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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  great car - 2002 Hyundai Accent
  By hyundaiaccet - April 2 - 2:03 pm

  hyundai makes a great car and it shows with the accent. affordable, fun, fast, reliable, and high in quality. i really enjoy the Hyundai brand. great cars.

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  Problems, Problems.. - 2001 Hyundai Tiburon
  By SwiftTibby - April 2 - 11:03 am

  I should have really thought twice when buying my Hyundai. From day one I had problems with the car, it even failed inspection! Im not downsizing Hyundai because they have come a long way, but they kind of failed with this car. The newer models are great but after this car I really wouldnt trust them.

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  This car is a blast - surprised by some of the negatives out there... - 2012 Hyundai Veloster
  By natefighter - April 2 - 7:46 am

  Didnt even know this car existed until a few weeks ago, when I went to a dealership to check out an Elantra. Went home and did some research and read some reviews - I have to admit I was leery. I commute 100 miles round trip everyday. I was looking to replace a 10 year old Accord. Also have 3 kids (one is an infant). I was looking for really good MPG and in this economy, didnt want to be dropping a lot of coin (read: VALUE) I went back and test drove the Veloster and absolutely loved it! Bought one. It really is a lot of fun to drive, regardless of the HP. the 6 speed manual is smooth. I easily get 30 city and 40-44 hwy (36-38 combined!) - after a solid month of driving.

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  reliable car - 2000 Hyundai Elantra
  By Pat Schulz - April 2 - 5:50 am

  Very reliable car very little repairs necessary. Remote entry was only problem too costly to fix.

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  The verdict is still out... - 2011 Hyundai TUCSON
  By vtecman - April 1 - 9:38 pm

  I have 58,000 KM on my limited, so lets start with the good. The styling is beautiful. This vehicle is beautiful inside out. Hyundai has definitely changed their game to appeal to a wider base. The bad: - Mileage - Constantly between 11.6L/100km to 12.7 L/100km. Not a big fan. - Fan started making noise at 45000km. Dealer fixed. - Sunshade from sunroof opens partially every week. Dealer says its due to the vibration form the wheels. (What vibration?) - Rattle in trunk (Same reason as above apparently) - Bluetooth sounds muffled to receiving party (Seems fine to the dealer) - Oil changes every 6000 km (Is this car from the 80s?) Overall we will see if it goes downhill...

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  Good Car - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By kosos - April 1 - 2:57 am

  Use: commuter Load: 3 person totaling ~650 lb, avg 6 ft Distance: ~360 Miles per week Road: NY/NJ 80% highway Comfort: Good fit, lots of room, seats could be better but strangely I (driver) feel more comfortable now than when I first bought it. Passengers have not complained. Ergonomics: Excellent. I only do not like trunk/gas release buttons. They should be lit or redesigned. Performance: Must watch your speed, car cruises at 90+. I drive hard and no body roll, under/over steer, break fatigue or other common problems. Manual is great, 3rd gear could be stronger. Entertainment: remember this is stock. I like it if you do not blast it.

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  Pleasantly Suprised - 2003 Hyundai Elantra
  By kaman - April 1 - 2:00 am

  I wasnt intending on getting a Hyundai but my father-in-law convinced me to go take a look. I test drove several different cars in this price range (Honda, Saturn, and Ford) and was very suprised at how well the Elantra test drove. The Elantra was as good and cheaper than the Civic, and has better interior than the new Saturn Ions (in my opinion). The 5 years warranty and is what sealed the deal.

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  NO OIL Pressure at Start-up - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By Takis Tzinakos - March 31 - 7:20 pm

  After a careful break-in and driving the V6 Sonata for 26000kms, it takes up to 4 secs for the oil pressure to builb-up, every time it`s been restarted (genuine oil filtet used). Took it to dealership and hooked-up a manual cauge, my complaint was confirmed, but Assured this condition is NORMAL. 10 starts a day @ 4 secs at a time = 4 hrs per Year, running the motor without oil. How long does Hyundai and its Engineers think this motor will run before it needs a major overhaull? Is there a check valve to be installed to prevent oil back flow?

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  A bit of a disappointment - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By scottg10 - March 31 - 3:43 am

  With less than 350 miles on my new Sonata GLS, the negative outweighs the positive. I received my car with a defective passenger door latch making it hard to open and close the car. Next the car has interior rattles which is atypical of a new car for any price. The clincher was when I noticed that my cloth driver seat is already showing wear and is fraying around the seams! On a positive note, the car drives and steers well. But, I must wonder if this is typical, or I have received a lemon which Hyundai and my dealer will correct - AS IN REPLACE.

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  VERY GOOD VEHICLE - 2006 Hyundai Elantra
  By LEOFONT - March 30 - 7:29 am

  I have owned new Hondas (2001) Audi and Nissans and this car is just as good with riding features as the aforementioned, if not better than the Nissan and Audi.....great response on the highway, nimble handling, (better than the Honda)and fun to drive...I got 25 Mpg on my first mileage test, but the tradeoff in power is worth it... The dealership was very accommodating and so far completly satisified.... The only downside I can see is the materials are on the "Cheapie" side, and ashtray, accessories are not of the high quality standards of the Honda