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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  nice car - 2008 Hyundai Sonata
  By jwalker - January 30 - 5:16 pm

  Purchaed this a few days ago. It was a dealership loaner vehicle and had 6,000 miles on it. It was still in perfect shape. Traded in a Hyundai Elantra and wanted a 6 Cylinder. Drives good.

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  Awesome SUV for the $$ - 2005 Hyundai TUCSON
  By Lisa - January 30 - 5:00 pm

  This little SUV is AWESOME! I have had no major problems except one minor one. A bulletin from Hyundai came out stating there is a leak onto the passenger floor mat when it rains. I live in WA state and it happened to me. Not too worry the service dept will fix it!! I have the base model and I am extremely happy with it. I had an Elantra GT, but the Tuscon goes much better with my personality. Lots of room for moving or buying too much at the store. I decided to go with another Hyundai for the warranty and the service I receive when I take it in. I recommend this vehicle highly. The price is very affordable compared to other SUVs.

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  THE KOREAN LEXUS - 2007 Hyundai Veracruz
  By Bernie Cichocki - January 30 - 3:20 pm

  My wife and I both are happy about this vehicle. We were Considering GMCArcadia or Saturn Outlook purchased VeraCruz instead. Also consider Caddy crossover.

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  Just Right - 2010 Hyundai TUCSON
  By Martin_SFO - January 30 - 2:33 pm

  I wanted a compact suv/crossover with good fuel economy. Overall I am very happy with the car so far, thanks to its compact dimensions its easy to park and maneuver on busy San Francisco streets. Its spacious compared to my old Honda Civic. I opted for the pano moon roof and GPS which are great additions, they make the car feel higher end. I feel the car has adequate power, but than again I am happy to compromise power for the sake of better fuel economy. The styling is great, the car feels solid, and the warranty is best in class. I also looked at the Honda CR-V and Nissan Rouge, but I felt the Tuscon would be a better car for me.

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  Good Bang for the Buck - 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Bob - January 30 - 6:26 am

  I have over 5000 miles on this vehicle and I love it. It handles well, rides well for an SUV and has a quiet interior. That was important to me as my previous Honda CRV drove me crazy with road noise. It is a sexy looking vehicle as well. Gas mileage is not bad for the weight of the vehicle. I get 18-19 city and 22-23 highway at 75-80 mph. Highway mileage increases dramatically to 25- 26 if you travel at 70 mph. I must qualify this by saying that I live in southern AZ where the roads are flat with little hill climbing.

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  New Owner - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By eric914 - January 30 - 6:10 am

  So far so good. Our family now has 3 Hyundais--a 200e Elantra Gt, a 2004 Santa Fe GLS and and a 2006 Sonata LX ( GLS Premium her in Canada)

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  New Owner Review - 2007 Hyundai Entourage
  By bayfamily - January 29 - 11:20 pm

  I liked the vans handsome nonimposing exterior, intelligently appointed modern interior, generous power, ample interated features, and above all, its quiet ride. I drove all other makes and couldnt get over the noise. The Entourage is whisper quiet in comparison. And still, it compares as good or better than other vans in safety, power, quality, warranty, and price. And the stereo is awesome.

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  So Much Fun! - 2007 Hyundai TUCSON
  By LaLu - January 29 - 6:33 pm

  We just bought a brand new 07 Tucson. I traded in an 04 Volvo S40, and initially was a little wary of buying a Hyundai due to the past stigma of these being crappy cars. I quickly changed my mind when I saw how many features came standard on a base model (which is what I got). For example, the electronic stability control system, the 6 airbags, keyless entry and alarm, power locks and windows, ABS brakes, and of course the amazing warranty. We have only had our Tucson for 2 weeks, but we love it! It is well designed and very fun to drive. I would recommend this car to anyone.

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  I like it - 2005 Hyundai Tiburon
  By lee hall - January 28 - 8:16 am

  My little Tiburon turns heads. I like the fact that very few people in the area have them. The ones I see on the road are from other states. Tiburon has excellent street appeal and beautiful lines. Classy for an inexpensive car.

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  Not Worth the Savings - 2007 Hyundai Entourage
  By Minivan Gone Bad - January 27 - 10:31 pm

  I bought this horrible minivan and have been dissatisfied since.,.Front end vibrates entire car..dealer had car for 1/2 the month and factory rep said "he knows the vibration that I am experiencing"...AND...I m now filing with BBB as Hyundai warranty requests but for the extra $$$ I would have spent--Would have been well worth it to SAVE me this aggrevation...I took another Entourage off the lot & test drove..The vibration existed in the new one toooo..Especially at 75-80 the steering wheel was shaking uncontrollably...Must be an engineering defect or my car was built on a Day before or after a Holiday.