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:

• 

  my tibby - 2004 Hyundai Tiburon
  By soccerplyr83 - July 22 - 12:46 pm

  This car is a dream car I havent owned it very long so I dont know how good it runs just yet but Im 6,1 and I fit very comfortably in it I like the infinity sound system and the feel of the acceleration could be better when you hit first gear but its fwd so I guess its what you should expect.

• 

  Stiff Ride - 2010 Hyundai Sonata
  By Dan P. - July 22 - 12:29 pm

  If you do much driving on rough roads be prepared for a hard ride. Otherwise I love this car. Roomy, easy to drive, great in the snow, handles corners beautifully. Would like it a little less road noise but not too bad.

• 

  Not bad for basic transportation - 2004 Hyundai Accent
  By Scott - July 21 - 2:56 pm

  I bought my 04 Accent last November. Its about as basic as a car gets - MT, no AC, power locks, power windows or cruise - but it gets great gas mileage - 30-35mpg in mixed driving and is surprisingly good in the snow. Purchased it for $4k, so for the daily commute, its a good deal. I miss the AC, but never travel long distances in it. I would definitely recommend the accent for anyone needing reliable transportation.

• 

  Beautiful Girl, Bad Personality - 2009 Hyundai Genesis
  By Genesis380 - July 18 - 9:15 pm

  This car appears beautifully built and superbly appointed. It looks and feels like a $70,000 car for half the price. It exudes class and the fit and finish and appointments compete with the best in the industry. The dark secret is that it has horrible suspension and rides like a truck. This severe defect is not immediately noticeable - the suspension has a dual personality. It is beautifully smooth on the interstate but it jitters and bounces over suburban streets. It is horrible to drive and I regret leasing it. I am deeply disappointed. A short test drive doesnt reveal the quirky suspension characteristics. "This beautiful girl has a bad personality". Beauty is more than skin deep.

• 

  sweet ride - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By easternpadad - July 18 - 4:09 pm

  have had the 2011 since the summer and it has been a very favorable experience. good mileage and excellent performance for this class/price/mileage.

• 

  a nice car for half the money - 2005 Hyundai XG350
  By neil p. hill - July 18 - 10:50 am

  this was a great car, other people kept saying "why dont you get a good car", but this really is a good car ,the only negative is the gas pedal ,its all or nothing ,the dealer tried to fix it but no luck. other than that ,it was a great car, really

• 

  KDM power - 2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe
  By kultureshok - July 17 - 6:18 am

  rarely do i ever write reviews but i was so compelled to write one for the 2013 genesis 2.0t. i see a ton of mixed reviews at least for the 2.0t. The 2.0t is an extremely fun car for 25k. Power from the 4 banger is more than adequate if youre not an enthusiast or a tuner. Car receives a ton of looks, love the fact that its not a common car on the road yet, it gives you a sense of exclusivity. Handling is good can take corners relatively well, but by no means is it on the same level as an FRS/BRZ. i see a lot of concerns and complaints about the waste gate on the turbo rattling, my genesis has about 2500 with no issue so far (knocks on every piece of wood known to mankind) overall pleased

• 

  LEMON CAR - 2009 Hyundai Genesis
  By rocket dog - July 17 - 6:05 am

  Adding to my review of may. Transmission has abnormal metallic clunking and slapping noise. this has caused the rear end to have some gear play and gear wine.Dealer miss in formed me as to cure. Hyundai factory tech had no answers and Hyundai customer service has STIFFED ME. There are no parts or adjustments for these electronic transmission. Dealers service manger and Hyundai tech drove a new in stock car and told me this normal for rear drive cars.

• 

  Approaching 60K - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By Rick - July 15 - 5:05 pm

  My 2nd sonata. Only problems have been a dead windshield washer pump and some doorlock issues, both addressed by dealer. This car is a great value, & Hyundai is a great story - they appear to be making quality vehicles at reasonable prices. Still, I enjoy our 99 e320 more, but no complaints on the brand or dealer.

• 

  Love my tibby - 2006 Hyundai Tiburon
  By Skygirl - July 15 - 3:10 am

  I love this car. I was in the market for a mazda and they wouldnt come down on the price so i went and test drove my tibby and fell in love. To get a car with power windows and locks and all for $18000 u cant beat that. I was looking for something sporty that i could fix up performancewise and make my own and it is really easy to do that with this car.