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 for Money - 2007 Hyundai Sonata
  By hyundai2 - August 11 - 11:36 am

  This is second Sonata owned. Previous 2005 model. Great ride and handling. New saftey features found in more expensive cars. Sound system upgraded.

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  A lot of fun in a little package - 2008 Hyundai Tiburon
  By Ted - August 11 - 10:43 am

  When I first saw this car, I knew I had to have one. So I test drove and bought my Tiburon about a month ago. After driving a Jeep for two years and an Explorer for five years before that, I was ready to get back into a fun car. The Tiburon is just that - fun. Very smooth ride and decent acceleration for a 4 cylinder, though when the a/c is on, the power cut is noticeable. The five-speed transmission is a little stiff. Also, that blind spot took a little getting used to. And dont expect to give rides to anybody over about 5-10", especially in the back seat. Face it, this is not a family car. However, it is a lot of fun for the buck. Oh, and despite fuel ratings, I average 25 city/34 hwy.

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  Hyundai has come a L-O-N-G way! - 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Michael Puzach - August 11 - 4:00 am

  When my wife and I decided to buy a small SUV as a 3rd vehicle, we first looked at the Hyundai Tucson. We liked it a lot but decided to also look at the Santa Fe. We were immediately impressed and after checking out all competitors, we bought our Limited AWD with XM and Premium Package fresh off the truck. After 1 month and 1500 miles I can say positively that the Santa Fe is a wonderful SUV. Its comfortable, well-built, and every bit as enjoyable to drive as our former Volvo XC90. The Santa Fe has the feel of a much more expensive vehicle. There are no rattles or squeaks and everything has a solid feel to it. Im a "car guy" and this Hyundai has not disappointed me.

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  What a Fun SUV - 2005 Hyundai TUCSON
  By Lindy - August 10 - 8:00 pm

  This is such a fun car to drive. Has the pep to move in traffic but still gets good gas mileage, Only need a homelife garage door opener

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  Awesome deal! - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By sjacob - August 10 - 4:36 pm

  I got my sonata about 7 months ago and have approx 12000 miles on it and not one single complaint! Car is responsive, great in the rain/snow, comfortable on long trips and all around practical everyday driver! Got it during the cash for clunkers deal, and I am fully satisfied! I am steadily getting 27 mpg city / 30+ highway (I have a very heavy foot too!)

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  2005 Hyundai Tiburon - 2005 Hyundai Tiburon
  By thakidb - August 10 - 9:46 am

  Beautiful car inside and out. Its hard to believe Hyundai actually designed something this extraordinary. This car is a real head-turner. It looks so expensive and powerful, yet not many know that it is really a Hyundai. Id have people believe it was a "baby porsche" if I wasnt so honest. More power is definitely a must, but its one (if not the only car) in the "tuner class" with an available V6. Cars such as: Acura RSX, Honda Civic, Toyota Celica, Scion tC, Mitsubishi Lancer, Subaru Impreza WRX, Dodge Neon, and Cheverolet Cobalt SS all have 4 cylinders, and thats definitely something to take into consideration. Although it lacks stock performance, it probably has far more potential.

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  07 Tiburon GT Manual - 2007 Hyundai Tiburon
  By Scorpio - August 10 - 2:36 am

  Great comfort for a short person such as myself at 51! Only problems I have are the blind spots due to the side mirrors. Hearing some odd noises coming front front tires that can be described as a rubber rubbing noise that I will take it into the dealership to see what that is from. Its a sporty and fun car to drive! I have had numerous people ask me if it was a Porche!

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  Accent you really win - 2004 Hyundai Accent
  By raceordie - August 9 - 2:00 am

  for the performace it is great 106hp and weighing only 2200lbs this little car gets up.Comfort is awesome the seat hugs me and fell like im driving sports car. the car dose great on gas, and i love starting the car up every day. the desingn on the car interior, exterior has great looks and turns heads the quilty and reliablity is just as good as any honda or toyota i personally put tons of miles on my accent and drive it like hell and all i ever have to do is chang the oil. you get alot more for alot less then its rivials.. so if your looking for a fun car to drive that looks cool with 10year 100k warrenty go for the accent.

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  Most Fun Ive Ever Had - 2005 Hyundai Tiburon
  By Samie - August 8 - 6:40 pm

  No more mommy-mobile sedans for me! Yippee! This Tibby definitely aint no kiddie car. Refined styling over earlier models make this car stand out from the crowd. This is the best Tibby yet. People often ask me what kind of car it is. Their jaws drop when I tell them its a Hyundai. Plenty of power when I want or need it along with a decent, but not overpowering, note from the dual exhaust. Good handling on curves with little or no sloppy body roll. Uncluttered instrumentation and interior styling with easy-to-use controls. Definitely a car for those of us who want performance and style on a less-than-liberal budget.

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  Underrated and Understated - 2008 Hyundai Elantra
  By Dave - August 7 - 11:30 am

  This title is an apt description of the Elantra I purchased in the middle of April, 2008. It looks even better in person, as I discovered at the dealership. I owned a 2002 Sonata GLS with the V6, but the test drive with this Elantra sold me. The carbon gray color looks excellent on this vehicle, and it has subtle, yet classy pinstriping on the sides. There are trim moldings on the doors and wheel wells which give it a finished appearance. Above all, it is comfortable to drive, with plenty of head room. The trunk (with cargo net) is spacious and useful. The ride on the open road is quiet and smooth. The 4 cylinder performs well. Quite nimble. Loaded with great features - even XM radio