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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  Amazing - 2007 Hyundai Veracruz
  By Budman - January 8 - 6:03 pm

  I bought a Sonata in 2003, so I was interested in another Hyundai, but the Santa Fe was a little too small. Imagine my surprise when I saw that Hyundai had come out with the Veracruz. I absolutely love it! I have never had anyone ask me what kind of vehicle I drive before, and Ive had several people ask me about my Veracruz. It drives like a dream, and looks absolutely gorgeous. The stereo is sounds better than I can describe, and Ill definitely be subscribing to XM....Im already addicted. Hyundai youve done it again!

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  My Very FIRST Brand New Car-AWESOME! - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By Jana - January 7 - 1:00 pm

  Ive owned used cars since I turned 16 (Im only 21) but 2 weeks ago I bought my first, brand-spanking new car, the 2009 Sonata. This car is a dream come true. I love the smooth ride, great interior(love the USB hook-up, cd player, and built in XM), nice exterior, and the huge trunk space. I researched cars before buying and came SOOO close to buying a used Honda Accord but I traveled down the road and came upon the Hyuandai car dealership and found my car. I recommend this car to everyone. Even my boyfriend inquired about one (and he has a 2008 Ford Focus!) Lovely car--go get one!

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  Perfect Car! - 2009 Hyundai Elantra
  By Enzo Simoni - January 7 - 4:44 am

  This has been a perfect car. Never been to the mechanics, never left me stranded. Awesome gas mileage, great in the snow. Nothing fancy but has been perfect.

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  Happy owner - 2005 Hyundai TUCSON
  By dickross13 - January 6 - 5:53 pm

  Vehicle fitted with lift for my electric scooter. The performanc has not been hurt with wth the extra weight. The only fault I found is the LCD clock, Totaly unreadable.

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  My Tiburon - 2003 Hyundai Tiburon
  By jolschlager - January 6 - 4:16 pm

  I absolutly love this car. Im very satisfied with Hyundai and everything they have done to make affordable cars. The warranty is outstanding, you cant beat that anywhere. I look forward to purchasing another very soon.

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  More then you would expect - 2002 Hyundai Elantra
  By MarcinZ - January 6 - 10:00 am

  I paid 16500$ for my GT. This is after taxes, fees, etc. I took all the optional equipement and California emmisions. For the price I paid I got more then any other vehicle in the class could offer. GT looks great, is extremly fun to drive, and has great performance. If you are looking for a car that wont drain your wallet and you want to have fun driving it, GT is your best bet. Love the car and would definitely buy it again!

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  very nice ride. - 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Jordan Cruz - January 6 - 10:00 am

  Love the way it handles and the price range of this size suv. Also love the body style.

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  My Santa Fe - 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By nanday - January 6 - 10:00 am

  It looks, drives and feels like a much more expensive SUV. Sound system is great. Nice, roomy cargo space with two ways to load, which I have found very useful. Would buy again.

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  AWESOME! - 2005 Hyundai TUCSON
  By SM - January 6 - 8:53 am

  I absolutely ADORE my Tucson! I bought it in Dec 04, and Im still infatuated with it. When I bought my Elantra the "honeymoon phase" lasted about a month. Hyundai improved their quality and performance by leaps and bounds between 98 (my elantra) and 04 (my Tucson). Ive actually been stopped by several people (at the gas station or parking lot) who were really impressed with it-and shocked to learn its a Hyundai.

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  Great Small Hatchback - 2009 Hyundai Elantra Touring
  By CityDriver - January 5 - 8:53 pm

  Wanted something smaller that my Camry, without giving up comfort or rear seat space. This car has both, along with a big cargo capacity due to hatchback instead of a trunk. Compared to the Toyota Matrix, the Elantra Touring has more standard safety and convenience features, and slightly more space. The 2.0l engine with manual transmission is a great combination - very good acceleration when I need it, but the gas mileage is much better than EPA rating of 26 overall (more like 30 but havent been running the A/C). Havent had it out for a long trip yet, but for commuting and light hauling, this is a great size and a comfortable ride.