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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  ME AND MY HATCH - 2004 Hyundai Elantra
  By BELA04GT - January 11 - 2:00 am

  The 04 gt hatch has been a pleasure the day we met. yes, the elantra only gained a mir 3 hp in a year(138) but it is note worthy. the variable valve timing now on the 2.o dohc does add a boost otherwise noted on this site (135hp). the suspension can handle those turns and downshifting can get you that extra boost without worrying about you dropping something on the interstate. the kenwood cd/mp3 BUMPS indeed. the leather is nice.. the whole interior is nice. i fit a 27 inch tv box and all in the cargo.overall this car is crazy nice i assure anyone with doubts that even test driving this car will change your mind. mods a must

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  Sonta LX - 2004 Hyundai Sonata
  By Vena - January 11 - 2:00 am

  I love this car!!I looked at every car available in this price range before buying. I must say for the money you cant get a more luxurious car. Mine is fully loaded with leather, sunroof, etc. In fact it has every option available on this model and I got all of it for under 21,000. The ride is exceptional and very comfortable. You would never know you were riding in a car that sold for under 25,000.

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  Greatest Christmas Present - 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Crcow - January 11 - 2:00 am

  The power and ride of the Santa Fe GLS with the larger 3.5L engine is fantastic. There is no hesitation at all. I averaged about 20 mpg on my first tank with a combination of city & highway driving. This is slightly better than I had expected for such a large engine.

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  Great car for the money - 2005 Hyundai Tiburon
  By JEFF - January 10 - 3:06 pm

  At first I had serious doubts about buying a hyundai, but the tiburon GTV6 seriously changed my mind. The power is satisfying for the daily driver. The styling, both interior and exterior, is awesome. You cant find a better warranty anywhere. And you cant beat the price. Its a lot of car for the money. You just cant go wrong with this car.

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  Wow, excellent car! - 2005 Hyundai Elantra
  By Christopher McAllist - January 10 - 10:06 am

  You cant beat the quality for the unbelievably low price. Leather interior for under 20k is unheard of! Awesome fuel economy; again you will never beat the quality of this car for the price you pay.

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  What is there not to like? - 2000 Hyundai Elantra
  By mike332 - January 10 - 10:00 am

  Almost 2yrs,15,000miles of trouble free,enjoyable driving, I love it.

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  best buy - 2002 Hyundai Sonata
  By youthpastor - January 10 - 10:00 am

  I bought my GLS 2002 in November I drive 100 miles a day and has absolutely no problems. The car performs better as it ages.

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  All my friends say "WOW" - 2007 Hyundai Azera
  By Tommy - January 10 - 8:56 am

  I get questions every day about this car! People cant accept the fact that Hyundai made a beautiful car. From the Luxury features: Rain Sensing wipes, power folding mirrors, power adjustable foot pedals, 10 speaker system, Memory seats. To the Safety features: Electronic Stability Control with Traction Control System and Anti-lock Braking System and also loaded with airbags. 2 front airbags, 2 front side airbags, 2 roof airbags, 2 rear side airbags. 8 Airbags is impressive. It also comes with a nice 3.8 L V6. The exterior is also sweet, the L.E.D tail lights look really nice at night and ver y bright. If you want a car that will turn heads, impress your friends. Buy the Hyundai Azera.

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  I Love My Sonata - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By Michelle - January 10 - 4:16 am

  My 2006 Sonata is everything that I had hoped for (except only getting 17 mpg). It is a great family car. Lots of room. Huge trunk. Remote keyless entry makes it so much easier. Built in security system. Great sound system. All of this and I am riding in style.

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  2016 Tucson Limited w/ ultimate package - 2016 Hyundai TUCSON
  By douglas rando - January 9 - 12:15 am

  This is my second Hyundai I sold my 2008 Santa Fe because I wanted all the toys This cat has it all and then some. This review is for the top of the line Limited with the Ultimate Package. Love the 7 speed dual clutch transmission. The engine has great acceleration in sport mode. Sound great too. Huge Panoramic Roof.