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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  my first hyundai - 2005 Hyundai TUCSON
  By Si - November 9 - 10:26 pm

  This was a great experience. It was a lot more than I expected. I remember the old Hyundais and this is not that car

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  great car - 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By florida driver - November 9 - 2:40 pm

  the v-6 has lots of get up and go. i drive a lot and love the vehicle. do not like the a/c unit or the windshield wipers. the wipers dont work fast enough in florida downpours but with rainx it is fine. a/c is designed so does not blow in the face and personally i prefer it to be in the face.

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  200k Miles Later... - 2004 Hyundai Tiburon
  By lovemygt04 - November 8 - 4:10 am

  I bought my 04 GT in Sept of 06 with 30,000 miles. I just traded it last month at just under 200,000 miles. (187k) Ive LOVED this car since the day I bought it! I was 19 when I bought it, so this poor car had more than its fair share of abuse, and the Tiburon responded very well under the pressure. I did very few repairs, especially for such high mileage! None of the repairs were big ticket items, such as engine or transmission issues. More of the pesky nature, like struts, tires, and brakes. Overall I LOVED this car, and was very tempted to buy another, but set my sights on the Genesis Coupe! Hyundai has exceeded my expectations, and I am now a loyal Hyundai owner.

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  Convinced - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By DaveS - November 8 - 4:00 am

  My wife owned an Elentra GT, 1st gen Sante Fe and now a fully loaded 2nd gen Santa Fe. I always thought they were "nice" and reliable, if a bit dull. The 2011 Sonata? Not dull. In shopping for a car, I debated between new (Sonata, Fusion, Taurus, Accord, Legacy) and used (Passat, A4). After a lot of internet research and test drives, I was most impressed by the Fusion and Sonata. I really liked the way the Fusion SEL V6 drove, but didnt like the looks or the price tag. The Sonata impressed on the road, looked awesome and was priced perfectly. 2 weeks and 800 miles in, I can honestly say I look forward to getting in my car every morning and evening - 40 mile commute or not. Thats success!

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  My Hyundai - 2004 Hyundai XG350
  By Henry Getkate - November 7 - 10:00 am

  Just a great car. I looked at because some other executives were happy with theirs. I have put 25000 Kms on the car since the middle of March this year, and I love it. My previous cars were, Mercedes, Volkswagon, Toronado, Montecarlo. Montecarlo SS was better handling. But I am going in no races, and my snappy XG350 does it for me.

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  Awesome Mid Size Suv w/ an Awesome $ - 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By v. gessler - November 7 - 10:00 am

  What an amazing car for your money! Its alot bigger on the inside than it looks!!

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  LOVE the Hyundai Line - 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By The Real G Man - November 7 - 10:00 am

  I just traded in my 2000 Sonata GLS V6 with 26,000 miles on it for a new 2002 Santa Fe. It was a demo from the dealer and had 3000 miles on it. It is a 4 cylinder and the automatic transmission. I have heard that the the V6 is the way to go but I absolutely love my new 4 cylinder Santa Fe!! It is totally loaded with ABS, cargo net, remote and the cargo cover. It is a silver beauty. This is my third Hyundai that I have purchased and I am very impressed with the Hyundai line.

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  most reliable car ive owned - 2003 Hyundai Accent
  By tommymojoe - November 7 - 2:00 am

  truly most reliable car i have owned,,,would and have recommended it to anyone as best buy for your money,,,by the way,,,,first time ive ever bothered to do something like this,im 54, finally found something worth taking the time to crow about,,,

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  chose tiburon over a BMW - 2005 Hyundai Tiburon
  By Mike - November 5 - 7:43 am

  this car is extremely beautiful. i get asked at least 3 times a week what kind of car it is, and no one believes its a hyundai. the exterior lines and styling are PERFECT. this car looks like an expensive italian import. interior is roomier than competition and the seats are very supportive. steering/handling is unbelievably good. in these times of high gas prices, i love buying 87 and getting the great economy out of this car.

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  Love the "Black Turtle" - 2009 Hyundai Elantra Touring
  By lingcuisine - November 5 - 1:53 am

  Our hatchback looks like a black turtle from outside. Provides great traction in slippery roads. ABS, side air bag, stability control are all standard. Interior build quality is impressive with nice-feeling foams and net-like cloth covers. The on-wheel audio control is handy, so is the rear window wiper. My family of 5 sit comfortably inside with plenty of space for extra bags. Ive hauled a mattress foam in the back with no problem. Only problem is the noise at high RPM. It has great surround sound. Great car with plenty of utility and value-added items.