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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  Passenger Side Air Bag - 2007 Hyundai Sonata
  By George Reitwiesner - December 19 - 7:26 pm

  My 2007 model has a problem with the passenger side air bag system. My wife who is 57" and 125 lbs does not always activate the system. The car has been back to the dealer who reports that there was not any problems with the syste. I called Hyundai directly and they said that I should bring the car back to dealer. The instruction manual states that the system will activate when the passenger has the seat back in the full upright position, the seat all the back, no leaning on the center consol or arm rest. On one trip she got in the system went on but when she dozed off and her body moved the system was deactivated. I tested out the system with one of the 5ft 2 girls in my office, no luck.

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  Live and Learn - 2001 Hyundai Elantra
  By txgal76 - December 19 - 5:21 pm

  I thought it was a good purchase for the money. They Hyundai has treated me better than my last car (Saturn) but the costs in maintenance and repairs has become too much. I will not purchase a Hyundai again. Too many issues with this car. Spend the extra money and get a higher end vehicle.

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  I love my santa fe - 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By hyundai owner - December 19 - 9:26 am

  I purchased this vehicle and have had it a month. I am very pleased with the gas mileage (around 24-25mpg). This has not been highway driving. I think the interior is well designed and thought out. I love the fold down armrest in the back with cupholders. It is very easy to fold down the seats for carrying bigger items (much easier than the ford escape previously owned). I love the blue lights on the dash and interior. All in all, I am pleased with the vehicle. The warranty certainly adds to the attractiveness. I have owned numerous vehicles that developed issues after the 36,000 or 50,000 mile warranty and the dealer offers free loaner vehicles to boot.

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  best car ever - 2008 Hyundai Sonata
  By great car - December 18 - 9:16 pm

  i did the research and Hyundai has improved in quality and reliabilty every year . Move over Toyota

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  Got a spare Tranny? - 1998 Hyundai Elantra
  By BoyDestructo - December 18 - 1:05 am

  We bought this car used a bit over a year ago with 60K on it. It has proven to be more cheap than inexpensive. Everything about this car feels cheap. Now, with 71K on the odometer its in need of a new transmission. Not inexpensive, definately cheap.

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  Great car overall. - 1997 Hyundai Sonata
  By Ryan - December 17 - 4:52 am

  I really like this car alot. I drove this car for about a week some time ago and when I heard that the car was for sale I immediatly offered to buy it. What really left an impression on me about this car was the power of the engine. It really seems to make the most of its 3.0 V6. Ive driven cars with comparable engines and this one outperforms them by far. The interior is very comfortable and of good quality. Power windows, locks, moon roof, all nice features to have. Overall, its a pretty nice car.

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  Great Car - 2002 Hyundai Elantra
  By James McDonald - December 17 - 2:00 am

  I looked at several other options and for the money this was by far the best deal. I gave it a little going through durring the test drive and found it really quiet and responsive.

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  Great Car! - 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By jersey1445 - December 17 - 2:00 am

  I cant tell you how many times my Santa Fe has been confused for the Lexus RX 350. In fact I work at a Lexus dealership and have driven the RX 350. I would put it in the same comfort and drive-ability category as the Santa Fe.

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  Great Car~Looks and Drives Well - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By Jansel Pujols - December 17 - 2:00 am

  After test driving this car I had to ditch my Honda Accord. This car is great for the bucks I got everything i wanted plus more the design is great, car drives well, good warranty, interior feels of good quality. This car is 100% more appealing then the new accord. I never though a Hyundai would feel this fun to drive.

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  Disappointed with 2011 Sonata GLS - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By VIV 55 - December 17 - 2:00 am

  Car is attractive, spacious and standard bluetooth is appealing. However there is little else to celebrate. Steering is poor: It vibrates on uneven road surface, makes odd sounds on deep turns. Steering feels unstable and unsafe. Engine rattle/vibration when in slow traffic. Low power on inclines; car slides back before going forward.