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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  I like it - 2001 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By michel/Rockland - June 10 - 10:00 am

  Purchased for space and towing. I like it so much I will be purchasing an other in the near future. I purchased it 3 years ago.

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  problem with the paint - 2004 Hyundai Tiburon
  By Nancyowner - June 10 - 10:00 am

  Loved my new tiburon when I first got it 3 month ago. But now I have only 2000 miles on it and had bird droppings on the car for 2 days. Ate the paint off the car was told this is not covered under the warranty as an act of god. I was told by they dealer and from the Hyundia national service number they cant do anything for me because it is an act of god that a bird left its dropping on my car. What isnt an act of god. If this way about paint warranty how are they going to stand behind the power train warranty. I have owned 3 new car before this one and have never had this problem. And I have never been treated so rudely as I was by this dealer.

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  Excellent car for the money - 2003 Hyundai Tiburon
  By Anido - June 10 - 10:00 am

  I looked at everything in this segment, drove them all, and no other car came close to the quality of this car. The others (sentra, lancer, carolla, civic) just felt cheap inside. This car has a fit and finish that the others cant touch. I have not had a single problem with my car since I bought it a year ago. I drive it every day, and have put 20,000 miles on it, and it still runs like new.

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  So far so great - 2000 Hyundai Elantra
  By shimh - June 10 - 9:46 am

  Some problems in minor things. Handle is kind of shaky when driving.

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  No regrets, this is a keeper - 2010 Hyundai Sonata
  By Al - June 10 - 9:25 am

  This is not a luxury car, but it is a great highway cruiser and very easy on gas. Power drivers seat is very comfortable for long distance driving.

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  Wonderful Hybrid Vehicle Without The Compromises - 2016 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid
  By Hyundai Fan - June 9 - 5:05 pm

  I considered a first generation Sonata hybrid a few years ago, and Im glad I waited. This is a great car that is leaps and bounds better than the previous model. The trunk space is improved, and the mileage is dramatically better. Great commuter sedan with 43 MPG overall so far. Love the heated and ventilated leather seats, and my kids also get heaters in the back seating as well with plenty of leg room. My wife appreciates the safety features and the lane/collision avoidance warnings, as well as the overall range well in excess of 600 miles. This is my 4th Sonata, and these cars just keep improving with each iteration. Purchased the limited without the ultimate package because I really have no use for a sunroof or built-in navigation. Only downside to this compromise is that the primary display is smaller than it should be, and sound system is just average. Great car, and even better with over 20% off MSRP!

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  Great Mid-Size SUV - 2005 Hyundai TUCSON
  By Sally - June 8 - 2:03 am

  I purchased this car on an impulse while I had my 2001 Santa Fe in the dealership having foglights installed on it. While I was waiting, I took a Tucson for a test drive and fell in love with it. Even though I loved my Santa Fe, I obviously like the Tucson even better. I have nearly 2000 miles on it now and Im pleased with everything about it. It drives like a dream, is very comfortable, and has all the features I like. Id heartily recommend this car to anyone looking for a smaller SUV.

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  Fantastic Car! - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By Rachel - June 6 - 9:40 pm

  It is so fun to drive, I love this car. I cant believe I got so many great features (ipod jack, XM, bluetooth, leather, etc.) for such a comparatively low price. My previous car was a 2002 Camry XLE and 8 years ago I paid $7000 more for that car than I just did for my new Sonata. The gas mileage is outstanding. In mixed highway and city driving Im averaging between 30 and 32.5 mpg. Plus this is a slick looking car. My friends all love it. I have seen people stop and stare at it; it must be those fabulous 18 inch wheels!

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  Great ride for the road warrior - 2009 Hyundai Genesis
  By Chitown Sales Guy - June 6 - 7:10 pm

  I was looking at Maxima and CTS and heard about the Genesis---took a look, a drive and was sold. Throttle is a bit sluggy off the line, but punch it a little and she zooms up to speed with very smooth shifting and great tracking- sound system is superior, hand free phone at HWY speed sounds great to callers, this is a great car and a great value- time will tell if the abundance of plastic parts will hold up and I noticed that the rear wheel wells are lined with some type of fibrous cladding- hope it holds up well to Chicago winter- all in all, this has been a joy to drive, and I am constantly getting the thumbs up from other drivers- this car is becoming the hot ride of the season.

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  BEST ECONOMY CAR - HANDS DOWN!! - 2003 Hyundai Elantra
  By yuphrane - June 6 - 2:00 am

  Hyundai is a very reliable brand, and the Elantra is a dream to drive, especially for those who cannot afford to purchase outside the compact class. Rides smooth as silk, and carries a 5- star safety rating. Theres nothing you wont like about this car, and the purchasing deals and finance rates right now are out of this world!