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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  Hyundai quality - 2010 Hyundai Sonata
  By Hector - October 1 - 11:46 am

  I like the quality expressed in the "feel" of the car. The SE 6 cylinder engine is very responsive. The transmission is fun specially with the manual feature. The radio sounds excellent. The seats are comfortable. This is a good quality car, solid.

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  2008 Tiburon - 2008 Hyundai Tiburon
  By Omar - October 1 - 11:06 am

  The 08 Tiburon really caught my eye. This was not the Tiburon of yesteryear. It fills the void of an econo sportscar very well. People have asked me what kind of car is it and they are surprised to find out it is a Hyundai. I have an Elantra, which I am pleased with, and had high expectations for the Tiburon. It is what I expected it to be and have been quite satisfied so far. My buddy has a 3-series Bimmer and I cant help rub it in that my car is less than half the cost of his car and looks just as good!

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  A Great Value - a Great Vehicle - 2002 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Golfadk77 - October 1 - 10:00 am

  I cant see why one would buy any other mid size SUV. With the tremendous warranty, its a great deal on a good car. The only downside was that we got one with a four which is does not give adequate pick up power, especially when the Air is on.

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  What are you waiting for..... - 2004 Hyundai Tiburon
  By tex267 - October 1 - 10:00 am

  What are you waiting for buy it now this car is an amazing value it eats fuel but thats the price you pay for the power plus im sure if you drove it....slow it wouldnt the 04 style is right on wish they hadnt changed it for 05 you will find yourself standing staring at this car it looks so sleek and the warrenty is unbeatable

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  Sweet Ride - 2003 Hyundai Tiburon
  By ridemyshark - October 1 - 10:00 am

  The 2003 GT V6 Tibby is a fun ride, I have one 6spd manual. The car is quick off the line and top speed is so crazy. The car is great through traffic, and you will catch everyones eye, Ive had mine for a little under 2 years and people still look at me when i drive by and Ive been stopped by a cop before just to say that my car is nice.

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  Best Sports Car Value Going! - 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe
  By R Plaskett - September 29 - 10:16 am

  I am the proud owner of the first Genesis Coupe in Montgomery, and can honestly say its my all-time favorite car for many reasons. I wasnt even shopping for a car for myself, but was asked to sit in the new coupe at the dealer. When I did, I was absolutely impressed by the total interior environment and had to drive it. A mile later I had to own it, and eight months later have been completely happy with its nimble handling, its impressive acceleration at any speed, and its brilliant automatic transmission that knows exactly what gear I want it to be in at all times! Great around town and on road trips! Oh, did I mention its ability to turn heads? I love it!

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  Love it so far--you need one - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By joefech - September 28 - 6:10 am

  I never thought I would have a Hyundai sitting in my driveway. Happened to see the commercial and thought it looked nice. The more I found out about it, the more I liked it. Car has lived up to all my expectations so far except gas mileage is low (mine has averaged approx. 22.5 mpg 80% highway) Build quality and driving experience are excellent for a car this price. Wouldnt have bought the new model without the warranty.

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  xg300l - 2001 Hyundai XG300
  By totus - September 28 - 2:00 am

  An excellent car for the money. A sleeper! Definitely, Comparatively with cars in its category,especially considering its cost, an excellent buy. After approximately a year and a half of ownership, absolutely no major problems. I am very satisfied with this car!

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  Unbeatable bargain - 2010 Hyundai Elantra Touring
  By hyundaivirgin - September 27 - 9:56 pm

  This is an amazing car. Small on the outside, very big on the inside, lots of ergonomic and useful small touches like the simple climate controls and abundant storage options in front and in the cargo area. Mileage easily beats EPA estimates. Got 36 mpg on the freeway on my second trip. Fit and finish and design is top-notch. Parked next to an Audi A4 Avant and could see the car was bigger inside (about the same length in the passenger and cargo areas and much taller). So its not an Audi but its half the price. Compared to our 2007 Accord, it is superior in space, comfort, looks, driving dynamics, fuel efficiency, and price. A no-brainer.

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  Surprise - 2007 Hyundai Veracruz
  By Nathan - September 26 - 8:46 pm

  So far so Good ,Car looks good inside and out. Quiet ride. The Veracruz has flavor. The controls are easy to use. The steering wheel audio controls are good. Something when making a turn my hand hits the mute button. The Infinity sound system is flawless.Veracruz handles well in city and on the highway. City mpg 15 highway 21. Own car for a month everyone is looking and asking questions about the car.People are surprise that this a Hyundai.Third row seating worked well with my adult childern 57-510 on our 3hr trip.