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:

• 

  Excellent! - 2007 Hyundai TUCSON
  By Amy - December 21 - 2:33 pm

  I am very happy with my new car. I love the driving position and the pick-up. Its generally a quiet ride, except on the highway. Fuel economy could be a lot better, I am averaging 19.4 mpg and have driven 500 miles. I expect this to improve. I tested a lot of compact SUVs and crossovers and I could not find any better value for the money.

• 

  Great little car! - 2009 Hyundai Elantra Touring
  By janjer1 - December 21 - 11:16 am

  Bought this to carry my drums to and from gigs. Has plenty of cargo space and very comfortable for long highway trips. Have the manual trans which is very tight shifting - no slop between gears - nice. Have over 5k miles now and fuel economy is over 30mpg according to the dashboard indicator. Very happy with this little gem - yay Hyundai!

• 

  Hyundai Hit The Nail On The Head - 2009 Hyundai Genesis
  By Chuckster - December 20 - 2:26 pm

  We have owned several Lexus products since that brands inception in 89 and still have a 2006, SC430 coupe. The Genesis is comparable to the LS and superior to the ES series in every way. Our Genesis is Sterling Blue with the Tech. Pkg.. We have had the car for a month now. It feels solid, rides and handles well for its size, is quiet and everyone we know think its a good looking car. Gas mileage is good at 22 city and 28 hi-way on regular fuel. We saved $$ and have a car that meets and exceeds our desires. Time will only tell if the car stays true to our expectations of trouble free motoring.

• 

  I can attest to the safety of this vehicle - 2012 Hyundai Sonata
  By debarge - December 20 - 9:20 am

  After having my 2011 rear ended at 60 mph and not even stiff the next day I am a believer. Although the car was totaled I was fine! The car had 13k miles on it and was just what I needed. I drive from S Fl To Alabama a few times a year and this car has enough room for me the wife and more cargo then you would think. Gas mileage and performance were great. It isnt a BMW so dont expect one but, beats the honda and toyota cars in its class. After reseaching and driving the offerings from the competitors I choose a 2012 sonata. the blue link is a nice feature if you have need for such. I would advise the popular option 1 that adds the power seat and alloys wheels.

• 

  Great Car for the Money - 2008 Hyundai Elantra
  By Kelley - December 20 - 12:53 am

  Great car, has lots of upgrades that alot of other cars dont have or other dealerships want to charge you for. Has enough power and picks up and goes! My two kids fit great in the back with lots of room for legs and backpacks! Id recommend the car! Great on gas and handles well. :)

• 

  LOVE!!! - 2013 Hyundai Sonata
  By sugplum - December 19 - 11:58 am

  Bought my "Sparkling Ruby" Sonata on 5/26/12 and just dont want to park it! Its so fun to drive and very smooth. Great deal for so many options. Would definitely recommend.

• 

  I love my Santa Fe - 2001 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Wonderfulx - December 19 - 10:00 am

  This is a wonderful, dependable, affordable vehicle. Its not real great on gas, but it looks good and I feel very safe. Its great if you have a child as you can put the child in the middle of the back seat and use the support hook in the back.

• 

  CLASSY MID-SIZE VEHICLE - 2004 Hyundai XG350
  By ELLEN - December 19 - 10:00 am

  I had intentions on purchasing a Sonata but came across a very well maintained used XG. I am amazed at the performance, styling, and handling of this car. I never thought that a Hyundai would come close to the Volvo I previously owned. The XG350 is one car that I can honestly say that I would definitely purchase again because you get some more for a reasonable price compared to other mid-size cars. It has almost all of the features that a luxury has. I hope the styling of it never changes. I am very pleased and proud of myself for making a smart, economical decision.

• 

  The Perfect sedan for the newlywed - 2003 Hyundai Elantra
  By fccstudent - December 19 - 10:00 am

  This is a great little car for a great little price. This car with the warrenty that comes with it is great for a couple just starting out. You have safety, security, and a sharp car without the steep price. The features of power everything and side airbages makes this car a great steal. I would recommend this automobile to any married couple just starting out.

• 

  Azera vs. XG3ooL - 2006 Hyundai Azera
  By GARY SAAR - December 19 - 1:10 am

  The new Azera is a real performer. I came from an XG300L (which was stolen or I would still have it), to the Azera which is a better road car and much more responsive to the throttle & less "float" at high way speeds. The one sour note to an otherwise fine new model is the atrocious gas milage. Im told by Hyundai, it should improve with additional milage.That said, I really think Hyundai has a new winner.(would appreciate input on others milage)