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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  I love my Hyundai - 2001 Hyundai Accent
  By kaybeggz - November 28 - 9:54 pm

  This car has taken me on many a cross- country road trip and has never steered me wrong. I have had only minor repairs in the four years of ownership. It is the first car I have ever owned, and the car that I learned how to drive on. I love the way it drives, it is the perfect size to drive. It fits into almost any parking space. All of my friends love it. Its really the perfect car, I couldnt ask for anything more.

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  2007 Santa Fe - 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By splinter - November 28 - 9:50 pm

  I enjoy my 2007 Santa Fe alot better than my 2003 Jeep Liberty. The design of all the interior storage was a huge selling point for me. I also like the look of the interior, it is so much nicer than the Liberty. I agree with one of the other people about some more goodies being added to this model.

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  Better than expected - 2002 Hyundai Sonata
  By Cheeshead - November 28 - 7:15 pm

  Bought car with 57K & 16mos later have 84K. Great car. Smoother ride than our Windstar. In fact wife will take the Sonata over the Windstar often. Two dealers in my area wonderful. Even matched price of local garage to keep my business. Only major problem was a missfiring cylinder. After paying $400+ to get spark plugs, engine flush etc done, went back in a week and they had to replace the oxygen sensor. Other than that, it does pull to the left and after alignment steering wheel shakes. also, water in the taillamp...$220+ to fix/replace. Those probs aside, it really has been a great car. Would totally buy another one. 1800+ miles/month got me 25mpg. City has been 22mpg.

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  Excellent commuter vehicle - 2002 Hyundai Elantra
  By WV Owner - November 28 - 6:33 pm

  Great for driving to work 60 miles a day. Looked at buying used but price with warranty buying it new was better deal. Did have throttle position sensor go out - driveable home and parked it. Called 800 road side service number, tow truck at house within the hour and towed 56 miles to dealership at no cost and repaired at no cost. Manifold cracked in 8/05 - already under recall notice so replaced at no charge. Good gas mileage, dependable, stand behind warranty. Best deal for work miles and just day-to-day running around. If you want to spend your money on a fashion statement find something else. If you want transporation this cant be beat.

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  not for the long haul - 2005 Hyundai Elantra
  By P.G - November 28 - 5:52 pm

  Great little commuter car, 32 mpg, not a car for long trips. Seats poor quality, even in the "upscale" GT model. The car has been reliable with 32K in under 10 months.

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  Great Hyundai - 2003 Hyundai Elantra
  By Gail - November 28 - 12:38 pm

  This is a fantastic car. The price was very affordable. It handles great, is very responsive. You could be traveling 90 mph and not even realize it. I have the ticket to prove it! I just love the way this car looks sporty but is roomy inside. The only complaints that I have is that I feel the paint job allows dings easily. I also have a weather strip problem on the drivers side door, it keeps wearing out for some reason. I have a good warranty on the car so it gets replaced for free. Any other minor problems were promptly and satisfactorily repaired under warranty.

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  2004 Hyundai XG350L - 2004 Hyundai XG350
  By dochyundai - November 28 - 10:00 am

  This is my second Hyundai, my first was an 01 Hyundai XG300 that had 103,000 miles on it. My 04 Hyundai XG350L has 15,000 on it already since June of this year and absolutly no trouble so far. No mechanical trouble, no cosmetic trouble, only just routine oil changes and tire rotations. The car is quick to accelorate to get out into traffic. It has a smooth and comfortable ride comporable to some high-end luxury cars I have been in. When I trade this one in @ 100,000 miles Ill buy another Hyundai XG model.

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  Upgraded Accent - 2005 Hyundai Elantra
  By gadgetmgs - November 27 - 11:30 pm

  This Hyundai is our second. First was a 2000 Accent and find this one much improved. 10/10 is unbeatable and Hyundai took excellant care to meet my needs on the 2000 Accent when things went bad.

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  Nice Ride! - 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT
  By antoniog71 - November 26 - 1:54 pm

  This car is simply awesome. Looks very small, but it is VERY comfortable, even for big people like me and my family. It rides super slick and it looks nice as well. The interior is nice, very nice. This car is perfect for any 4 people, can fit 5, but looks like it will not be comfortable. Besides it being a GT, it is a good purchase for my family. It will be used to take us anywhere, and the mileage on this car is sweet. Nice Ride! You cant go wrong with this car.

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  Nice price for a good competitor - 2005 Hyundai Tiburon
  By BigDave - November 26 - 12:33 pm

  The tiburon has sufficient power to put you back in your seat. The shifter feels loose even while in gear. The car has problems taking off when the rpms are higher than 3000. The clutch is grossly inadequent if you plan on taking to the races. The car comes alive with a few small engine mods. This car has tons of features for the price and will beat alot of the competitors in this class. The ride on the highway is remarkably smooth for this type of sport compact car. There are 2 seats in the back of the car, but are not comfortable for a person taller than 55".