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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  Excellent Overall Value - 2006 Hyundai Elantra
  By Don - September 13 - 2:03 am

  I spent over 6 months scrutinizing and driving all brands, including Honda and Toyota, and was very impressed by the Elantras build-quality. If one looks carefully, and objectively compares body panel alignments and consistent seam gaps, the Elantra doesnt take a back seat to any car. The attention to detail and fit-and-finish on the exterior and interior are readily apparent. The Elantra drives well, and the ride is surprisingly supple and quiet. Acceleration is on par with most of the 4-cylinder automatics Ive driven. For an out-the-door price, including tax, of around $13,500, its an excellent overall value. Hyundai produces an excellent car at a most affordable price.

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  I love my baby - 2008 Hyundai Tiburon
  By Tiburon117 - September 12 - 6:36 pm

  Absolutely love this car! Quick, sexy, stylish, just over all this car stuns people. Could use more power but hey its a four cylinder. Almost beat my roommates El Camino with this car. Ive been rear ended with this car twice and both times there was no damage just some scratches where the license plate lights are. This car drives like a dream. My only regret...well sort of, was not getting the V-6 model but im still happy with my four.

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  Sonata - Best choice - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By dmccall - September 12 - 1:13 pm

  I researched and shopped intensively trying to decide between Camry, Accord and Sonata. Ignoring price I found the Sonata to be the best of the three. When you factor in price its a no brainer. I bought the Sonata GLS 4cyl two weeks ago and am 100% happy with my decision plus I walked away with an extra $5k to spend on other things.

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  Love Hybrid - 2016 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid
  By Bob Burrill - September 12 - 12:20 am

  Bought bare bones SE Sonata hybrid because a Limited was not available due to the excellent year end rebate. Nice quiet ride. Impressed with MPG which ranges from 40 to 50 mpg. Seems to get best mileage in city driving if you keep heavy acceleration to a minimum and coax the drive into EV mode. Would not have purchased a hybrid without the huge rebate but glad I did. Miss having the options I would have selected had they been available. Seems to be an excellent value.

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  John and Carolyn - 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By John Richards - September 11 - 8:33 pm

  My wife fell in love with the Santa Fe a year ago.She never showed much interest in the many cards that we owned including Cadillacs and a Lexus (es 330 2004) The Santa Fe is as quiet as the Lexus. We love everything about the car. It is comfortable and extremely well made. I added molding to the side which added to the look. We had spoken to many Santa Fe owners and everyone said they love it. No one had any negative comments

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  Great car to buy - 2004 Hyundai XG350
  By canopus - September 11 - 10:00 am

  Great car to buy at even higher price. Its a bargain. The car is full of pleasant surprizes. Smooth quiet ride. Acceleration phenominal for a 194 HP. There are no options that you need to add except maybe a GPS. All the options are standard and too numerous to mention.

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  Love my Tucson - 2010 Hyundai TUCSON
  By Patt Trimarco - September 9 - 3:16 pm

  Had my last Hyundai Tucson five years with no problems and was waiting for a style change. Wow! Bought the 2010 the minute I saw it and it didnt disappoint. Driving is easy, ride is comfortable, voice controls perfect, mileage is as projected. People stop me and ask about the car. Hyundai hit a home run with this vehicle. Congratulations to the design team and engineers who delivered a luxury automobile at an affordable price.

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  Black Phantom Beauty! - 2016 Hyundai Elantra
  By Tom Miller - September 9 - 6:40 am

  Besides being a little hard getting in and out, I have become use to sliding the seat back! I love this car! I feel like I stole it from Phil Long of Motor City in Colorado Springs as I cant believe the deal that I got! I had to drive to and from Arkansas (2000 miles) due to an emergency not long after I bought it so got to know the car very well. The car handled like a dream the whole way! Many people on the way at rest stops, gas stations, etc. complimented me on my car and it made me swell with pride! Hyundai definitely has a winner with this one!

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  Pauls Tucson - 2005 Hyundai TUCSON
  By Paulrichard - September 8 - 10:56 pm

  I am very pleased with how the vehicle was thought out. Ergonomically well done. It drives like a car.

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  Hyundai sedan - 2005 Hyundai Sonata
  By palegrey - September 8 - 9:53 am

  Very comfortable, completely trouble-free, good looking, very quiet on highway driving. I like this car more than I did the 2000 Honda Accord that I owned previously because it is quieter than the Accord.