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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  Wow. Hyundais come a long way! - 2008 Hyundai Elantra
  By Doug - June 1 - 6:16 pm

  I was in the market for a small to mid-size car that gets good gas mileage. After driving the Civic, the Corolla, and the Mazda 3, I bought the new Elantra SE. It had more torque (read "get up and go!"). more room, and was more comfortable than either the Civic or Corolla, and was thousands less than a Mazda 3 with the same equipment. Its quiet and comfortable with lots of storage space.

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  Excellent low-cost sports car ... - 2003 Hyundai Tiburon
  By DChristopher - June 1 - 2:26 pm

  You get everything you could possibly need for 20.5K + TT&L! The looks are undeniably awesome (from the sleek "borrowed" lines to the dual exhaust rear-shot), the power is there (come on, 2.7L V6 @ 180+hp is plenty), the equipment is far from sufficient (the next possible add-on would be DVD-navigation or some junk like that) and the warranty is great for peace of mind. I havent had any problems with mine yet and I dont foresee any ... sure, the reliability is not proven but thats why we have 48-month leases for! I also have a $38K 01 Olds Aurora and I have to admit its hard to pick a favorite. The Tiburons suspension is a tad rough, but hey, isnt that the whole point?

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  Good buys come in small packages. - 2017 Hyundai Elantra
  By Mike - June 1 - 6:41 am

  Im happy with the car. I maintain it at the prescribed intervals and dont drive it hard. The manual 6-speed transmission makes it fun to drive. Downshifting makes my brakes last a long time, and having a manual clutch is cheap insurance should my battery ever fail to start the motor. It handles fine at all speeds up to 75mpg, which is the fastest Ive driven it. I bought it new in 2016, but it was a 2017 model and had only 8 miles on the odometer. Owing to several discounts, I paid only $17,000 for it out the door (tax & license included). I have no doubt it will continue to give me reliable service. I would buy another one without hesitation.

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  Refined crossover - 2007 Hyundai Veracruz
  By Bob - May 31 - 6:53 am

  Have taken this vehicle on a 1000 mile road trip and everything about the vehicle exceeded our expectations. Quiet cabin, elegant interior, plenty of`space in second row seats and satisfactory gas mileage. Everything works as advertised. Fit and finish matches previously owned Infinity and Acuras.

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  Best Value on the Market - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By Steve S. - May 30 - 3:10 am

  I drove just about every thing available in mid-size sedans. For the money, I couldnt find another car that could compete with the 06 Sonata. Never thought I would buy a Hyundai ... until I drove this one. You owe it to yourself to check one out and save yourself a lot of $$$! Every bit as good as Nissan or Toyota ... and much better than anything Ford/GM/Chrysler offers.

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  Car of The Year Worthiness - 2017 Hyundai Elantra
  By Josh Ehrendreich - May 30 - 1:53 am

  Ive been driving the Elantra Eco for a little over 30 days. I felt in love the first time I drove it and each time since then. I look forward to the next time I get to drive it. Perhaps it ought to be noted Im coming from a 1999 Camry to this 2017 model. Im still playing catch up on the modern conveniences, but if anything it makes driving easier and for sure more fun. I did test drive the Kia Forte, Mazda 3, Honda Civic and Fit, Toyota Camry, Corolla and Yaris before I tried the Eco. Im used to the roominess of a Camry and is about the only thing Id downgrade on the Eco, but compared to all other cars I test drove, its on par with those. Technology it is on par with Kia Forte and above all the others I test drove. Steering and road handling are very good to great. I think the only thing Im noticing slight issue with is MPG. Im currently averaging 33.5 mpg, but some of that is me idling the engine while I figure out the new tech. I also drive more in city than on highway. Whenever I go on highway now, I go into Sport mode and love the extra pickup. Anyway, the main reasons I picked this vehicle were: economical value, technology / CarPlay, mpg, comfort/handling, and reliability. Oh and I love the heated seats. I think this car delivers on all fronts and really would be surprised to see it not get Car of The Year type recognition

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  My Little Toy - 2005 Hyundai Tiburon
  By Lucky - May 29 - 6:56 pm

  Tiburon handles very well on curves and turns. The backseat is roomy that my 10 year old son and my 3 year old daughter comfortably fit. In fact, my kids always prefer to ride in my Tiburon rather than my wifes 4 door midsize sedan, no matter how far the destination is. Very aggressive looking yet undeniably attractive, especially if you throw some nice wheels on the vehicle. Not to mention owning the Tiburon with a very low cost of ownership, because of the great warranty.

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  First Hyundai Experience - 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Tiana - May 29 - 4:20 pm

  My first time riding in the Santa Fe was actually in a rental.. Id never looked at Hyundai before but my experience was so nice I ended up purchasing one. It offers an extremely smooth ride, really comfortable, fun and peppy drive, and the console is very stylish!

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  130k and going strong - 2004 Hyundai XG350
  By zircon - May 29 - 12:23 pm

  I bought the XG with 13K now have 132K. It has performed excellently. Changed the timing belt at 70k and will change it again at 140K. Expect to drive to 250K. Local dealer wants my car, evidently in demand some where. I think I will by a Genesis next if the dealer is dealing. thanks

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  Awesome car - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By flickydude - May 29 - 11:53 am

  Before I got this car, I had driven 2003 maxima. It is fun to drive, saving GAS, and performance. It looks sporty. It has more features than I has expected with Keyless entry, and chrome door handles and best warranty.