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:

• 

  My second one Santa FE - 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Michael Welch - April 11 - 3:53 pm

  I had never thought of buying a Hyundai. Now this will make my 4 one. I adverage 60k miles a year and only done gereral maint. I have told several people about these cars. I rate the over all preformance and handeling very good.

• 

  A Whole Lotta Car - 2002 Hyundai Elantra
  By tlw - April 11 - 10:00 am

  Bought this car for my wife .... to replace her 97 Neon. Price was about the same as a new Neon, but what great additional features. The drivers seat is fully adjustable, and has lumbar support! It is a pleasure to drive, and the whole family fights to see who can drive it to work. I was attracted by the price/features .... Im now sold on the features/quality/enjoyment driving. This is one fun little car that can easily handle a 500 - 1000 mile trip in comfort.

• 

  Awesome! - 2002 Hyundai Elantra
  By thenestles - April 11 - 10:00 am

  Just bought this car for $10,700 and really should/could have paid more. Drives great, nice features. Much better than spending 12k on a used car with 50k milage!

• 

  Josh review - 2005 Hyundai TUCSON
  By Josh - April 11 - 2:26 am

  Fuel efficiency is great. The warranty is the best on the market. The exterior design is appealing.

• 

  low car maintenance/ cost to own - 2013 Hyundai Elantra
  By oscar - April 11 - 12:46 am

  I average 30 miles per gallon and have had no unscheduled maintenance costs. I had the car for 3 years now.

• 

  Exceptional Car - 2005 Hyundai Elantra
  By Mark - April 10 - 5:30 pm

  This is a fine car in every respect: comfortable, maneuverable, fun-to- drive,and totally reliable. Our gas mileage has averaged 30.2 mpg since purchase in Feb. 2004. Build quality is excellent - no rattles or other unexpected noises. Everything works as expected. The blue-light instruments are very easy to see. The heater/ac system controls are direct and effective. The back is quite spacious. We folded down the easy-to-use rear seats, and now have plenty of room for our two medium-sized dogs. As for performance, the handling is confident with an incredibly tight turning radius. Comfortable, but firm ride (GT model) with good brakes. All in all, this is an amazing automotive value.

• 

  Good Medium Priced SUV - 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Rick cloutier - April 10 - 10:56 am

  My second Santa Fe. Had first one for 8 years. Highly recommend.

• 

  Bye Bye Dodge - 2007 Hyundai Sonata
  By T-Bone - April 10 - 7:46 am

  I hated my 2005 Dodge Dakota V8 that I traded it in on a Hyndai. A Hyundai??? Yes, and I love it. This car rides like a dream and I love the gas mileage. This car did not come equipped with the gas station magnet that the Dodge had. This car rocks!!

• 

  Satisfied - 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Larry - April 10 - 12:53 am

  My first try with a Hyundai. Live in NE and wanted a 4-WD. Expected fair value at best but very suprised. Happy with overall performance. A real tank in the snow. Unstoppable. Even my hwy mileage is at 26 mph. (better than book} Need 6 CD player and GPS next time. Front hood slightly overextended. Needs better map lighting.

• 

  Im in Love - 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Hyundai Lover - April 9 - 10:33 pm

  When my wife and I wanted a compact SUV the usual suspects were top on our list. Toyota, Honda, and Nissan were our first choice. But with one look at the New 08 Santa Fe and I was in love. The comfort level was out of this world. The seats are supportive yet cozy. The SE model came with the upgraded fabric which is soft and well appointed. Controls are laid out well and are easy to reach, especially with the steering wheel mounted controls. The cool blue gauges are easy on the eyes and nice too look at. Handling is also sharp and responsive. Looking at the reflectors for the reading lamps you will see that even the smallest details on this ute are polished and refined.