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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  new style elantra is a beauty! - 2002 Hyundai Elantra
  By tucker - March 13 - 10:00 am

  although just buying this car, on first impluse, its a great car to look at. It has a very "alive" engine and the noise is kept to a minimal. All the standard features will just blow you away... I managed to take home the "convenience package (which consists of keyless entry w/ alarm, cruise control, and a cd player upgrade)..so as of 2100 miles..im in love with this car. Although i am pro-hyundai anyway because i use to own a 2000 hyundai accent. In my honest opinion, despite all my respect for this company, I really do think they are making a honest and very respectable leap into making nice quality cars. GO HYUNDAI!

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  AccentGT! - 2005 Hyundai Accent
  By toocrazy2yoo - March 13 - 6:10 am

  Fine little car. Came with the preferred power pkg with the power locks, windows, CD, fog lights a/c. Has 5 speed. Engine is smooth, fast within a narrow range of rpm, and gets good mileage (38 on the road, no AC, 70-80 MPH). Im 62" and I have plenty of leg/head room. The GT comes with a sub-frame, stiffer struts, springs, stabilizer bars front and rear, and bigger tires, and handles really well. Remains flat and well-planted on the exit ramps and sweeps hitting the interstate. Stable and smooth at speed. Turns on a dime. Hatchback allows more storage than the trunk of my 92 Elantra (which had 250k on it). Reliable? Only have 2k miles on it, but it should be great with the 100k warranty

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  Gotta Love It - 2002 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By hekker - March 13 - 2:00 am

  With the items that you get from the Santa Fe and the price. You cant beat it. No other SUV in its class or any others go for that price. But on an Auto frame instead of a truck frame is great. I test drove the Rodeo and the Santa Fe back to back twice at the dealership and the salesman was pushing the Rodeo. But I loved the ride and the feeling of the Santa Fe. Great for taller people.

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  Dont buy hyundai - 2002 Hyundai Accent
  By mikee - March 13 - 2:00 am

  I have had this car for about half a year and am not pleased at all. Ride quality is poor along with power, and looks. I figured that hey! It was alot cheaper than other cars but I dont like it. Sure the warrenty is good but who wants to have a good warrenty with a poor car? I dont. I will never use a better price for an excuse to buy a car again!

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  NOT BAD SO FAR - 2002 Hyundai Sonata
  By JACK149 - March 13 - 2:00 am

  SO FAR SO GOOD, PICK THE CAR UP MARCH 24,02 BOUGHT A BASE SONATA WITH A V6,AUTO FOR 16.038.00 + TAX TITLE, IN DESERT SAND,TRADED IN A 98 BONNIVIEW, NICE CAR TO BIG FOR WIFE. WE LEASED TWO MAZDA 626 FOR 6 YEARES,TOOK A USED 626 01 FOR A TEST DRIVE,THEN TOOK A SONATA 4CY AND 6CY FOR TEST RIDE. WHAT A DIFFRENCE IN RIDE,EVEN 4CY WAS QUITE COMPARED TO 626,BETTER HANDILING ALL AROUND BETTER CAR. WIFE LOVES CAR, STILL BRAKING IN. AS FOR ABS BRAKES,I HAVE HAD TWO CARS WITH THEM AND I WOULD NEVER WOULD BUY A CAR WITH THEM! TAKE A TEST DRIVE AND SEE WHAT YOU THINK.

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  From Honda to Hyundai - 2008 Hyundai Veracruz
  By Bornitetx - March 13 - 1:56 am

  When the family grew it was time to get into the SUV market...never thought I would have purchased a Hyundai...but glad I did!! I was always a loyal Honda diver..but the Pilot did not compare to the Veracruz (price/warranty/amenities. So far smooth diving and no complaints other than gas mileage could be better but since this is my 1st suv, I expected this to change. I enjoy all the luxury items at a great price that was better than the CX-9, Highlander, and Pilot. I would highly recommend this vehicle. I like having a nice quiet comfortable ride on long trips and this car pampers you, and yes as it has been compared to the Lexus 350 it is much less expensive and still has that luxury feel!!

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  Looks good, Drives better - 2010 Hyundai TUCSON
  By Don - March 12 - 11:20 pm

  My Tucson is well put together and fun to drive. It has more pep than I thought it would have and the AWD is a boon here in Buffalo. The options and quality in the SUV remind me of more expensive models. Dual climate control works well. Car defogs quickly. Radio/Navigation system is impressive. Bluetooth and voice command on steering wheel works well. Car is quiet even with the sunroof open. Interior is nice and roomy and the seat warmers are wonderful. It is a pretty car.

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  Excellent Performance and Value - 2004 Hyundai Sonata
  By Ben Bailey - March 12 - 10:41 pm

  We looked several of the "big boys"-Camry, Accord, Altima. The Sonata came out on top for us because of its excellent rating on reliability. However, what really sold me was the smooth, comfortable ride. I do a lot of freeway travel and I found that at at freeway speeds the Sonata is much more quiet and comfortable than any of the other aforementioned cars-even the Camry. I get all kinds of compliments on the looks of the car too-something Ive never gotten before on any other car Ive ever ever owned. I love this car.

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  Wonderful vehicle - 2011 Hyundai TUCSON
  By piper15 - March 12 - 2:26 am

  I have had my 2011 Tuscon Limited for one month. I went for the totally loaded vehicle with 18" wheels. After test driving several other small SUVs, I tried out the Tuscon and fell in love immediately. The leather seats are very comfortable, and I really like the bluetooth and navi. The storage capacity is just right for me. As for the mileage, I am getting around 26-28 mpg combined. I am quite happy about this. It seems with each tank of gas I am getting a little better mpg. If I reset the mpg trip when driving on the highway, it says Im getting 33-35 mpg. If that is true, it would be great. Bottom line is, I love my Tucson more and more each day.

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  Suprised! - 2001 Hyundai Accent
  By MRC - March 11 - 6:40 pm

  I bought this car almost 5 years ago. I dont really have any major complaints about the car. I have been very surprised & impressed with the performance. Its quite peppy when needed. The gas mileage is fabulous, I drive 50 miles a day to and from work in rush hour traffic and still average 32-35mpg. I recently had a kid so it is way too small for me now. And it deppreciates so much, Ive been upside- down since the get-go.But if youre looking for a small commuter car that you are going to keep for a long time this is the way to go. Ive never had any mechanical problems.I wouldnt recommend it if you are a larger person (Im 52 and my husband is 61 and we constantly bump each other.