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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  Execellent SUV to drive and ride in - 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By John M Burke - February 8 - 10:00 am

  As this is the first SUV that I have owned it is a very comfortable and pleasurable vehicle to drive.I purchased this vehicle on 03/16/04 and went thru 2or3 snow storms with it and the awd and traction control worked perfectly.I now have over 10,000 miles on the Santa Fe with no complaints.Back to the dealer for one minor recall and oil changes every 3,000 miles. This is the second Hyundai I own.

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  My Thoughts... - 2005 Hyundai TUCSON
  By RybakT - February 7 - 11:20 pm

  Ill start off by saying that I never thought Id ever buy a Hyundai. But after taking a close look at the Honda CR-V and Toyota Rav4 I just couldnt pass up the great deal that is the Tuscon.

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  Joy - 2008 Hyundai Tiburon
  By jay - February 7 - 9:06 pm

  This car is fun to drive!!! For the price it is hands down the best you will find. It is very smooth on the road and the seating is very comfortable.

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  What a Car! - 2005 Hyundai TUCSON
  By cpiad - February 7 - 3:23 am

  Read earlier review on fit of exterior panels needing improvement ... not my car or any of the others I saw in the dealership ... this little SUV beat any Mercedes I have ever owned ... and Ive owned a few. It feels rock solid .. and the doors ... they close with a solid thunk you only find in top dollar European cars. Everything works! Radio is very nice ... I live in FL and the A/C ... cold as the artic. Most solid car I have ever owned ... safest car on the road. Great internet deal! I paid $1500 below the "TMV" price for the 2.7L V6. Really recommend this little puppy ... feels like a big car on the road. Best driveaway feel of any car I have bought!

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  Genesis AMAZING - 2016 Hyundai Genesis
  By G Wydro - February 7 - 12:57 am

  Excellent car. 3.8 provides great acceleration. Transmission is smooth. Very quiet ride. Interior amazing and safety tech is excellent. Nit picking only real issues are the lack of a remote start on key fob (can pay for Bluelink service and use smartphone for remote start function) and the auto high beams need to be reset with each start up.

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  The Ultimate Mix of Sporty Luxury & Economy! - 2013 Hyundai Veloster
  By blackoutsbox - February 6 - 10:24 pm

  I have only had it for a few days now but I cant put into words the level of awesomeness of this car. This car is a bat mobile / tron futuristic spaceship rather than just a car. I havent even begun to toy with all the gadzillion features it has but I can say for certainty that a trinity of unique style, power, and economy have birthed this majestic wonder.

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  Saved My Life - 2001 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By megiejay1684 - February 6 - 6:52 pm

  Although I cannot attest to the logevity of this vehicle (as I only had it for about 6 months) I can definetly say that it is extremely safe. I was in a head on collision on my way to work one morning, hit by a lifted 90-something Ford F-250 going about 60+ miles/hr. This Santa Fe did exactly what it was designed to do by crumpling the engine area, and other than the fact that the front end of the vehicle was smashed like an accordian, the rest of cabin area and the car was completely fine. I only walked away with a small break in my ankle, which was from me bracing myself as I tried to brake. I, as well as the paramedics on site, believe whole-heartedly that this vehicle saved my life.

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  Great car for your money - 2006 Hyundai Azera
  By Pete - February 6 - 2:46 pm

  After owning toyotas all my life I never thought that I would make the switch to a Hyunday. Great price for a vehicle with everything in it. The only thing missing is the NAV. Thanks for not coming down on the price on that Camry prestige.

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  After 3000 Miles - There are some regrets - 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT
  By efav - February 6 - 2:26 pm

  Bought it because it had good cargo space, 4 and 5 star crash test ratings, it was comfortable, good warranty, and sticker said 28-39 mpg. Figured with good mileage like that, I could spend the extra money and buy this car as a long term investment. The reality is the mileage is awful when compared to the sticker. Like other reviewers here, my real world MPG is 25 city, 26/27 on my commute, and 31 road trip with no stops for over 300 miles. Quite disappointed. I am conservative driver, and received 29-33 in my old Sentra. The refund program will reimburse me for only 1 mpg difference, not 5-7 mpg difference. The cost of the MPG difference will cost me almost $400/yr more at current prices.

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  Not so sure... - 2007 Hyundai Tiburon
  By bd - February 6 - 6:36 am

  Really nice car to look at, but to drive - Im not sure yet. Its got some great features, does well on the MPG - I got a amazing deal on it but the car lacks a little power and feels heavy at speed. It almost seems like one of those midlife crisis cars that have appearance but no substance?