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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  Will never buy another Hyundai! - 2001 Hyundai Elantra
  By Caleb - February 24 - 12:10 pm

  I have had nothing but problems with my vehicle from the start!!! Ive had my car stall out in numerous places. Have had an oxygen sensor replaced, two (2) wiring harnesses caught fire! Ive gone through 18 halogen head lamps, my car viciously started shaking at ~ 30K miles, and the dealers didnt want to do anything about it. Also, the Hyundai corporate office will not be of any assistance to you. There "consumer affairs" department is a waste of money!

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  Great SUV - 2002 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By jonnybegood - February 24 - 10:00 am

  We love it! Well worth the money.

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  Helenas Santa Fe - 2002 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Helena Harris - February 24 - 10:00 am

  Selected the 2WD for power requirements. Never ceases to amaze me with the options. Has seat warmers which my husbands $60K corvette convertible does not have. Replaced the multi-grade oil with fully- synthetic oil and experienced a huge difference in its responsiveness.

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  Hyundai, better than ever! - 2001 Hyundai Elantra
  By bizzy81k - February 24 - 10:00 am

  Very reliable silver 5-spd. Only problem- right headlight went out a week ago- but was covered by warranty. As for fuel economy, I average 25.6 mpg during a week of rides between my home and school (about 2 or 3 miles away) daily, and 20 mile trips to work 4 times a week. Not bad considering the way I drive the car.

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  A BMW in Sheeps Clothing - 2003 Hyundai XG350
  By Mark - February 23 - 8:23 pm

  The XG is by far the best car I have ever owned and at 168,000 miles she is still running like a top. The cost of ownership of this BMW in sheeps clothing has been minimal to say the lest. I keep up with the regular mainteance and expect to get at lest 200,000 miles out of this car. Driver comfort is awsome, Im 66" tall and have no problem fitting behind the wheel. Even with the driver seat all the way back, the rear passenger has plenty of leg room. This car has paid for itself in the past seven years I have owned it. Hyundi, Kamsahapnida for your dedication to imroving your product by listening to what your customers have to say. Something the American car manufactures should do.

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  Great Vehicle, Great Price - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By Marc - February 22 - 10:50 pm

  The car rides and handles well. I had one problem with an oil leak the first day. It seems the oil press. sender was loose. Funny click noise from the tranny when going from reverse to drive. Not sure if this is normal. Good gas mileage avg. 27-28mpg with 80% highway driving. I wonder if some of the cars with poor fuel economy have their tires inflated properly. My tires looked flat at the recomended 30 psi. So now I have them set at 36 psi. This gives me a little less rolling resistance, but the ride is a little more harsh. I am a salesman on the road most of the day. It is a nice treat to get into this car knowing the deal on price and what the car offers in comfort and highway ride.

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  Practical but not pricey - 2005 Hyundai Elantra
  By jayupark - February 22 - 9:40 am

  We managed to get the car near invoice price. Ive had it for 1 year now, and it has not let me down. It has enough power to not be considered slow. The fuel economy, while not stellar, is acceptable. In my humble opinion, there is no car in this price range that even comes close.

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  2010 Santa Fe Lemon- - 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By DA - February 22 - 2:00 am

  After great reviews I took a chance on a Hyundai Santa Fe 2010. Ran great until about 7000 miles. Thats when I noticed oil on my garage floor. Had the problem (timing chain cover)"fixed". Four days later it is leaking worse than ever. I cant wait to hear what the problem is this time. Also, intermittent transmission issues. Hyundai customer service no help yet. I will never buy a Hyundai again. I wish I would have done better research when I bought this vehicle. Please do yourself a favor if you are reading this review trying to decide on a purchase...do not buy a Hyundai. I fell like I threw $22000 out of the window and Im sure it wont last 100K. I should have bought a gm. :-(

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  My First New Car - 2011 Hyundai TUCSON
  By Deborah - February 22 - 2:00 am

  I love it. Like the sporty feel to the handling, love the room and all the amenities.

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  Good Hyundai Sonata - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By abghar - February 22 - 2:00 am

  I bought a limited turbo in iridescent silver blue with grey interior about a week ago. It has 600 miles on it today. This car is amazing. Feels like you are in a high end much more expensive car. Very quiet so far with no issues. Picks up speed in no time. Look out for my next post a few months into the new ride.