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, Great Value - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By Clark - June 26 - 12:53 am

  I never thought that I would buy a Hyundai. I spent six weeks looking for a 5-door econobox to get better mileage on my long commute. I looked at the Honda Fit, Pontiac Vibe, Toyota Matrix, Mazda 3, etc. I wanted a small car that would carry cargo. So why would I end up with a sedan. I bought the Sonata because it was a great car and a great value. It also gets great mileage (38 mpg on the Interstate at 60 mph). I wanted the four-cylinder to get better mileage. What I didn’t expect was great performance. I also didn’t expect to have a luxury car with almost all the options I could think of for such a low price. If you buy a Sonata, youll be happy – guaranteed (10 years/100000 miles happy).

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  Hot Wheele - 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe
  By Genesis5 - June 25 - 3:53 pm

  Just bought a Gen 2 turbo last week. What a fast, fun and good looking vehicle. People stop me in parking lots to ask what kind of car it is. I keep finding new things out about it as I drive. The 2 l is plenty fast and exciting to drive. Its a great car.

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  BEAUTIFUL, FUN TO DRIVE , I LOVE IT! - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By Kathleen Gayda - June 25 - 2:56 am

  My last two cars were Cadillac CTSs, I spent countless hours researching online and took many test drives, searching for a more fuel efficent and less costly alternative to the CTS. The 2011 Sonata fits the bill. My Black exterior with gray/black interior Sonata is fun to drive, gets great gas mileage (averaging 32mpg) and the Bluetooth is so cool! Im attracting lots of attention and comments. Im very happy I decided on this car, be sure to test drive one.

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  Our Sante Fe - 2002 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Gloria - June 24 - 10:06 am

  I love this vehicle. Its dependable, has great seating space and carrying space. We travel back and forth to our daughters home 2 states away often. Our city miles are about 2/3 of our annual mileage. The car is dependable. We never worry about it. Our dealership is very good about service. Since we bought our Sante Fe, several of our family members and friends have purchased one also. We would recommend one to anybody.

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  A Super Vehicle - 2001 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Joe Zerges - June 24 - 2:00 am

  Ive, in the past, alway purchased american automobiles. After careful review of all models of small SUVs I decided to try the Hyundai SantaFe. Have not found one thing bad about the vehicle and would definitely buy Hyundai again. The dealship is tops in all aspects.

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  Great Car Check it out - 2004 Hyundai Accent
  By Cheech - June 24 - 2:00 am

  nice vehicle i recomend one for everyone

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  What a fun car!!! - 2003 Hyundai Tiburon
  By Angelina75 - June 24 - 2:00 am

  The car drives wonderfully, its quick and fun, very responsive. The seats are comfortable, the sound system is the best Ive had in any car Ive owned. I highly recommend it! With the standard warranty, you cant go wrong.

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  Rons Rally Red GT - 2002 Hyundai Elantra
  By RGW - June 24 - 2:00 am

  Excellent car! As a college graduation present, we gave our daughter our 2001 Elantra GLS sedan. So, Dad needed a new car! Having compared it with other cars in its class (of which there are none!), Elantra GT beat them in overall value, standard equipment, horsepower and interior room! Not to mention euro- style and looks! I chose the Rally Red over the other colors, just to be different. If you ever make one in yellow, Im there! I put almost 9,000 miles on it in less than 6 months. Love to drive it? Yup!

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  So Far So Good - 2011 Hyundai TUCSON
  By bamafan42 - June 23 - 7:03 am

  We just purchased a 2011 Tucson GLS in Chai Bronze. We traded a 2008 Malibu 2LT that we loved, but the warranty was out, and Hyundai offers a great one. We also needed a little more room, which the Tucson delivers. Its not a huge suv my any means, but it gives us what we need with one four year old. The interior in the GLS (Leatherette with cloth inserts)feels more high end than the leather in the Malibu. The soft touch interior surfaces are much better than the plastic in the car. With the popular equipment package, the GLS has great options. So far our bluetooth and satellite radio are great. We are getting between 26 and 31 MPG everywhere we go with only about 2200 miles (very impressive).

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  Best Value on the market - 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Cant Beat it - June 22 - 2:50 pm

  Cant be beat for the money...as quiet and tight as my 4Runner. Daughter has a 3 year old Elantra and loves it. Looks like we will love this one too. Runs great, great warranty and all the niceitys at a great price. Hyundai has a winner.