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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  Not what I wanted but glad I bought it - 2008 Hyundai Elantra
  By Sheri - October 3 - 3:56 am

  To be completely honest this was NOT the car I wanted. I wanted the new Scion XB. The price was the decider here and had to stay in budget. The car gives so much value for the money. My husband has a 2005 and while neither car has a lot going on in the power department it is definitely better than anything in its price range as far as features goes. I was less than thrilled to drive it off the lot but as time goes by I am really starting to appreciate the car. It turns heads at times which is a surprise and the biggest comment I get is THATS A HYUNDAI! The interior is very stylish and does not feel cheap. We looked for over a year and drove everything out there before we bought

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  What a deal! - 2005 Hyundai TUCSON
  By Carrie - October 1 - 5:50 am

  Not only did I have a no-haggle experience from our dealer, I am more than pleased with the overall performance and handling of our new Tuscon. The insurance on this vehicle was right in line with other comparable vehicles and the

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  All In One Package - 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Lee - October 1 - 3:46 am

  After a frustrating time with my 02 Odyssey, we decided to get a new SUV. I have tested a fair amount of SUVs in the market and the Santa Fe was my top choice. I bought it and the experience is amazing. 3 months with it and its still pretty flawless. The fuel economy is so-so but what do you expect from a AWD? This CUV is definitely worth looking at. Its the bang for the buck. I love it. My first Hyundai... really impressed.

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  Have 30gs? Buy this car! - 2005 Hyundai XG350
  By Xg350L - October 1 - 2:06 am

  This is THE best car we ever owned. This Xg350L Have all the Power, the looks of a a 2001 Infinity from the front. The performance it really good for a 194Hp and 216 TQ. you will be suprized when you hit the gas. HOLD ON! The MPG is OK. About 20 City and 28 Highway. not bad. We just took a trip up to Maine and it is a very smooth car. around 85 or so you do not feel a bump. 85 you will run around 2 1/2 thousand RPMs and red line is 6000 rpms. The L Comes with the 210 watt Infinity Sound System it mind blowing. With the bass up all the way and radio blasting, no muddy sounding speakers. I was shocked! The L also comes with the Heated Seats, This is a nice. Again have 30g? Buy this car.

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  sunroof shattered - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By Andrew 1554 - September 30 - 6:43 am

  I was very happy with the v6 limited version up until the sunroof shattered. Driving along on the highway with no trucks or cars around, not near any underpasses, and then a great big crack and wooshing wind noise. Dealer is running away from the issue, I read other people had this problem. The car was four months old when it happened. All glass is covered with no deductible so it wont cost me anything, but there is no question that this is product defect not a stone.

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  Enjoying the ride! - 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By mary - September 30 - 4:23 am

  I am enjoying my Santa Fe. It is a cute car, fun to drive and great on the highway! Gas mileage is way off - got 20.5 mpg highway 16+/- mpg city. Better gas mileage than my 1999 Pathfinder was a priority when I was looking - dont think I found it. Otherwise, I got a lot more than I would have for the price.

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  Mixed Feelings - 2001 Hyundai Tiburon
  By Sporty - September 30 - 2:00 am

  overall, i like the way the car drives. however, i noticed a problem with the car a couple days after driving it off the lot. It had a terrible intermittent vibration and wabbling - out of control. I also noticed that the car pulled to the left side. The most frustrating part of this problem was the dealership. The claim that nothing was wrong with the car after taking it in several times. I think the car had bad tires. Since then, I had to replace a tire which was not covered. I have also had a few other parts replaced. It was frusttrating to find that my new had these problems, but even worst was the way the dealership dealth with it.

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  GA Emissions - 2003 Hyundai Tiburon
  By Suzanne - September 30 - 2:00 am

  The Hyundai cars will not pass OBD emissions test.

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  Issues with Santa Fe 2013 - 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By fbarrado - September 29 - 7:48 pm

  I bought our Santa Fe 2013 in Canada mid Sept 2012. We have experienced many issues after 6 months and 14,000 km (8,700 miles): 1) warning of fuel cap open (fixed after 2 visits) 2) noise on steering column could hear it when stopping the car, part ordered and changed problem solved 3) leather steering wheel cracked, changed warranty, 2 complaints) 4) driver seat was loose, it seems to be a widespread problem (fixed 3 months) 5) Recall of rear camera:risk of fire, fixed 6) Mix mileage is poor, best achieved was 8-10 km/l, not solved (Hyundai Fuel program: card with CAD$42/6,000km a big joke) 7) Found today water leak on driver side below the dashboard. DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS CAR!

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  Love this car - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By R P - September 29 - 6:24 pm