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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  Excellent Car for the Money - 2002 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By boverman - April 5 - 10:00 am

  Excellent mini-SUV. True to the manufactures description and design. However, power seats added to the already great list of standard would be a big plus. No complaints from this Santa Fe owner on its performance. Good little ride and safe design.

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  Great Car with a MAJOR safety flaw - 2006 Hyundai Azera
  By ricwhite - April 4 - 11:53 am

  I purchased my Azera in mid-March after much research. The Azera is a quality car with features found in cars costing thousands more. However, recently released crash test results put the Azera below most sedans in several safety areas. This is very discouraging -- especially considering all of the saftey hype that surrounded this car. Another disappointment is fuel economy. I average about 20 mpg (70% city 30% highway). The performance is great. Superb ride and feel. Accleration and brakes are excellent. It is a very comfortable car with good handling. The exterior design is not breathtaking, but above average. The build quality appears great. Overall, very impressive.

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  buy used and beat the depreciation - 2013 Hyundai Veloster
  By Tom K - April 2 - 2:30 am

  I bought this 2013 Orange Turbo with 14000 miles on it for less than $15,900. Sticker on it new was $28000+. This car has all the options, moon roof, paddle shifters, etc. It was unusual for the left side tires to be shot, but figured it was a turbo and the previous owner had some fun with it. I am old and should have bought a car that sits a little higher up. Averaging about 26-28 mpg on regular gas. So far so good.

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  Santa Fe - 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By undecydedd - March 31 - 10:00 am

  My husband was broadsided by another SUV that weighed 2000 lbs more than our Santa Fe, that was traveling at about 50 mph. The Santa Fe flipped from the impact, spun 180 degrees and landed on its wheels. My husband walked away from this accident. He had nothing broken, literally not even a scratch. The only injury was the soreness from the airbags and the force of the impact. I would recommend the Santa Fe to anyone based on the fact that my husband is still here with me. I appreciate the fact that Hyundai includes standard side air bags in their vehicles. The quality of the Santa Fe saved a life.

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  3.5 GLS Santa Fe 2004 - 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Ken Bider - March 31 - 10:00 am

  Ive had nothing for the dealer to repair. Im seriously handicaped and I selected the particular car to address my needs - good choice. The initial throttle response is a little touchy. Exellent initial quality. I cant speak to down-the-road quality since Ive only had the car about a month.

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  2001 Hyundai - 2001 Hyundai Tiburon
  By Alanna - March 31 - 3:46 am

  Great car to drive around city and fun summer vehicle. Not good for country night driving on dark country roads. I had alot of fun driving in the warm months but do not like how it handles on ice and in snow. This car has great miles per gallon. I bought this car brand new and thought very reliable until this past year. Transmission went out so it was great to have the 100,000 mile warranty.

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  It is a nice fit - 2006 Hyundai TUCSON
  By maria1997 - March 28 - 6:40 pm

  The Tucson is a nice fit for a small family. Has plenty of leg room, head room and storage for everyone. Performance wise I find that it has been somewhat difficult to start and stay running. It just doesnt want to start some days and acts like its flooded. This is the only problem Ive had. Otherwise it has been great.

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  A Very Nice Well Built Quality Car - 2007 Hyundai Sonata
  By qqrzza - March 28 - 9:13 am

  I surprised myself by considering and later purchasing a new Hyundai Sonata. The surprise continues...this has been a wonderful car. I have had no defects or problems whatsoever. It rides well, looks great, is comfortable, solid, and tight. Gas mileage is about 24, which could be better. Overall, it is a great bargain, and a quality car right up there with Toyota.

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  Great Car/ Crappy Company - 2003 Hyundai Elantra
  By no thanks - March 28 - 2:00 am

  While my Elantra is fun to drive and I enjoy the car, I have had a horrific experience with the company. In fact, my car is a lemon, and even after receiving an agreement that if the car is not fixed after a final attempt, I have been given the runaround. The problem reoccured nearly a month ago, and I have received no response from the company. I will eventually be going to court. If you ever have a problem with the car that reoccurs, be sure to handle it very swiftly and good luck dealing with the jerks at the company hq.

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  Nice Small Car - 2007 Hyundai Accent
  By Army Husband - March 27 - 7:58 pm

  My wife and I are in the Army, and we needed a vehicle that got good gas mileage. Our other vehicle being a Dodge Ram 1500. We got a flyer in the mail advertising the sale at the dealership we go to to get our truck serviced and decided to stop in and check out what they had on the lot for the special sale. We found this on the lot with only 13678 miles on it. I took it for a test drive and liked it. It did not seem to sluggish, it shifts real easily. I travel from Savannah GA to northern MI every 3 to 4 months, it is 1098 miles each way, this it only cost me 70 to make it each way.