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 all of my expectations - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By mchoi - September 19 - 4:26 pm

  Ive had this car for a couple of months now and I love it to bits. When I was making the decision to buy a car, it was between the Accord & the Sonata. I test drove the Sonata first and loved how it felt the moment my foot depressed the accelerator. When I test drove the Accord, I was somewhat disappointed. Granted, the Accord is a very solid, reliable car but that was it (I was also looking at the V4 engine so Im not speaking for the V6). I test drove the Sonata again and fell in love all over again, 198 ponies and all. The GDI is great and makes the driving experience a lot of fun. All in all, very solid, reliable car, fun to drive, looks great, and a great price!

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  Mixed reactions - 2002 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Phil - September 19 - 2:56 pm

  This vehicle drives well. It accelerates well from a stop and has a fair amount of power in its engine. Fuel economy is about 20 MPG in the city and 27 on the highway. The ride is comfortable and reasonably smooth. However, maintenance is difficult for this vehicle. You must remove an intake manifold from the engine in order to change all spark plugs. The front suspension is set up so the ball joints and control arms are held in place against the weight of the car, so that it will collapse if one breaks, we recently found out the hard way. It will cost about $800 to fix this. Reliability and maintenance are sometimes issues for this vehicle.

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  Luv my Hyundai - 2002 Hyundai Elantra
  By TWHMOM - September 19 - 2:13 pm

  I have owned my Hyundai Elantra for two years. I have not had any major mechanical problems. Only oil and tire changes. It has been a joy to own. The projected gas mileage stated on the dealer sticker is accurate. I love my Hyundai and am considering buying another one for my daughter!

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  Day two! - 2006 Hyundai Azera
  By ejg - September 19 - 1:20 pm

  The ride is very smooth and quiet. The engine has good pick-up but is quiet. Front view is open and unobstructed. The interior is very roomy, especially in the back seat. Leather seating is very soft and comfortable compared to other vehicles. The 6-disc stereo system is very nice. The warranty coverage and excellent pricing convinced me to purchase this car. Not to mention the 5 years roadside assistance. A lot of the saftey features in this car that was standard, but optional in other vehicles played a huge role in my decsion to purchase as well. I would highly recommend to anyone whos looking for a car that is comfortabe, stylish and reasonably price to purchase this vehicale.

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  Hyundai Santa Fe STEERING PROBLEMS - 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By hyundaman3 - September 18 - 2:30 pm

  My 2014 Hyundai is a nice vehicle but unsafe when driving on highways due to steering wandering all over the lane I am supposed to be in. It wanders from side to side and the wandering increases as the vehicle increases in speed over 50 MPH. Constant steering corrections have to be made just to keep the vehicle in the lane it is supposed to be in and even then it still wanders back and forth noticeable.

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  not what it appears to be - 2001 Hyundai Tiburon
  By 24k - September 18 - 10:00 am

  Lots off rattles and squeaks. Less comfort than expected. Poor acceleration and poor handling. seems to slide off the road over bumps.

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  Awesome Vehicle - at any price! - 2001 Hyundai XG300
  By myparker - September 18 - 10:00 am

  We went looking for a GM vehicle during the "Keep America Rolling" event last year, but couldnt find any car we liked under $30,000. By mere accident, I went and test drove the XG 300. Immediately, I called my wife and told her I had found THE CAR. At first we werent sure about buying a Hyundai, but we have not regretted it in the least. This car turns heads, is fun to drive, and I believe is the best kept secret around. I get to drive around in a car that rivals a Lexus ES 300 or an Acura TL, but without the huge monthly payment. Do yourself a favor - bypass all the Camrys, Accords, and Altimas, and get into something BETTER, an XG.

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  This is not a Hyndai! - 2003 Hyundai Tiburon
  By Shark - September 18 - 10:00 am

  The car acceleration is terrific. I never spected this much from a Hyundai and the interior is better that the previous Tib. I had a 99 Tib and i can not believe how this car had change in 3 years. Although the car is not perfect, it is better than the Mitsubishi Eclipse and the Tib. quality have improved. But, the best thing is the warranty and the exterior.

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  SWEET CAR - 2003 Hyundai Tiburon
  By CC - September 18 - 10:00 am

  We have owned a SS camaro and SVT Cobrs, OF COURSE it does not have the same power, but is fun to drive. I got mine with leather, v-6, sunroof and saved 6 grand over the same eclipse GT.

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  Best Bang for the Buck in a Midsize - 2002 Hyundai Sonata
  By Sonata - September 18 - 10:00 am

  The whole Hyundai experience from walk- in to drive home was superb at Tom OBrien Hyundai in Danvers. The 2002 Sonata is commonly mistaken for a Jaguar so the new styling is definately a winner. The V6 power is super and the ameneties seem endless. The heat is exceptional and the AC is incredible. I test drove Camry, Galant and Accord. The Accord was great but I couldnt force myslef to go an extra 5 grand for a comparably equipped vehicle.