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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  Great Car for the Money - 2003 Hyundai Elantra
  By luvla - October 30 - 10:00 am

  Just passed 3000 miles with no problems.

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  Overall pretty good. - 2016 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid
  By Jorge Cartman - October 29 - 11:52 pm

  Ive gotten over 60mpg on warm days when going no more than 5 over the limit (around 40mpg when its freezing). Ive had one issue with this car though, but that may be because I bought it uses, and it was rear ended before I bought it. The issue is that the hybrid system component sent me a warning indicator, and as I type this, its at the dealership being looked at. They say it could be a hybrid coolant pump leak, but arent sure. I dont know whether it was caused by the accident or if its defective. I havent had this car a month yet.

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  This SUV is a "Keeper" for sure! - 2016 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Doug Brown - October 28 - 7:43 pm

  This is a good looking, roomy, well appointed SUV with plenty of room for "cargo" and passengers. The two front seats are extremely comfortable...the back seats are nice and roomy but not as plush as the front seats (fold down seats never are no matter what you buy) and the third row is fine for a couple or 3 kids..adults should drive a second car if it comes down to it. I LOVE the car...its got 290 HP with the 6 cylinder..runs smooth and strong...power to spare if you need it. My grandson is a baseball catcher and we go to Travel Ball tournaments all over the place and have enough space in the back for his humongous catchers bag, a cooler, folding chairs, a tent, and luggage for 4 on overnight trips. Ive got 28,000 miles on it with NO problems...tires are 19 inch and wearing very well. Smooth ride, easy to enter and exit even at age 70... and I plan to keep this one!

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  Definitely worth checking out... - 2007 Hyundai Entourage
  By miami_mom - October 27 - 11:50 am

  Absolutely LOVE this van. I really was only considering an Oddysey or a Sienna and after reading several reviews on this minivan, we had to go and test drive one before spending much more on one of the "others". We drove it right off the showroom floor. First and foremost, the safety factor was far better than anything we had seen. We even went the starter model because it was so well equipped. My husband could not be happier with this purchase since it has the auto- manual transmission and he can "pretend" to race. :) I highly recommend this vehicle to anyone considering a minivan purchase. Honda and Toyota better watch out because Hyundai is proving to be a winner!

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  Great Buy Overall - 2007 Hyundai TUCSON
  By RowdyTex - October 27 - 5:06 am

  I have had my Tucson for only a week and I have to say I am loving it. The drive is rather quite and smooth. The safety features are outstanding and one of the main reasons I purchased this vehicle. The air conditioner is excellent and in Galveston, Texas this is needed due to the heat and humidity. The only complaint I have is the gas mileage. My first tank of gas was averaged out at 17 mpg. This is mostly city. I am hopeful it will improve a little with time. The space for cargo is excellent and just with a base model I couldnt be happier with the comfort. My passengers love the reclining back seats. And the roominess is great. It looks bigger on the inside than it is.

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  Love the Santa Fe - 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By powerman5 - October 27 - 2:46 am

  Have had the Santa Fe for about a month. Love the way it drives. Wish my wife would let me drive it more often.

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  Love this car - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By UNCLEMILT - October 26 - 1:43 pm

  Ive owned this car for exactly one year and have put 20000 miles on it. It is one of the most comfortable cars I have owned. I can drive for six hours and not experience any aches or pains. The car is solid. The only negative is the milage but then again I have a heavy foot. I average 28 mpg on the road and 21 in local driving. My dealer service has been wonderfull. I highly recommend this car. For price/performance, you cant beat it.

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  Ecstatic with my Tucson - 2010 Hyundai TUCSON
  By The Scoot - October 26 - 12:23 pm

  After much on-line research at Edmunds.com I decided that the Hyundai Tucson is the best SUV for the money. Have had my Tucson for a little over a month and I have not been disappointed. This SUV drives well and handles well. The four cylinder supplies more than enough power. Gas mileage is quite impressive for an AWD vehicle. Hyundai did almost everything right with the Tucson!

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  2004 Elantra - 2004 Hyundai Elantra
  By Hyundai Owner - October 24 - 10:00 am

  This car is AWSOME!!! Hyundai did a great job redoing the car and the standard features are a big improvement.

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  Great Value for your dollars - 2004 Hyundai Sonata
  By J Date - October 24 - 10:00 am

  best Value ever for my $