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:

• 

  The Way to Go..! - 2004 Hyundai Accent
  By Five0retired - February 25 - 2:00 am

  I have owned this car now for about 1 month..have driven 1000 miles....It is quick...clean looking...excellant stereo...handles well...nice headroom...good dash setup....with the 10year warranty it is the way to go..it is the complete package...very little to trick it out..I added the Hood protector(the Bra).mud guards front and rear. Auto vent shades for the doors...the cargo net ..floor mats (the primo ones from weatherguard) and cargo area mat...my other car is a BMW 2003 325I....and I like them both equally

• 

  Based on several test drives - 2010 Hyundai Elantra Touring
  By mickeyrom - February 24 - 8:23 am

  The model I am waiting for is the ES manual with the beige interior.That is why I am still waiting. Nice interior,looks pretty nice on the outside,lots of punch with a 5 speed,not so much with the auto. It really stands out in the non hybrid hatch- back field.Big difference between the GLS and the SE,such as no cruise control on a manual GLS,plus plastic hubcaps,Bleeech...My evaluation is based on the SE model.

• 

  Better than expected - 2005 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By DonCisco - February 24 - 6:53 am

  I used to drive a company car, after 10 yrs of "worry free" driving, I looked at every possibility out there. Test drove everything from Scion as to Escapes, RAV4s. I knew I needed something to drive but had no idea what. I started paying attention to the cars in the road, and kept seeing Hyundais, Elantras; Santa Fes, so I decided to check them out. With a limited budget I had to get the most I could with the money I had. I finally decided on a 1yr old Santa Fe with 10K miles. The price was definitely fair, and ever since I have enjoyed this car more than any of the other free cars Ive ever driven. Whenever something has to be fixed, the warranty picks it up, and I am left very happy.

• 

  Excellent but for headroom - 2003 Hyundai Tiburon
  By BDPrice - February 23 - 10:00 am

  Only had my new 2003 Tiburon for a couple of weeks but absolutely love it. Got the SE model but for a 4 cylinder it performs beautifully. Accelleration and cornering are great and an outstanding Clarion sound system. Wrap around seats make driving comfortable on both short and long drives. Visibility takes a bit of getting used to but not a problem once accustomed to it. Only wish a bit more headroom was available for the driver. I am 60" and my hair touched the headliner. A larger sun roof opening would have fixed this. Overall.....Great valye

• 

  Move over Toyota and Honda - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By Ray - February 22 - 5:10 pm

  I love my new Sonata!! I just wish I would have known when I bought my 2009 Sonata a all new one was coming out!!! I got over 500 miles on my first tank of gas!!!

• 

  Dan B.s Gray Accent - 2001 Hyundai Accent
  By Lou Garou - February 22 - 2:00 am

  This Accent has given almost 39 MPG on an extended trip of over 250 miles. It handles great and it has enough power to get me on to the Capital Beltway. Its air conditioner and heater work great!

• 

  Great Job - 2002 Hyundai Accent
  By CoryApp - February 21 - 2:00 am

  I Love my accent. Very fast and takes corners well.

• 

  This is BEST new car in 25 I have owned - 2002 Hyundai XG350
  By mike350l - February 19 - 10:00 am

  I dont understand the low ratings by the editors, we have owned 25 cars in 14 years (between us) and this is the ONLY one I have had more than 12-14 months. It is comfortable and reliable. Best deal going only paid 24k for it when similarly equipped models were 34-39k when purchased. It has EVERY option you could imagine and it is so quiet and smooth to ride in. We have logged over 50k so we travel a lot. The seats are still great. Most people are afraid of trying a name their family, friends or others have not tried or deemed COOL. If you want to save a lot of money and have a great warranty buy one! give one of these a look.

• 

  Mi Amour - My Love - 2004 Hyundai Tiburon
  By Princess45 - February 19 - 10:00 am

  After taking a test drive I feel deeply in love with this vehicle. Ive always wanted a sports car and the price was definitely right on this. It was such a ease to purchase this vehicle and I drove him home the next business day after the dealership let me keep him for the weekend! Hes been very true to me and only has eyes for me!

• 

  Great Sonata - 2004 Hyundai Sonata
  By popeguy - February 19 - 10:00 am

  I own a new 2004 Hyundai Sonata GLS V6. I have put 4,000 miles on the car and I love it more everyday. Great ride and great warranty.The styling is so cool and the interior is top notch.