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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  Hyundai Means Business - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By alayman - April 2 - 7:16 am

  Great Car! If you want a solid car with the build quality of a Honda or Toyota without the sticker shock, this is it. Wife drives an 04 Santa Fe. She loves it, and it has performed wonderfully. Looked at a Sonata then, but the engines were just not that great. With the new/efficient engine and clean lines, Hyundai has a winner in the 06 Sonata. Anyone looking at an Accord or Camry would be well advised to drive a 2006 Sonata. Comparably equipped, its no contest! Sonata even looks better.

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  Excellent for the price, fun to own - 2006 Hyundai TUCSON
  By Pauline - March 31 - 4:36 am

  Great visibilty and handling in the rain; excellent sound system; nice seat lumbar support; ease of dashboard controls; solid drive and handling; spacious back seat area and good cargo room; ease on your back in loading and unloading and getting in and out of seats. Good gas mileage, good pick up.

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  Love the car - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By kgibbs29 - March 30 - 9:50 pm

  Out the door price just over 23K! And I get ESC, TC, EBDS, Homelink, Heated Leather Seats, over-sized Moon Roof (its big), subwoofer & amp. Car is very well built and the fit & finish is better than Camry, on par w/ Accord. The interior is soft to the touch. Love the way the engine growls, especially in low rpms. Lots of low end torque for fast acceleration from dead stop. Downshifts smoothly during high speed passing. Nav is a $2500 dollar dealer installed option. Remove cd changer & replace w/ 8-9" screen. (visit Korean Hyundai site to see it) Hyundai uses Eclipse deck (very high quality, installing next month)

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  First SUV - 2009 Hyundai TUCSON
  By Denise - March 30 - 12:46 pm

  I bought my first compact SUV. Love it so far. I am 66 so had running boards installed to help my older friends get in. Love riding high. Pickup is a little slow but after that, great. I am really enjoying the vehicle and get great comments from my friends.

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  Hyundai XG 350L - 2005 Hyundai XG350
  By Hyundai - March 30 - 5:30 am

  This car is stylish and has many standard features. With the L model there are more comfort features. I enjoy driving the car and it handles well.

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  My Excellent Car - 1999 Hyundai Elantra
  By Morgalis - March 30 - 2:00 am

  I love my car. It is the first "New" car that I have bought and if I plan on buying a new one I will probably buy a new Elantra or upgrade to another Hyundai. They are wonderful cars to drive and so reliable!!!

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  saab twin - 2003 Hyundai Elantra
  By nosaab - March 30 - 2:00 am

  Is this car a Saab, yes I tell strangers. This car is fun. Plain and simple. I get looks from everyone. The 4door hatchback GT is stylish, $15k sticker for this Saab lookalike and its loaded with leather seats. Champagne tastes on a beer budget is possible!!

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  Great buy for the money! - 2005 Hyundai Elantra
  By Manuel Duran - March 29 - 11:06 pm

  Very comfortable ride, excellent braking performance, acceleration and comfort. Steering is an excellent plus and its an easy to maneuver vehicle.

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  Love it. - 2009 Hyundai Veracruz
  By Max - March 29 - 9:23 am

  Just purchased this vehicle. It seems to be extremely well built, rides like a dream, has classy interior, great looking. My wife absolutely loves the vehicle. Replaced a 2007 Santa Fe Limited with this unit. Hyundai has really made huge inroads into the Luxury SUV field.

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  looked for practical bargain-- got it! - 2005 Hyundai Elantra
  By rjfin - March 28 - 10:00 am

  Lots of good cars to pick from in this size; I needed something safe, comfortable, economical, reliable. Price & warranty got me to dealership; comfort, int. & ext. design, and side airbags sold me. Its been flawless. The drivers multiple seat adjustments and the smooth ride make my long trips pleasurable. Plenty of cruising power. Well designed nooks & compartments, and cup holders... I see lots of Elantras on the road, and am hoping resale on these continues to improve as folks see Hyundai has its act together-- but even it if doesnt, I expect to happily drive this car for a LONG time, and am confident Ill get my moneys worth.