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:

• 

  Not it is not a ferrari :) - 2003 Hyundai Tiburon
  By MJM - April 14 - 10:00 am

  Great car took me 6 months of research to decide on the Tiburon. I looked at every model comparable model that Mitsu, Toyo, Honda, Acura make. For the price know one can touch it. To the people who want to know about the horse power it is 170 at the engine crank. They may advertise 181 but the papers you sign at purchase point states it at170. Good stereo clear treble strong deep bass (not thumping). Gas mileage is pretty good best I have seen is 29mpg and this was doing 65mph on the highway with ac on. Handling is outstanding at high speeds as well as city driving. As I feel the build and quality of my car (so far) is on par with anything Honda builds.

• 

  Shiny on the outside, Junk on the inside - 2003 Hyundai Tiburon
  By kho - April 14 - 10:00 am

  Hyundai, a company that hasnt built anything to last. Yeah, the car has warrenty beyond belief, it needs it so that the buyer doesnt go postal on the dealership. under powered, poor power- trains, HEAVEY and sluggish. when my SUV takes my buds Tibby, you know somethings wrong. it does have styling, the dash looks tacky. i rated this car for its worth after the warrenty is over. NOTHING!

• 

  Great - 2004 Hyundai Elantra
  By Tom - April 14 - 6:58 am

  It is a great fun to drive with Elantra. Fuel economy and reliability can not be criticized in comparison with those of Civic and Corolla. Interior design is well-organized. One drawback is not equipped with ABS. but 2007 will be standard. I hope I soon get that too.

• 

  Great Car - 2005 Hyundai Sonata
  By Bill - April 14 - 6:14 am

  Its a great car, loaded with room, style, solid, and just fun to drive. Handles better, runs smoother, and lots more ease of driving than our Mazda 626.

• 

  Great Ride! - 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe
  By jason_brzuchalski - April 13 - 10:23 pm

  Hands down, an awesome vehicle at a great price. The genesis coupe V6 Track has plenty of power and stylish looks. Heads are always turning when I pull up to a stop light. So far, I have not been disappointed with the vehicle. It performs as well as it sounds when I punch the accelerator. In the words of Ferris Bueller, "If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up."

• 

  Wonderful vehicle! - 2005 Hyundai Elantra
  By Amy - April 13 - 2:29 pm

  My husband and I both have a 2005 Elantra. They are both great cars for the money! The features are superb and the ride is fantastic. Our cars are roomier than a VW Jetta and ride better too! Great pick up for a 4 cylinder I can keep up with the best of them! The body style is classy and the vehicle has a solid feel that cant be beat. One of the best values on the market with the warranty! LOVE it!

• 

  90k+ miles later, Im still rolling. - 2002 Hyundai Elantra
  By Mr. Volente - April 13 - 8:33 am

  I havent had any major problems w/this car at all. I did have a recall which they fixed no problem. Everything else has been smooth sailing just about. The only thing that is a bit of a problem is are the lights- the die a lot so you have to keep replacing them, especially the fog lights. The car is quite durable, Ive been through a few dings, and no problems. During one snow storm, I ran straight slam into the highway railing very fast and very hard and just knew the car was done for b/c of the sound of the impact. Somehow the car keeps driving, I get home, check it out, only 2 scraches, not real damage. Awesome. Gas is good, Im getting about 28-29 per gallon. Trunk space awesome.

• 

  I love my car! - 2008 Hyundai Elantra
  By rdi0824 - April 13 - 6:23 am

  I recently purchased the GLS model. I am currently getting approx. 32 mpg (I calculated 31.9) with combo of city/hwy miles. I love that I dont have to gas up all of the time! Its a very smooth ride and I love that its a smaller car but I am not confined whatsoever while driving it. Its very roomy for its size! I look forward to having this car for a long time! Grab one while theyre having the cash back incentive promotion!

• 

  This Car is Fantastic !!! - 2005 Hyundai Elantra
  By Justin Smith - April 12 - 9:18 pm

  I have been driving this car for 8 months or so and it has lived up to all my expectations. I skipped the sunroof and abs but couldnt be happier. I only have roughly 6000 miles on it (because I work and live at a college) but I take it on road trips home (3 hours one way) and it easily cruises at 80mph on the highway with no problems. The ride is generally excellent! I would call this car a crossbreed between a Volvo, a BMW 3 Series, and a Honda Civic. My friends are jealous that their cars aren’t as nice and cheap and that’s the way I like it!

• 

  Transmission Issues - 2006 Hyundai Tiburon
  By Carangelover - April 12 - 12:13 pm

  Brought brand new in Jan of 06. Car is has been fun to drive over the past 1.5 yrs but have had numerous problems with the car.BCM unit needed to be replaced, now transmission. Hyundai warranty will not cover much. Hyundai is refusing to fix my transmission because I upgraded the spark plugs and sparks plug wiring for the 30K service. They are considering the upgrade performance parts therefore voiding my warranty. I will not buy another Hyundai, if you paid me, they pulled the same thing on me when my clutch need replaced on my 03 Elantra after 12k miles.