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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  Excellent Vehicle - 2004 Hyundai Tiburon
  By steeleuci - March 8 - 2:00 am

  This vehicle is great! Not only is it very stylish, but you get more for your money than with other vehicles in the same price tier. I purchased the manual transmission,GT,V6,2-door,fully loaded package and have been completely satisfied. I love this car!

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  Incredible Car! - 2004 Hyundai Elantra
  By Z.S.W - March 8 - 2:00 am

  Engine: Quiet at idle, sounds awesome at full-throttle, responsive, not underpowered. Clutch operation is smooth, yet grippy. Suspension: Unbelievably smooth and comfortable ride - like a Cadillac, yet handling leans more towards that of a sporty car. Stops fast and straight. Quiet tires (Michelin). Interior: Roomy and comfortable. Hyundai thought of everything, from numerous storage compartments to hiding rear cup holders. Factory sound equipment sounds extremely nice, with good bass and ear-tingling highs. Exterior: Attractive styling compared with previous years. Good paint selection.

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  Ive just bought a terrific Elantra - 2004 Hyundai Elantra
  By Laurenbogle - March 8 - 2:00 am

  After my parked 98 Accord was totaled by a reckless driver that was driving too fast my heart broke. I thought nothing would be able to replace the Accord. However the moment I test drove the 2004 Elantra it felt right. I felt so comfortable and safe driving it, I had to get it!!!! The exterior/interior are very classy looking and ive been getting tons of compliments on it!!!! Lauren

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  Lov it - 2004 Hyundai Sonata
  By band man - March 8 - 2:00 am

  I love my Sonata LX. It has leather seats, lots of pep, and a great ride on the highway.I am enjoying the sound system, moon roof, and all the other extras.

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  Highly Underrated - 2004 Hyundai Sonata
  By MemphisMark - March 8 - 2:00 am

  After driving my 2004 Sonata for seven weeks, Im convinced I made the right decision. We have been so pleased with it that my wife went and purchased a 2004 Elantra. The warranty is impossible to beat at any other dealership. The car rides very comfortably and handles extremely well in both city and highway driving. Its stylish design is far more attractive to me than the high-backed Nissan Sentra and the squared-off Toyota Camry. I highly recommend this car.

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  2004 GLS with all extras - 2004 Hyundai Sonata
  By lesleyk - March 8 - 2:00 am

  Just bought this car and love it. It handles well and is a smooth, comfy ride so far.

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  GOOD VEHICLE FOR THE PRICE - 2004 Hyundai Sonata
  By POLICE1 - March 8 - 2:00 am

  FIRST NEW CAR I BOUGHT IN YEARS AND AM WELL PLEASED. WOULD RECOMMED TO A FRIEND OR FAMILY MEMBER.

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  A Solid Deal - 2003 Hyundai Elantra
  By Brendan K. - March 8 - 2:00 am

  I have owned this car for almost a year. I took a 6,000 mile road trip through 120-degree desert without a hiccup from this car. It drives extremely well, engine power is more than sufficient (especially with a manual transmission), and it has not given me a single mechanical problem after 15,000+ miles. I experienced some wind noise at high speeds, but the dealership replaced the weather strips under warranty. All this for $11,400 + TTL, and they even threw in the upgraded Sony CD/Casette player!

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  Great Santa Fe - 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By band man - March 8 - 2:00 am

  I love my Santa Fe Lx. It has so many extras. I have leather interior with seat heaters, a great sound system, and it runs great on the highway. You have to watch the speed or you will catch yourself going too fast.

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  Hyundai Santa Fe AWD 3.5L - 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By hbtx2 - March 8 - 2:00 am

  The car is a great value for the money. It comes with every possible bell and whistle for about $22,900. I now have about 13000 miles on the vehicle. When delivered, the car had a transmission leak. The entire transmission had to be replaced. It was replaced with little or no resistance from the dealer or the manufacturer. There have been no other problems with the SUV which is very enjoyable toown