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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  exceeded my expectations - 2009 Hyundai Elantra
  By david j. jones - May 5 - 11:36 am

  Drove to southern Indiana from no. Ill. The week of purchase. The car is better than I hoped. Got 34 mpg on the way home. Car is quiet, smooth, and handles well. Was considering a Toyota but I believe I got more bang for my buck on the elantra. Satellite radio is great. We, re taking the elantra to no. Wisc. Next week. Out Camry is staying in the garage. I would recommend this car for anyone on a budget. Djj.

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  Not as solid as I had hoped - 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By al_syracuse1 - May 3 - 5:44 am

  I traded a CR-v for this Sante Fe. The CR-V was much more solid, with absolutely no rattles. From day one, the Sante Fe has had a very annoying rattle in the back end which I cannot locate. Road noise is more noticeable in this vehicle than in others I have owned. I am very disappointed.

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  Hello high maintenence cost! - 2005 Hyundai Accent
  By dj - May 2 - 8:11 pm

  Well, ive had my 2005 accent for just over a year now, and put over 20,000 miles on it. My old Toyota finally took a dump, and I needed a car asap for my pizza delivery job. So I got suckered into this car because it was the only one I could get financed on. It didnt come with a owners manual. Ive had to take it in 3 times already, now they tell me I have to change the crappy timing belt every 6 months at $500 bucks a pop, how can I possibly afford this on a min. Wage job? classic buyers remorse!

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  Good Buy - 2005 Hyundai Elantra
  By Lorenzo - May 2 - 7:06 pm

  Purchased Jan 05. One of the best experiences from dealership. Logged considerable miles on vehicle now. Few complaints. Like the hatchback design, can move alot of odds and ends with little trouble. Getting ready to purchase a 09 model. Solid value. Thank you Hyundai for building a car people can believe in!

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  XG300L...Jurys still out by Kiki - 2001 Hyundai XG300
  By Kiki - April 30 - 12:53 pm

  Have had to return the Dealer numerous times. Not sure how much of the problem is Charlie Thomas or Hyundai. Took a year to get part of the exterior trim replaced. Still cant get them to fix my outside mirrors. The option to have them lower while in reverse does not always work. Sometimes they do not return to the programed position.

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  Champagne taste on a beer budget ! - 2004 Hyundai XG350
  By Joe 6 pack - April 27 - 4:23 am

  Beautiful to look at, a joy to drive. Power is adequate, ride smooth and handling very good for a mid-sized $25- $30k luxury sedan. Excellent brakes and other up to date safety features included in a long standard equipment list. It makes me smile everytime I open the door and see the interior. I keep smiling as I drive it away thinking of the superb car I got for so little money. Has the look and feel of a much more expensive car. Warranty is $1000 better than most factory warranties. The car is a good buy at a $26594 MSRP. Our new 2005 XG350L is absolutely amazing for under $19k + ttl price paid. For that kind of $, its a perfect 10! Drive and compare, youll buy too.

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  Odor in AC - 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Susan - April 22 - 10:46 pm

  I bought a Hyundai Santa Fe from Coconut Creek and complained about the odor in my car. They would not honor my warranty and wanted to charge $140 for repairs. I took it to another dealer and they used disinfectant and the smell came back. Hyundai admits the problem because they changed the ionizer to eliminate bad odors. I wouldnt buy another Hyundai again since they are not standing behind their problem with the AC

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  Eighteen Months Later - 2009 Hyundai Elantra Touring
  By Mister Digger - April 21 - 10:00 am

  At 58,300 miles and 18 months of very reliable ownership, it was time to trade this one in on something bigger and more comfortable. I now have a bone spur on my heel, so this very reliable car suddenly did not meet my needs. I had to trade up to a small crossover SUV, which wound up not being another Hyundai. Like Honda, the Hyundai seats seem to be made for durability rather than comfort. Big people like me may find them a bit uncomfortable. Also, it seems that most other drivers on the road hate the way this car looks, so they are constantly trying to push this underpowered car out the way. It also looked like each driver behind me was sitting in my cargo area. A bit unnerving!

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  2004 Tiburon V6 2-door coupe-Trouble - 2004 Hyundai Tiburon
  By ucppsych - April 20 - 2:50 pm

  I bought this car brand new. Received a lot of compliments. It only has 50,000 miles on it. Prior to this the headlight, lens covers turned a dark yellow. The rubber around all the doors look like its a 3 yr. old car. Ashtray light burned out, check engine light continues to go on and off, side power window wont go up or down, airbag light stays on, rear caliper froze-cost 400.00 to replace. Co2 sensor needed to be replaced..another 400+.The sunroof leaks like a sive into my lap. Coating on the mirrors are peeling off leaving it dull. Cannot repaint because its still peeling. Now its hard to start, then stalls. No one knows why. Loud sound in the front end when you turn the wheel.

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  Beware with Dealers - 2007 Hyundai Sonata
  By Rey - April 19 - 11:46 am

  I have owned two Sonatas, 02 and 07both have given me adecuated performance as I find the quality above normal, however, Even though not all dealers are at fault I have found a couple of dealers in upstate NY to be lacking, know how when it comes to trouble shooting issues with both of my vehicles to the point I dont bring my vehicle to them, only if absolutely necessary. The resale value is pathetic to say the least, even thou dealers wants premium price used. next time a BMW is more apropiated.