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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  Surprised - 2002 Hyundai Elantra
  By TISH - December 27 - 10:00 am

  I just love driving this car! 9000 miles in 4 mo. The 5 speed has quick pick-up and we just purchased a 2nd Hyundai yesterday! Wish I had this kind of quick set-up when I drove in road rallyes!

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  02 Elantra makes the grade - 2002 Hyundai Elantra
  By nick - December 27 - 10:00 am

  I had a wonderful buying experience at Mirak, the only dealership in the area that took me seriously and would negotiate on the price. The cars engine sounds better and better as the miles add up. The headlines rattles slightly but other than that there are no problems with my new car. Power is acceptable and one can easily push the engine towards the red line to get that added boost if needed.

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  02 Elantra makes the grade - 2002 Hyundai Elantra
  By Nick - December 27 - 10:00 am

  I had a wonderful buying experience at Mirak, the only dealership in the area that took me seriously and would negotiate on the price. The cars engine sounds better and better as the miles add up. The headlines rattles slightly but other than that there are no problems with my new car. Power is acceptable and one can easily push the engine towards the red line to get that added boost if needed.

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  very happy - 2002 Hyundai Sonata
  By carhappy - December 27 - 10:00 am

  i recently purchased my sonata, i love the car. i have owned a for taurus and liked the car but it was to long. this car is a great size nice interior looks very classy. you get a lot for your money.

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  I never thought... - 2009 Hyundai Genesis
  By Woodsfortysix - December 26 - 6:03 pm

  Having driven 3 BMWs, an Infinity, and an Acura RL, I never thought I would own a Hyundai. Now I have two - a Genesis 4.6 and a Veracurz Limited. They obviously are doing something right. I tend to look at my new cars very closely - the only issue I could fine with this vehicle was that one tire was 1 pound under inflated. I think I can live with that.

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  Entourage review - 2007 Hyundai Entourage
  By Young - December 25 - 1:50 pm

  Well built and well designed vehicle

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  Great Car! - 2010 Hyundai Genesis
  By Genesis Luver - December 24 - 9:51 pm

  Excellent quality. Very smooth ride. Quiet. Very responsive engine and transmission. Excellent braking. Handles very well. Needs better OEM tires. Tires tend to develop flat spot when car sits up for a while. Smooths out after driving several miles. Needs cooled passenger seat, power folding exterior mirrors, possibly heated rear seats. Overall not bad at all. Cant be beat for the price and quality.

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  Forget The GPS - 2009 Hyundai Genesis
  By NPG - December 24 - 11:47 am

  Great fuel economy. Easy to drive both city and highway. Sound system good. Proximity warning very helpful. Would buy another one but without GPS. GPS TERRIBLE ! Hand held units much better. Not enough words to describe how bad the system is. Dont get that accessory, buy a hand held.

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  Elantra GT - 2004 Hyundai Elantra
  By bonniehyundai - December 24 - 10:00 am

  The longer Ive had the GT, the better I like it. I get average mileage around town, but I get 42 on the freeway!

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  real nice car for price - 2004 Hyundai Elantra
  By Billyts - December 24 - 10:00 am

  This is a real nice car.You get all the extras that you dont get with other small cars in the same price range.The warrenty is the best around.The car is also very roomy inside.The engine has nice little pep for a 2 liter it moves real quick on the highway.