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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  Good Review - 2003 Hyundai Sonata
  By Famous Bill - September 28 - 2:00 am

  Bird doo doo leaves marks in paint too easily. I question the quality of paint and what it will look like in three to four years even though my car is housed in a garage most nights.

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  Great Car - 2003 Hyundai Accent
  By Rose43 - September 28 - 2:00 am

  I bought my Accent in Feb of 2003, it snowed so much this car got me through it and handled the weather better than I though it would. The engine is a little loud but its ok the rest of the car makes up for it.

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  Accent - 2003 Hyundai Accent
  By rivers024 - September 28 - 2:00 am

  This is a great car, it gets me from point A to point B without any worries. It comfortable, affordable and looks great. I avg about 30miles/per galllon and had a honda accord before this...i would get the accent of the accord any day of the week.

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  I like my Hyundai! - 2003 Hyundai Accent
  By lorakayrinehart - September 28 - 2:00 am

  I have really enjoyed my Hyundai so far. I am very impressed.

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  Best Car in Class for the Money! - 2005 Hyundai Elantra
  By GTsmokeya - September 27 - 10:46 am

  This is my second Elantra GT and I love it the amount of and more importantly the quality of the features you get - above most manufacturers. To top the list, the best warranty I have ever seen. Great company; very customer oriented. I love the semiannual newsletter from Hyundai. Both my dealer and Hyundai have been great and follow up in a profesional manner.

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  exellent for the money! - 2003 Hyundai Accent
  By foreman - September 27 - 2:00 am

  Car delivered for the money is incredible. Car and company very underated in motor world, but things are changing due to high quality. Alote more car for the money than Civic.

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  Best deal out there - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By DL - September 27 - 2:00 am

  Ive read a lot of these reviews, especially before I bought the Sonata. I am glad I did. For the money it is a great deal. The 32 mpg on the highway is right and that is with the AC on and 70 mph. It cruises nicely on the highway. Dash controls are easy and make sense. Back seat is roomy compared to others. Some reviews were unimpressed with handling, and it is a bit soft, but still very good. My only complaint is the suspension; it is clunky on a bumpy road. If Hyundai solves that issue they will have an unbeatable car.

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  What an excellent car - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By Sonata Lover - September 26 - 6:56 am

  First i considered Camry or Accord but were too expensive and had less features than Sonata. So I purchased one and it is just Flawless. Built quality is still not as good as Japanese cars but otherwise, the Sonata is the winner even with the 4cyl engine. Roomy cabin, excellent ride quality and subpar steering. The cabin is quite even above 70miles/h. Guage is clear and simple. 4speed automatic transmission shifts smoothly. Sonata is not only a great family car, it is also fun to drivc!!

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  The Hyundai Santa Fe 2004 - 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Joe Bertino - September 25 - 8:16 pm

  Excellent! Rides like a car (on the Sonata body). Love the color choices, great pick up. Gas mileage is 19-21 (highway and city combined). Sun roof is good (makes a bit of noise completely open, leave about 1 inch of it showing). Moon roof great. Sound system excellent. Overall, I love this SUV (I have owned Explorers and cherokees, this is the most comfortable).

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  Great Car, Great Price - 2003 Hyundai Sonata
  By mboog - September 24 - 10:00 am

  Bought the Sonata LX w/ ABS, Traction Control, Moon-roof, and that fancy mirror a few days back. Lots of car for an amazing price of 19K, Great warranty, amazing financing, and a rebate to boot! The car is great looking, and very plush inside. The ride is smooth and very quiet, and theres room for the family. I think Honda and Toyota have some serious competition here.