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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  Much better than expected - 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By panophotog - October 10 - 2:53 pm

  Never thought Id buy a Hyundai (after many Toyotas, Hondas and recently Subarus), but the 2008 Santa Fe Ltd. had all the features, mpg, comfort and room I was looking for. Im getting 22 mpg average, and everything is rock solid after 3k miles. This car is *quiet* inside, and everything feels well thought out and well put together. The Ltd. has a great stereo, quality leather, all the options, and looks and feels like a Lexus EX. The CR-V and RAV4 are nice, but smaller and less comfortable - and they cut corners and it feels like it. The Santa Fe is less $, but nowhere does it feel cheap, and I continue to find things that make me say "hey, thats nice they thought of that."

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  Better than most - 2001 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By superz3161981 - October 10 - 3:43 am

  2003 Ford F250, 1999 Subaru, 1995 Isuzu, 1995 Honda, 2001 Honda, 2004 Honda, I can go on and on about cars and trucks Ive owned. This Hyundai however has to be the best vehicle that I have ever owned. I would recommend this SUV to anyone who has a small (2,3,4) size family. Its good in and around the city and even when we take a trip from Daytona to Washington DC. Personally, Ive told my wife that I want a newer model 08,09,10,11,12,ect. I know this is the 1st so there are some minor flaws.

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  Junk - 2001 Hyundai Accent
  By Laura - October 10 - 2:49 am

  This car is junk. If you want a car that crumbles like a ball in a minor collision from a company that does not back they warrenty (especially on paint) than this is the car for you. If you would like something that will hold up in accidents from a company that backs their merchandise, I suggest you RUN far, FAR away from this companys and any of their cars. If you do chose this car, good luck to you, I suggest you invest a helmet and a great insurance company.

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  what a ride - 2008 Hyundai Elantra
  By ken - October 10 - 2:33 am

  all the car you need in todays crowded world. comfortable gas easy loaded features and safe.

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  35 MPG is awesome! - 2002 Hyundai Accent
  By Wa - October 9 - 2:09 pm

  This car is awesome! It was at fiore VW for $5000 with 50000 miles and it is a 2002.It gets 35 MPG on the highway.

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  Great car - 1999 Hyundai Sonata
  By Scott - October 9 - 1:01 pm

  Ive had this car for 5 years now (>120k miles) and other than a wheel bearing replacement, have had no significant problems. The car is comfortable and most importantly, reliable.

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  Best Affordable SUV - 2005 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Karakas - October 8 - 10:10 pm

  I got my Santa Fe in January 06, and have been driving it since then. It is free of maintenance and very comfortable SUV. I got aaround 19-20 MPG in city driving. It is probably the best SUV you can get wity your money. It has 4 disc ABS, 6 airbags, tiptronic transmission as standard options. I got mine for 21k $ and also included 6 disc CD changer. It is a very comfortable SUV and handles much better than most of the SUVs (wider). The back is very roomy as well compae to Jeep Liberty and any ofthe SUVS at its class. If you are looking for a non-expensive 4WD, Santa Fe is definitely the best you can buy.

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  Im 74 and wanted an a/t - 2003 Hyundai Sonata
  By darken - October 8 - 10:00 am

  Very pleased with the dealer. It is an eyestopper that everyone seems to like. Tight until broken in, but releases as it acquires mileage. I have just 5000 on it so far and am well pleased. Mine is grey, a color that appeals to many. I find the suspension a bit hard, four wheel independent, and the webbing on the steering wheel bothersome. I think I will get a pair of Isotoners for driving for comfort and a bit of class.

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  Sonata Magic - 2003 Hyundai Sonata
  By C.J.Pampalone - October 8 - 10:00 am

  So far I have owned this car for one month and I truly enjoy the feel and excitment of driving this vehicle. I really enjoy the fact and comfort of having the 10 years or 100,000 mile warranty that comes with the Hyundai product.

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  Great design, great ride. - 2003 Hyundai XG350
  By David L. Cattanach - October 8 - 10:00 am

  Ive owned only American built cars for fifty years, and the fully equipped Hyundai XG350L is a pleasant discovery for me. It gives me the same ride and comfort as my earlier Buicks, Pontiacs, and Chevrolets for considerably less money, and it has great styling and appearance. The large volume dealer sells more Hyundais than any of five General Motors products, yet of 16 mechanics only 2 are assigned to Hyundai repairs. That should tell us something about Hyundai reliability.