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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  sonata gls v6 sedan (3.3l 6cyl 5a)steeri - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By 2006 Hyundai Sonata - March 30 - 12:33 am

  i traded in my 2001 honda civic for the the gls v6 sedan (3.3l 6cyl 5a). i have only 700 miles on it so far but i do like it a lot. this car is the same as an accord or camray for much less money and i also like the new design of the car. the ride is beautiful handles real well and fun to drive. ill buy another one!

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  Love it! - 2006 Hyundai Tiburon
  By Teresa - March 29 - 7:10 pm

  I drive this car A LOT and I really love it. My daughter frequently "borrows" it, so she must think its pretty cool too. I really like the way it looks inside and out and I LOVE the feel of the seats. The seats are so comfortable, they feel like they are just molded to your body. I love the way the hood is sculpted and the look of the instrumentation at night. I spend a lot of time in the car, I dont notice a lot of road noise or bumps. Very smooth and quiet.

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  Incredible Buy - 2005 Hyundai TUCSON
  By BaGa - March 29 - 8:56 am

  Bought the vehicle 2 years ago and have had absolutely no problems with it at all. It is a great vehicle to run around the city in.

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  I love this car! - 2010 Hyundai Elantra Touring
  By Amy - March 29 - 12:06 am

  I have had this car (in chili pepper red!) for only 2 weeks, but Im in love. It has many of the features you would find in pricier cars, so its a great value. It handles great and its a comfortable ride. I previously owned a 2002 Elantra GT and in the nearly 8 years I owned it, I had very little mechanical trouble. It was a nice dependable car, so I am pretty confident in Hyundais reliability.

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  Weird smell from the front of the car - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By Sunny Days - March 28 - 11:33 am

  Hi, I bought a 2011 Hyundai Sonata last month. I like the car very much. Its very quite, stylish and comfortable to drive with good economy. But, after driving for even a small distance like 10 miles and when I come out of the vehicle, I could feel a weird smell from the front of the car. One of my friends bought same type of car 3 months back and he doesnt have any such issue. I am curious to know whether it is a manufacturing defect or it is a normal behavior ? When I checked this with the dealer, they said it happens with some vehicles and not with all. They told me to wait till 6,000 miles. Can any one tell me what should I do ? I am really confused .

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  My wonderful car - 2004 Hyundai Elantra
  By Staci wahl - March 28 - 12:30 am

  I bought this in 2004 and it is the best car I ever had. I still have this car low maintenance no problems and passing it down to my daughter. Im sad because its 2016 and I cant find another that suites me. Best car and I even have the 2003 Santa Fe. I will keep these best ever made.

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  excellent car - 2005 Hyundai TUCSON
  By jim - March 27 - 8:03 pm

  So far the car has exceeded all of my expectations and more . Great gas economy, smooth ride, style and interior features, plenty of rear seat room.........what a car.........I have always liked japenese vehicles but I am amazed how this car has been put together and runs so well.The price also is great........

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  best value - 2009 Hyundai Genesis
  By shiny - March 27 - 5:36 am

  I bought V-6 in October 2008. I drove MB & Lexus in the past. This is absolutely much better car than MB and Lexus if you take the price into consideration. If you are willing to pay $ 20 or 30 K more just for the brand, go ahead but I really recommend this car why you waste hard earned money, especially under a current economic situation. Again, this car is equal to or better than MB or Lexus in all respects except for a hugh price difference. I am telling you that If your are looking for a new car, buy this car, you will nor regret.

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  Glad I bought it! - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By DriveBluCar - March 26 - 6:56 pm

  I love this car. I have had it for one year and have had ZERO problems. Not even a squeak or rattle. I have the V6 with top of the line 17 inch wheels. It handles very well and everyone who rides in it is surprised that its a Hyundai. Especially the acceleration and stable ride.

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  Great Vehicle - 2005 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By GLS - March 26 - 6:20 pm

  Great takeoff, lots of power. Excellent sound system. The standard features would be worth the price without the warranty; the smart safety features would cost hundreds extra on any other car. The Santa Fe comes with a first aid kit,storage area under the carpet of the cargo area and a cargo net to secure just about anything in the rear cargo area. I add the cargo mat (cost extra) and can transport anything without it shifting of rolling around during sharp turns. The front passenger seats air bag only turns on when someone sits in it. The comfort control system tells you the outside temp and can be set to auto, so that each time you drive it is the exact temperature you want.