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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  Hello Turbo. - 2016 Hyundai TUCSON
  By William Conlee - June 10 - 2:38 pm

  I have always had big V8 trucks. Didnt have to worry about gas mileage because they were always weekend vehicles. I had a company vehicle during the week. I ended up with the 2016 Tucson Sport 1.6T mainly because of Edmunds.com expert review. New position at work required me to have my own commuter vehicle, so I figured compact SUV with great mileage. Granted, I have had this vehicle for a week now and have only put 115 miles on it... so take this review with stride. This is more of my first impression than it is longevity. I will keep reporting my views as I travel through the mileage. First off, it costs less then $35 bucks to fill up. I live in Texas, so gas prices hover around $2.20 - 2.40 at the moment. This is huge to me since I was used to $70 fill ups. I looked at all the comparable vehicles as well. My wife has the Mazda CX-5 Touring. I could have purchased one as well, but honestly, its boring to me. The Ford escape is a good vehicle but they are super proud of their pricing... and the experience at the local Ford dealerships is lack luster and somewhat insulting. Then there is the Honda CR-V and Toyota Rav-4. Reliable? Sure. Boring, boring, boring. Like having a mini van. I am a 6ft tall, 200lb, 38 year old man who used to think it had to be huge and if it didnt have 350 plus horsepower, dont bother me with it. If your like me and looking for a compact SUV for a job, travel, or for some other reason go and test drive the Tucson Sport 1.6T. Put the vehicle in "sport" mode and punch it. It will surprise you. Points I like so far: - Quick little motor. Got Boost? Yes. Yes it does. - Headroom, headroom, and headroom. - Holy safety features Batman - 19" wheels look nice and set it apart. - Hypnotizing LED lighting. - Transmission shifts are like a magic trick. - Wife likes it. This of course it the final say all and high point. Give this thing a shot, you wont be disappointed.

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  I Am Impressed. - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By mark - June 10 - 2:03 pm

  Im 55 years old and have purchased many vehicles thru the years. My last being a 2006 Lincoln Zephyr/MKZ which is an " entry Luxury Car" This Sonata blows it away. When I first went for a test drive I was impressed when closing the door and hearing a beautiful "Thup" sound which showed me quality.I read EVERY review on the internet before I made the decision to purchase. Car is tight and drives with a heavy car feeling. Enough power, more then the Zephyr which is a 6 cyl. Beautiful in black. I was going to buy the 2010 Taurus which is also nice but to big and probably slow due to its weight. I cant believe I bought a Hyundai.

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  2004 Hyundai XG350L - 2004 Hyundai XG350
  By philk - June 10 - 12:33 pm

  I like this car immensely. I wish it had a smoother transmission, but it is not bad, only 1st gear is a little goosy. The fit and finish is comparable to Lincoln, Lexus and BMW. It is far better than the small Cadillac CTS. It is a great all day cruiser and is exceptional in mountain terrain with its Selectronic transmission. I have been getting 29.7 mpg on highways trips at speeds of 70-75 mph with a/c on. It is not that good in stop and go traffic more like 20-22. This car has just about every conceivable option that one could want except a telescoping steering wheel, which I would like. I would also like to have a chirp signal to let me know the doors are locked when parking. Great Car.

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  What a car! - 2006 Hyundai Tiburon
  By Ken - June 9 - 4:50 pm

  I just bought this car used with 18,000 miles on it. Bright yellow! This car is way better than I would have guessed. The handling and power are just great. My wife says it looks like nothing can take the smile off my face when Im driving it. I went out looking to replace my Kia Spectra because it was boring. A perfectly good car, but boring, and this Tiburon is certainly exciting. I love it.

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  great inexpensive car - 2006 Hyundai Accent
  By George - June 9 - 12:22 pm

  This car has been a lot of fun to drive. Very nimble, very quiet ride. All my passengers have raved about it and have them thinkinng about a Hyundai, yes, a Hyundai!

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  My view - 2003 Hyundai Tiburon
  By will reynolds - June 9 - 2:00 am

  The structure of this model is outstanding. A week after I bought the vehicle i was in a severe accident. I was at a dead stand still when i was rear ended by a Hyundai Santa Fe who was doing about 40 mph. and the back window didnt even crack. Although there was almost 10K in damage done to the car, it was rebuilt and looks like new.

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  New 2004 Santa Fe - 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Southern Gal - June 9 - 2:00 am

  After doing serious small SUV research,the Santa Fe came out on top! It is well built, solid and fun to drive. The warranty is great as well...Its almost like buying the warranty and getting the SUV for free. We are looking forward to buying another one in 7 years when my oldest son gets his drivers license.

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  Love it - 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By DawnTampa - June 9 - 2:00 am

  The one and only thing I wish this vehicle had was a little more pep. But dollar for dollar I think it is one of the best out there. I drove most all in this group before purchasing.

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  The best first car! - 2008 Hyundai Elantra
  By Thomas Spanston - June 8 - 8:50 am

  This car amazing in every way! Its great on gas, very safe, perfect handling, and an overall incredible driving experience.

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  On my third Hyundai - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By bdb07 - June 8 - 5:44 am

  Ive owned the 03, 05, & the 11 sonatas, and I am sold on the car. I love the look, the reliability, & gas mileage of the car. The front seat is a little uncomfortable. Its just shaped unusual. I love the bluetooth hookup. The stock stereo sounds good, but I dont blast my music. My window tint is holding up very well. I love the huge trunk, & the fact that you can tip the back seats down to make room for longer items from the trunk. Stock tires didnt last long at all, but Ive replaced them with better tires with long warranty. The car rides quiet & handles great. When Im ready to buy another car...I will be looking at another Hyundai