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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  Very Underrated Automobile - 2004 Hyundai XG350
  By nieman - February 6 - 5:36 am

  I have had my eye on these since I spotted their reliability ratings in Consumer Reports. Clearly Hyundai had and earned a very poor reputation due to their early issues. They have come storming back, however. This car is not quite up to the level of Toyota (Avalon), Acura, or Lexus, but it is very close and a heck of a lot better value. I have only had it a short time, but if it holds up well, I may well find myself becoming as loyal to Hyundai as I have been to Toyota due to consistently superior quality and resale. NOTE: Gas mileage is not really as poor as people say. The issue is the drive by wire throttle and learning system. If you stomp the pedal, mileage will be very low.

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  CUTE CAR - 2001 Hyundai Elantra
  By - February 6 - 2:00 am

  I HAVE FOUND THE HYUNDAI TO BE A GOOD VALUE FOR THE PRICE... THE SIZE IS GOOD AND IT DRIVES VERY NICE WITH PLENTY OF SPACE.. HAVE TAKEN IT ON TRIPS AND NOT A PROBLEM WITH GOOD PICK UP AND COMFORT RIDING... NICE MEDIUM CAR.

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  Mid-life crisis over - 2003 Hyundai Tiburon
  By A1 - February 6 - 2:00 am

  This car looks beautiful, rides nice, and fufills my mid-life crisis need of not driving a mini-van. Only problem is I cant get my wife out of my car!

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  Comparable with Honda - 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Jennifer - February 5 - 6:13 pm

  I absolutely love my new 2007 Santa Fe. I have purchased several Honda Vehicles and I love this one more. It has a smooth ride, beautiful interior and love the new redesigned exterior. This SUV handles wonderfully. You will enjoy it and the price and warranty is the best part of all!

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  A Teachers Dream Comes True - 2006 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Donna Coffin - February 5 - 6:03 pm

  I love my new Hyundai Santa Fe. There is plenty of storage for my school books, bookbag, posters, etc. On to the grocery store and still enough room for my groceries. We love traveling in my Santa Fe. The two Chihuahua cages fit perfectly in the back and a roll-down shield to protect them from the sun, what more could I ask. The students love my new vehicle. Thank you Hyundai for my "totally awesome ride".

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  2006 Tuscon - 2006 Hyundai TUCSON
  By Brenda - February 5 - 1:50 pm

  We bought a five speed Tuscon for its price and fuel economy. We love it. It is so much fun to drive and gets so much better fuel economy than the last three automatic transmission Ford Escapes I have had. I love the side view mirror defrost feature and the cargo area liner; its great to just lift up and dirt falls off versus having to vac carpet every time you purchase plants for your garden and bring them home. Its so easy to keep clean and has lots of wonderful little features that you wouldnt expect for the price!

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  Solid performer - 2005 Hyundai TUCSON
  By DavGrn - February 5 - 1:23 pm

  Bought to replace 2000 explorer and have found it to be a great SUV. It doesnt have the cargo area of the explorer but makes up for that in better mileage and much better ride. Fit and finish are excellent. I would highly recommend to anyone looking at this segment of the SUV market.

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  2006 Wow! - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By Freval - February 4 - 6:33 pm

  Probably one of the most comfortable and Beautiful automobiles I have driven in a long time.

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  Big Car for Little Money - 2006 Hyundai TUCSON
  By Elaine Sommer - February 4 - 11:36 am

  I love my car. I used to own a van and was not ready to go back into a vehicle. This sport utility is great.

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  I Cant Believe I Bought a Hyundai - 2007 Hyundai Veracruz
  By kimcheeboy - February 3 - 9:20 pm

  I had originally planned to buy a Honda Pilot, but the Hyundai dealership is located next to the Honda Dealership and thought Id take a look at the Veracruz. After the testdrive, I was sold. I got a good price (2% over invoice). My friends all love the car. Seven of us (all adult males) went to a ballgame and everyone felt comfortable (I was a little worried about the guy in the middle seat of the 2nd row). So far, Im getting 23.1 mpg (with an average speed of 27 mph), much better than I expected. I teach at a college and have had several students approach me and tell me how hot the car looks. I couldnt be happier with my purchase.