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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  Sonata Limited 2007 - 2007 Hyundai Sonata
  By RLG51 - April 22 - 11:53 pm

  The Sonata Limited is truly an excellent value for the money. In the 2.5 months Ive owned the car, absolutely nothing has gone wrong. It is a true pleasure to drive. Excellent traction in wet weather, very good cornering, very, very quiet. The engine is smooth as silk. The sound system is excellent. All controls are within easy reach of the driver. The quality of construction is evident in every detail from pain to under-the-hood to interior. Previously, I had a Honda Accord V6; however the Sonata is superior in all ways and for several thousand dollars less.

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  Proud to Own - 2007 Hyundai TUCSON
  By MoJo - April 22 - 10:26 pm

  This car meets all of our requirements. Thats why we bought it. Were a younger couple with a baby on the way and a big dog that goes on all of our road trips with us. Its comfy, attractive, and great for every day adventures. Its easy to operate and I absolutely love it!!!

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  Great car - 2001 Hyundai Elantra
  By JohnOtis - April 21 - 2:00 am

  We had a 1 year old Elantra of the previous style and liked the redesign so much we traded. Extra safety was appealing. The air works much better than the older Elantra and power is better. Only minor problems so far: Dealer has replaced 2 passenger side headlights at no charge. Battery croaked and they put in a new one, again NC. Great car for the money. We are looking at a Scion XB now though.

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  I couldnt ask for more! - 2002 Hyundai Sonata
  By PRD - April 21 - 2:00 am

  We love our Sonata. Weve owned it now for about a year and a half and have had no real problems with it. Its more comfortable on long trips than any of the cars weve rented in the past(Pontiac, Toyota, Oldsmobile...) Great looking exterior, excellent warranty, very affordable when compared to other similar models of other makes.

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  Best Value - 2006 Hyundai Azera
  By Young Choi - April 20 - 12:30 am

  This car is the best value for that price. Better than Toyota Avalon, Lexus 300 series. Quiet & smooth riding enjoy of the luxury.

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  Impressed with Our Santa Fe! - 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Mark - April 19 - 7:36 pm

  We replaced a 2002 Toyota Highlander with the 2007 Santa Fe and have not regretted our choice. The new restyled Highlander would have been $8K more than the Santa Fe for the same features. The V6 powertrain on our Limited is smooth, quiet, and powerful and would make you think you are in a $50K Lexus. Overall features and quality appear to be top notch. Another family member has a 2003 Santa Fe (old body style) and has had a great experience. The only criticism is that the standard stereo (w/XM) on the Limited is somewhat weak, to get the upgraded Infiniti system you have to also get the rear entertainment system (DVD) which with no kids we dont need. Perhaps this is changed for 2008.

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  I Wanna Hug My Santa Fe!!!!!!! - 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Theresa - April 18 - 12:10 pm

  Ive had my SF for 2 weeks now and just LOVE IT!!! The only reason I researched it was because all the other SUVs were overpriced, so I was going to settle on a Tucson. The dealer didnt have a white one but a White Santa Fe GLS was parked right next to the Tucsons and I immediately fell in love with the gorgeous body style. After looking at the spacious interior and the beautiful blue colored dash, I test drove it and was SOLD!! I still did some research and price comparisons but I knew I was dead set on buying one. I ended up buying the SE trim because the options were so reasonably priced. Now when I carpool, I really miss my Santa Fe and want to hug it when I come home. =)

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  Killed a Charger! - 2006 Hyundai Azera
  By scapla - April 18 - 11:50 am

  I was on the fence, deciding between a Dodge Charger or the Azera. After driving both twice the choice was easy - Azera! Extremely comfortable, great ergonomics, and peppy to boot (0 to 60 in 6.5 seconds vs. the Charger at 6.3). Build quality and materials are very high quality and it has all the right nuances and amenities you would expect to find in a Lexus or Audi. My friend, who paid close to 50K for his Acura, was amazed by the Azera. Absolutely no buyers remorse at all. This is the first car Ive bought that I can easily see myself being happy with for 5 years.

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  I love it!! - 2006 Hyundai TUCSON
  By Brit - April 18 - 7:33 am

  For my first car I had the accent and i wanted something bigger. So i shopped around and the Tucson was what I was looking for. Good Pricing and a great SUV by far. No one could do better. Im with the rest of you, if milage is all your worried about get a car. The bigger the more mileage.. duh. I really like the Tucson.

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  Excellent small SUV - 2005 Hyundai TUCSON
  By tina - April 17 - 2:23 pm

  I just bought this not long ago and Im very impressed. Hyundai is right up there with the competition no doubt. Great quality with the best warrenty! What more could you want?....go get one...youll be happy..