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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  fun for the money - 2004 Hyundai Tiburon
  By dahl - July 20 - 10:00 am

  A lot of fun for the money. Best looking sports car and one that will out handle all but the most expensive sports car.

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  Best little hauler out there - 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Skuuter - July 20 - 10:00 am

  After test driving and researching all the small and mid-size SUVs that we were interested in (Kia Sorento, Ford Escape, Saturn VUE, Mazda Tribute, Suzuki XL-7), the Santa Fe was the winner based on value, driveability, safety, warranty and style, in that order. Its taken a while to warm up to the unique styling, but when youre driving this vehicle, looks are secondary. Its enjoyable and comfortable to drive on long trips. Lots of room for front and rear passengers. I do feel the 2.7 liter V6 is adequate for most people who dont plan to tow anything and use this as a daily driver.

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  Fantastic car! - 2003 Hyundai Elantra
  By xolo - July 20 - 10:00 am

  Stylish, comfortable, roomy, good acceleration, handling, fun to drive, no problems.

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  Happy after a year - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By Mars - July 20 - 9:33 am

  I have owned my Sonata for almost a year now. I have nothing but praise for this vehicle. We traded in our Ford Explorer and have never looked back. My parents own a Honda Accord and were jealous of the Sonata when the rode in it. They paid more than I did for their 4 cylinder Honda with less features. The only problem we had with our car was a loose driver side mirror. When you take your car into the dealer for maintenance, dont forget to ask them to enable the in motion door autolocking feature which for some reason is disabled when you purchase a Sonata.

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  Worth Buying a Accent GT - 2004 Hyundai Accent
  By hyundaiman - July 20 - 2:00 am

  The best car that I have bought the quality is A+. The GT model is hard to find.

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  So far, so good - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By NJ - July 19 - 6:16 am

  Looked at competitive models (including older Sonata) for 2 years and were never satisfied enough to buy. Price always got too high for proper equipment level and fuel mileages were usually too low. The 2011 Sonata looks good on paper and so far, has lived up to Hyundais specs. Performance and handling are more than adequate and fuel mileage is as good as a 4 cylinder small car. Interior room is ample plus. Great setup of dash and controls for driver and the ride is smooth and quiet. The electric assisted power steering took awhile to adjust to but after 1000 miles Im fine with it. In my opinion, this car looks sharp, in and out, and has excellent fit and finish at any price level.

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  My first Hyundai - 2005 Hyundai TUCSON
  By Lee - July 18 - 1:06 pm

  I have only had this SUV for 2 months. I traded in a Honda Accord and was concerned about the quality of a Hyundai. I test drove the Toyota RAV, and Honda CR-V. They were okay, but I hate having the spare tire hanging on the tail gate. Honda also goes cheap when adding extras like sun shade tint on windshield and a decent front center arm rest. When I drove the Tucson, it was fun and the ride is excellent.

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  Best Mid-size SUV out there - 2005 Hyundai TUCSON
  By Garx - July 17 - 8:10 pm

  It is fun and drives very well. The suspension is great and it handles better on curves than other SUVs Ive driven. The engine is smooth runing and the automatic shifts VERY smoothly. My only complaint is wind noise at 55 MPH. It could be a little quieter.The sound system is great! And best of all, the seats are comfortable. Id have no trouble recommending this car to anyone who is unsure about buying a model in its first year on the market.

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  Sante Fe - 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By LB - July 17 - 8:46 am

  Purchased my Santa Fe last week and have loved it. Only issue is the add on RES DVD player has display issue, but dealer wants me to bring in and says he will even pay for my gas. You cannot get better service!!!

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  First Non-North American Car - 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By milehiclub - July 16 - 12:40 pm

  Ive had the Santa Fe for almost 2 months now. The ride and handling are great. Pick up is better than expected. I have had GM, Ford and Dodge and they didnt feel as solid as the Santa Fe. Highway driving is excellent, city is also good. Lots of cargo space and storage in rear. My 3 kids sit comfortably in back seat. Quiet in the cabin at highway speeds. Gas mileage isnt bad with the V6, just drive in the ECO range and youll get further. Overall not a bad choice for my first import car (Korean). Ill see how it holds up over the next 5 years and update my review where needed.