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! - 2003 Hyundai Tiburon
  By tibownr - February 5 - 4:33 pm

  I bought this car new and have had no major problems with it so far. I had to get two new tires a year ago and that is the most money other than gas i have put into the car. Great reliable car that has never left me stranded. Fun little car to zip around in!

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  I love my 07 SE 4WD - 2007 Hyundai TUCSON
  By irishred - February 5 - 6:43 am

  I bought my Tucson with 7 miles on it and 3800 miles later I dont have any complaints. Im averaging 20.9 MPG, and climbing, so far. Id recommend this vehicle to all. Its a nice little sporty SUV!

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  Great Car - 2005 Hyundai XG350
  By David - February 5 - 2:00 am

  This is the second hyundai I have owned. And I am more than pleased with it. For the price I could not ask for a better car. I test drove a mustang and an ultima before buying it. It has much more interior comfort than the mustang and is so much smoother driving than the ultima that I could not believe it. In short I could not ask for a better car even if I paid more money.

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  Comfort & Reliability at a Great Price! - 2004 Hyundai XG350
  By AnnieC - February 5 - 2:00 am

  My previous car, a 1999 Toyota Solara, was difficult to match. It was a manual 5-speed trans, which I could no longer drive daily, so decided to go more luxury than sporty. I researched and test drove various models of Acura, Lexus, BMW, Toyota, and Mazda. My son has a 2003 Accent, drove it over 30,000 in a year, and has had no problems, so I included the Hyundai XG350 in my search. I drove it, and was very impressed. For $10,000-15,000 less (at least) than any of the other models comparably equipped I am satisfied that I have a solid, reliable car.

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  This is my families 3rd Elantra - 2005 Hyundai Elantra
  By Jerry - February 3 - 1:33 pm

  This is the third Elantra in our family. My wife and son both have 2003s and mine is the 2005. I had a 2001 Neon, and from driving their Elantras, I had to have my own. When I got rid of my Neon, I found the original window sticker in car. The Elantra was only $400 more list price. Also, my Neon was 5 speed, no power anything, and manual locks. The 2005 Elantra has power for just about everything for just $400 more that a new 2001 Neon( which only had a 3/36000 warranty). This car is an absolute purchase for the commuter, lots of bang for little buck. Like I said, this is our third, and I can definately see a fourth in the future.

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  Awesome - 2002 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Jeff Goodall - February 3 - 10:00 am

  Awesome SUV! This is my 3rd Hyundai. I stick with them because they stand behind their product with the best warranty in the business, and I like to purchase with all the options included. I dont like having to pick and choose for options so they can low- ball the price in the advertisements, and then when you go in to shop, you have to add $5,000 to the price! The only thing I would possibly complain about, which was in all of the reviews, is that it is a little slow off the start. This vehicle is heavy compared to similar vehicles, and the small 2.7L engine could use a little more umph to get going. Otherwise, as the title says, AWESOME!

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  Tiburon, a nice car for a good price - 2001 Hyundai Tiburon
  By Neemo22 - February 3 - 10:00 am

  Generally when you see a new type of car like an eclipse or something along those lines it is marketed and sold for a pretty high price I beleive the eclipse hit 18-19000, which is alot of money. When i needed a new car I looked at the Integra, Tiburon and Civic. I pretty much threw the civic out of the picture it just didnt suit me. So it boiled down the the Tiburon or Integra, and the Tiburon won. It has the same specs as an integra but its 4000 dollars cheaper. Most of the reviews I read said it was not as reliable as the integra but I dont drive that much and it has not given me any problems

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  Unexpected!!!!!! - 2002 Hyundai Elantra
  By Derese30080 - February 3 - 10:00 am

  I was totally shocked! When my wife and I started looking for an inexpensive second vehicle, we never thought that it would be a Hyundai; but the test drive sold us. I had no idea that it even had that much power for a Korean car. The design is just beautiful- updated and sleek- it also has a very nicely balanced sound system that I plan to add a little low-end for my liking. The colors are great to choose from and they even have nice upgrades. Totally satisfied and you will be too.

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  My Moms car - 2002 Hyundai Elantra
  By G man - February 3 - 10:00 am

  We purchased this new 2001 champagne Elantra GLS for my Mother in August of 2001. We purchase package # 3 which includes the moonroof, CD player, cruise and the remote entry. WE LOVE this car!!! I cannot say one negative thing about it. It is fun to drive along with being a great looking car. We paid $14,000.00 and it listed for $15,494.00. The dealership, Twin Tier Hyundai treated us like GOLD!! I currently own a 2000 VW Beetle and 1993 Nissan Maxima. I am seriously considering trading in my 1993 Maxima, with 126,000 miles, on a new Elantra GT!! I RAVE about the Hyundai product to everyone that I know.

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  I cant keep it under 80! - 2005 Hyundai Tiburon
  By Swizo - February 3 - 8:33 am

  This car is way too much fun. The review compares it to an RSX with an inline 4, and I say, how dare you? The V6 is where most of the weight is, and a few minor adjustments will drop the weight by 100 pounds. The clutch is the weakest part of the car for me, it just isnt fast enough, too much travel with factor settings.