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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  What an Awesome Car! - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By Ricka926 - May 28 - 3:26 pm

  After trading in my Mustang convertible in 2005 on a brand new 2005 Sonata, I swore I would never again own a Sonata. The 05 was slow and got lousy gas mileage, I hated it! After the dealership gave me the 2011 Sonata as a rental while the 05 was being repaired, I fell in love and never stepped back into that crummy 05 again. The standard features are amazing and I dont know how I ever lived without Bluetooth although it does act up sometimes, its still a great feature. I love the interior and exterior design. Its more roomy than the 05, but drives and handles so much better. I cant say enough how much I love this car.

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  good value - 2008 Hyundai Veracruz
  By nicky - May 28 - 12:30 pm

  very happy with the purchase. 8k off base gls. Great overall value for the money. While the overall feel is luxurious.

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  Hyundai Elantra GLS 93 - 1993 Hyundai Elantra
  By J Learned - May 27 - 2:00 am

  The only car Ive ever owned that need absolutely no repairs for the entire 10 years. No cost except for fuel and basic maintenance.

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  My Red Rocket - 2000 Hyundai Accent
  By sdholly5 - May 27 - 2:00 am

  Just surprised at the avg. rating of 5.8. I inherited this from my daughter (had to have a firebird). No major problems so far (first 45,000 miles). Any other issues have been taken care of by the dealership and they have been great. I wish a little more power, but I sacrifice that for great mpg. I wish cruise was an option but not for mine. No knocks, little more road noise then higher priced cars but the warranty is so super. I have thought about other cars but cannot convince myself to get rid of this gem. I highly recommend this car

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  GREAT VEHICLE! - 2005 Hyundai TUCSON
  By Sharon G. - May 26 - 10:40 pm

  I knew this was the vehicle for me as soon as I sat in it. I have only had it for a week, but I couldnt be more satisfied. The vehicle is loaded, great sound system, the ride is smooth even at high speed. Spacious, comfortable, best of all affordable.

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  Effortless Elegance - 2011 Hyundai Equus
  By Christian Phoenix - May 25 - 11:17 am

  Definitely the nicest car I have ever owned. And certainly the largest vehicle I have ever owned. I mean it really is a giant luxurious monster. My 66" 250lbs friends love the space. The engine Hyundai put in this baby is perfectly paired to move the beast effortlessly down my crowed Atlanta streets. Dont let its size full you he nimbly moves and heads turn . It takes the bumps and pot holes as if they dont exist. And if you get a little tense in traffic, just activate the massaging driver seat. Electronics are fantastic so many I cant use them all. Wish I could stream Pandora via blue tooth but it would work if I had an iphone. So I have to tether my music. No big deal. My only con is the V8 drinks lots fuel so it might not be the best for daily Atlanta traffic. I wish Hyundai would step up and promote the car more. I named mine Dexter.

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  Car of my dream - 2000 Hyundai Elantra
  By VaKo - May 25 - 2:00 am

  Universal car, powerfull engine, all needed feature standart. A lot of space affordable to move your stuff. Got my car with Michelin Energy MXV4 Plus tires and have to exchange them this summer after 35000 miles. Nice tires and short braking distance.

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  Very happy with Hyundai - 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Doogs - May 25 - 2:00 am

  My wife and I have had our Santa Fe for almost 1 year now. I am glad to report that with 20,000 km on it we have had no issues. Im very impressed with the ride quality and fuel economy of our car. The interior fit and finish is excellent and the styling is a lot more interesting than most SUVs. The only complaint I have is the microscopic buttons on the stereo.

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  Hard to put down! - 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Edging1 - May 25 - 2:00 am

  I am finding it extremely diffucult to find anything really wrong with the Santa Fe. It is surprisingly built very solidly, and along with the warrenty package and price-made this vehicle very difficult to pass up. While some may complain about the lack of power @173HP, I honestly cannot see the complaint legitimately. Its handled everything I have asked from quick acceleration, to passing to top speed, it is more than adequate for an SUV owner. As for the styling? While it may not be for everyone, it has some inexplicable way of growing on you.

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  A Review - 2003 Hyundai Elantra
  By Alex5555 - May 25 - 2:00 am

  Great car for the price