first experience with leasing. When the lease expires in June, I will be sorry to let it go. I need more storage than the hatchback allows for several sets of golf clubs. Everything else about the vehicle has been above average. One missing nicety is a hatch release from inside I cannot understand why this has been overlooked.

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  Superb in Many Ways , But...... - 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By peekaboo - March 9 - 6:06 pm

  For me this vehicle has one major shortcoming. The front passenger seat does not flip forward to provide added length for carrying extra long items, such as 8ft. lumber. I previously owned a 2006 Hyundai Tucson and the back rest of the front passengers seat inclined forward all the way into a flat position which allowed me to conveniently carry 8 ft. lengths of stock with the rear door closed. Not having the ability to do it on my Sante Fe is a major oversight by the Hyundai developmental Engineering group. Im confident that there are many owners out there who share my displeasure over this incapability. After all, The Sante Fe sport is a cross between a car and a truck.

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  The Honeymoon Is Over! - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By David - March 9 - 10:56 am

  I purchased this car a year ago and have written two reviews, one when I first got the car, and then another at six months. This will be my final review at a year old. Im sorry to say, but I now understand why Hyundai is not considered the same in quality as the leading Japanese manufactures. Not only have I detailed a number of options missing that the competitors offer, but numerous problems have reared their ugly head in the past year. The 09 Sonata is a nice car, but its priced right where it should be. After my year experience with the car, I understand why Hyundai does not have the resale value of the Japanese as well. Hyundai has made great strides, but they have a ways to go.

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  OK, but not refined - 2007 Hyundai Sonata
  By GSX - March 9 - 10:30 am

  The Hyundai engineering department needs to pay more attention to the drive train to truly make this an outstanding car. The interior/exterior, suspension and handling are all fine on my 2007 Sonata. The engine and transmission is where this car falls on its face. The transmission shifts entirely to lazy and slips with the engine revving in to the next gear, this shows lack of refinement. The drive by wire system allows the engine to rev slightly while coming to a stop and then rev slightly again when lifting your foot off the brake, very annoying to drive with this revving. I am putting up with these problems for now and trying to get used them as the dealer says its normal.

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  Great Car Period - 2008 Hyundai Sonata
  By Dan - March 9 - 8:26 am

  My mother purchsed a V6 2007 Sonata because of the safety features (she is 85). She let me borrow the car for a few trips and I fell in love with it. With the offer of 0% financing I decided to trade in my 1999 Taurus and purchase one for myself. I decided to go with the inline 4 instead of the V6 because of the threat of ever increasing gas prices. In the short time that I have had the car, I havent regretted going for the 4. It gives me the performance and gas milage that I was looking for.

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  Move over Civic and Corolla - 2005 Hyundai Elantra
  By JF - March 8 - 11:46 pm

  I have had this car about a week and love it for a compact. It has more drivers legroom, rides better, has more power, steers better, and just overall is a nicer car than my 99 Civic was. Top it off with a much better warranty than Honda or Toyota offer and for thousands less.

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  Good Value - 2007 Hyundai TUCSON
  By Ellie - March 8 - 9:50 pm

  Makes driving fun. Fuel is not bad, but could be better - 21-27. Had an oil leak when I first got it, but they fixed it, and it has been good. I did have a problem with the rubber filler along the fenders discoloring. That was replaced, but will need done again. I park in the same sunny place every day. Good visibility over cars in the same class.

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  Very Poor MPG - 2007 Hyundai Accent
  By Ken McGee - March 8 - 9:25 pm

  Ive had the car for almost a month now and have driven 700 miles. With about 80% of my driving being on the highway, Ive averaged about 17-19 MPG. Im a recent college grad and saved most of my money specifically for this car, so obviously my disappointment level is high so far. Although, Ive heard that the break-in period is anywhere between 1,500 and 5,000 miles so Im hoping it gets dramatically better. However, this is a beautiful looking car. The interior is spacious and you dont feel cramped at all. It would be the perfect car if only the MPG was anything close to what is advertised. I keep the car around 55 or lower, so that cant be the reason for the poor MPG.

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  Beats Avalon, Maxima and Accura - 2006 Hyundai Azera
  By Lee - March 8 - 12:43 am

  Unbelievabe interior and trunk room. Engine looks like work of art. Passing on highway is superb. Sound sytem is beter than many Japanese. Heated mulitple adjustment seats very supportive. Brakes are very reassuring. Fold down back seat and large trunk opening accomodate long wide items. Gas milage is always at 19 in city.