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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  Great Car In Its Class - 2005 Hyundai Elantra
  By Chris P. - September 29 - 6:50 am

  Very enjoyable to drive. Quiet interior, comfortable seats, dash has a nice layout. Seems to be built very solid. The children say its much more comfortable in the rear seat than our 95 Dodge Neon. Let me get overly critical. The brakes are soft but stop well. Handling is good but it has more body lean than the old Neon. Getting the SULEV in the automatic robs you of 6 horsepower (I live in CA, dont know if you can get the automatic here without it being SULEV). We would purchase it over all the competition again, highly recommended.

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  great suv - 2005 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By chip - September 28 - 8:26 am

  This is a pretty good vehicle,we been avg.20 to 22 mph in city, it will proberly be more when the engine is broken in. Havent had it on the rode yet but I assume it will be better than the city. The santa fe is a great addition to our family. Hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

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  Sonata Limited 2.0 Turbo Review - 2015 Hyundai Sonata
  By blueboy48 - September 28 - 7:13 am

  Before purchasing the Sonata I completed much research and drives on cars to include: MB C300, BMW 328i, Ford Fusion Titanium, Volvo S60, & Toyota Avalon. Having driven mostly European cars for the past 30 years I wanted to try something different. Areas considered; reliability, technology, warranty & fun to drive. After 8000 miles; 0 problems, no squeaks or rattles. MPG so far: City/22.5, Highway/32.5, combined/28. The Lotus engineers working on the Genesis suspension must have helped with the Sonata, doesnt drive like a FWD. The difference between this near luxury car and the luxury (premium brands) is the extra $10K to $15K U would have to pay. Makes absolutely no economic sense.

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  A foreign car that does not stink!! - 2003 Hyundai Elantra
  By Buster Brown - September 28 - 1:19 am

  I bought this car because it was the nicest cheapest thing I could afford. So far it has been both nice and cheap. The paint scratches and chips easily and a new ashtray costs $90! Runs well...very reliable...no problems. I pile miles on my car... on beat on it vicously delivering pizzas! 60000 miles in 2 years. Great commuter car. affordable. No major mechanical problems...if regularly maintained. Great Car Great Price! Buy One! While you are at it buy me a new one!

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  Bang for the Buck - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By Steve C. - September 27 - 9:00 pm

  I have had it only a short time, but so far its what i expected. Smooth ride except a bit hard over rough road surfaces. Exceptional looking exterior..especially the alloy wheels and chrome accent molding/door handles. Roomy cabin interior, comfortable seats, smooth-shifting Auto transmission.

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  Great Car at a Great Price - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By Mark - September 27 - 5:16 pm

  Purchased one in Slate Blue in Nov 2008 after driving the Altima, Accord, and Camry. Recommend the Popular Equipment Package, as it is worth the extra money. 4-cyl power is more than adequate; achieved 38 MPG at 60 MPH on a freeway road trip. Received many compliments on the exterior color. Interior is quiet and stereo is great w/ USB feature and XM Radio. Highly recommend this car so far, as you get a lot of features for the price.

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  Hyundai Entourage Limited - 2007 Hyundai Entourage
  By Debbie - September 27 - 4:50 pm

  Excellent minivan,comfortable very pleased with purchase. Limited edition allows for all the amenities at a much better price than competitors. I would recommend to everyone!

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  Great Commuter Car - 2003 Hyundai Accent
  By skierx420 - September 26 - 8:15 pm

  My wife and I purchased a 2003 Hyundai Accent base 2 dr. This car is a stripper. It was exactly what we wanted. 2 dr 5 speed. It has a radio and AC. Thats it. This car gets excellent fuel economy. We drive in rual Iowa. This car does well in the snow. We average over 20k miles a year because of our 50+ mile commute. The thing that this car lacks is power at low rpms. Rev it up and it has lots of pep. Hyundai makes use of all the available space and can seat 4 adults in reasonable comfort. The 5 speed makes this car a fun drive. This is my first foreign car and I am impressed with the build quality and the ease of maintaining it. My other car is a full size 89 Dodge RamCharger 4x4.

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  Very fun car - 2004 Hyundai Tiburon
  By NPD420 - September 26 - 10:00 am

  The only problem Ive noticed is the lack of leg room in the back seats. Although this doesnt really bother me because Id rather not lug people around.. and Im never gonna be back there anyway.

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  I Love my car - 2004 Hyundai Tiburon
  By Marlene - September 26 - 10:00 am

  its been the funnest auto I have ever bought. looks Great, feels great and everyone looks to see what she is :)