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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  our third hyundai - 2010 Hyundai Sonata
  By fishcop - February 6 - 9:36 pm

  After looking at the accord and Camry we again bought a Hyundai. this our third hyundai and as a someone with a family who is middle class I really cant see buying anything else. This car is fully loaded with navigation, voice command, sunroof, xm stereo, etc. A comparably equipped toyota or honda was priced over 5k more. After two weeks we have been very pleased!!

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  Nice Car - 2007 Hyundai Veracruz
  By P. Proctor - February 6 - 8:00 pm

  Pros: Very roomy, every option but NAV Cons: Powerful, but moderate gas mileage. Drives very well, good pickup, stopping, turning radius is better than our Sienna. Neighbors all flocked over to see it. The Khkai color is very very nice Car has developed wind noise insid ethe cabin at highway speeds, loud enough to be annoying

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  Great Car - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By Scott - February 4 - 3:06 pm

  After much research, this is by far the best car in its class for value, quality, warranty, and standard features. The ride is excellent, tight road hugging suspension and great handling. The 2.4L engine is surprisingly strong and much easier on gas than the V6. Interior is quiet, very pleasing to the eye. All electronics are well placed and easy to see. Leather seats are very comfortable. Exterior has great lines with chrome accents and the cocoa metallic finish is beautiful in the sunlight. The 17" wheels and low profile tires are a great accent. Trunk space is huge and rear seats fold down with access to the trunk. Nice headroom in rear. Great savings with CARS and rebates

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  Drive them all and compare! - 2007 Hyundai Veracruz
  By gogo - January 31 - 9:00 pm

  Just passed 2000 miles, and all has been super smooth sailing with this vehicle. I am still excited every time I drive it. I have yet to hear a squeal or rattle and I have very sensitive ears. Its like the outside world disappears. I dont have a top of the line model, but this car has an amazing list of standard items.I was actually considering the Santa Fe, but the 3rd row in that model was my only issue. I dont think I could buy more car elsewhere.3rd row is very usable and everything is laid out conveniently. Turn radius is better than all others I tested. No cheap plastic here. Others I drove were Pilot, Highlander,Vue,Outlook,Santa Fe,Rav4,CRV,Sorento,CX6,for 24k$ I feel this is the best

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  Very pleased - 2000 Hyundai Sonata
  By Wisconsin driver - January 31 - 4:54 pm

  My wife and I have owned our GLS for 2 years now. We have had absolutely no problems. We are very pleased, to say the least. We were looking at the Camry and Accord, but opted for the Sonata. We could not be happier.

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  Impressive price and value - 2005 Hyundai Elantra
  By Henry Semple - January 31 - 6:56 am

  I bought this car several weeks ago and have been driving it in a variety of different ways. I commute 25 miles each way on the highway for work and live in a densely populated city. The GT versions suspension and interior touches make longer highway drives pleasent and comftorble. In the city it handles well also but MPG suffers and becomes very average for its class. Also the visibility in the rear of the hatchback version is not as good as other hatchbacks I have driven. The engine is quick to respond from a stop but it seems you really have to lead foot it to get brisk accelleration at moderate speeds. Chose auto over manual after not liking the shift range and clutch.

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  great value - 2002 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By john pinta - January 29 - 10:00 am

  as a BMW salesman for many years I wanted a good deal for my hard earned money, this Santa Fe delivered above my wildest dreams. A great value.

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  Almost too good to be true - 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Leo Nolet - January 29 - 10:00 am

  The 3.5 Liter engine makes ALL the difference in the world. Pick-up is SENSATIONAL-better than w/other vehicles w/larger engines!Interior is well thought out w/large storage areas and well placed guages. I wish it had automatic lights and power seats to complete this as my dream vehicle. I would re-buy this model in a heart- beat!

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  Hyundai? yes it is - 2003 Hyundai Elantra
  By couchy - January 29 - 10:00 am

  this is a good car and hyundai become more and more great

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  Awesome Car - 2008 Hyundai Tiburon
  By Nicole - January 28 - 11:16 pm

  I have had this car just about a month now and have put 400 miles on it. The ride is great and the gas mileage is very good - about 23 mpg