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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  A great car! - 2004 Hyundai Sonata
  By Rich - May 4 - 8:49 pm

  This is a great little car! Has plenty of muscle for a four cylinder! Got it up to 80 mph with little effort. A true pocket rocket! I have the 5 speed transmission which adds to the performance. Handles well around sharp turns. Excellent craftmanship and looks. My next new car will be a Hyundai.

• 

  Hyundai Mansei - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By Chrisbo - May 4 - 5:30 pm

  In Korean, "Mansei" translates to live/thrive for 10,000 generations. Hyundai has arrived and there is no denying it. The 2011 Sonata is solid, fun to drive and just plain impressive. You might be able to do a little bit better than this car. Just go ahead and pay twice as much and hope for the best.

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  A great buy for the money. - 2006 Hyundai Accent
  By CentervilleOH - May 4 - 8:31 am

  I test drove several compacts and found this one to be superb. It is even comparable to the Civic, but with a much more favorable price tag. I just bought this jewel and will only learn about its reliability as time passes. It is very manuverable and good on gas. I would encourage anyone to take a look at all Hyundais. Their bigger cars are extremely nice looking, as the Accent

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  New Owner Review - 2006 Hyundai Azera
  By Jo-Carol Prokop - May 3 - 8:33 am

  First 3 days after taking ownership our area received over 8 inches of rain, and of course I had a lot of driving to do. The car handled great even with water laying on the road. The auto- rain sensor wipers are great. The ECS feature is amazing. I also like the 2 person driver seat "memory" and the "folding" side mirrors. I am anticipating driving this winter to see how it hanles in the snow. I particularly like the sterring and turning radius, for such a large car the turning is phenomimal. The sunscreen is also great.

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  definitely look at this vehicle - 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By RickG - May 3 - 5:50 am

  My wife and I were in the market for a sporty SUV and after looking at the Nissan Murano, Lexus RX350, and Ford Edge, we decided on the Santa Fe. Simply put you get more for your money and this vehicle has luxury written all over it. You cannot beat the warranty and the dealership is top notch.

• 

  Best Ive owned - 2007 Hyundai Sonata
  By J Milano - May 3 - 4:26 am

  My father owns a Mercedes and owned Lincolns before that; but hes been so impressed by my Hyundai that hes going to get the Sonata. Hes tired of his Mercedes being in the shop and the standard luxury features in the Sonata Ltd can hold its own with any luxury car and it has been just as reliable as my brothers Hondas and Acura. Im sold on the brand.

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  VW diesel alternative choice - 2016 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid
  By KC - May 2 - 8:05 pm

  great alternative to VW diesel buyback.

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  Too soon to tell, but looks good. - 2006 Hyundai Accent
  By junemart - May 2 - 2:14 pm

  The car seems to be very well built and the ride feels like that of a much bigger vehicle. The truck is large and all controls are in the right place. I have not gone over 55MPH nor exceeded 4K RPM (as suggested by Hyundai for first 1200mi.) so cant rate acceleration. Engine is quiet and idle is very smooth. Suggested maintenance skeds using time against miles is absurd. I only use this car 250 mi. per Month. Change Mobil 1 oil and filter at 3 months with only 750 Mi.,ridiculous. Same with plugs..24 months at 6k miles. Most wear comes from miles, not time!! With so few miles MPG is dissapointing. I know it will improve. The finish on metallic paint does not seem hard nor very glossy.

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  The Stuff Dreams Are Made Of - 2003 Hyundai Tiburon
  By superhayes256 - May 2 - 10:00 am

  After a LONG wait, I finally got this Beauty! Its so sleek and aerodynamic. I get notices alot in this car. My friends all like it! This car is 3 times as good as my Firebird I got earlier this year! So much style and class you almost wish you could wear it to Sunday School. I love it. Its the best thing Ive gotten in years!

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  One year later - 2003 Hyundai Elantra
  By Huntsville - May 2 - 10:00 am

  Purchased vehicle on the assumption that it would be disposable in the end since it would be used for commuting. After 14 months and 33000 miles it still runs very well. No mechanical problems. The car has plenty of power for its size. Have no problem pulling mountains. Seems responsive and tight. Overall quality is far better than I expected. It is way ahead of the Nissan Sentra I previously owned.