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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  almost missed this one! - 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By dale - March 24 - 10:10 am

  test drove rav, crv, and outlander,and decided on the rav,but was dealer shopping for best price on rav,then we saw the santa fe at new car show and did research on this suv, then decided to test drive santa fe .hands down this was best choice,as far as features,price,looks,size,plus 10year powertrain warranty,and hyundai customer service,have always been toyota and honda owners but times have changed

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  Absolutely the Best for under 20,000 - 2008 Hyundai Elantra
  By Kyle - March 24 - 8:40 am

  I cannot believe how excited I am every time I drive my new Elantra. All of my friends absolutely love this car (as do I). I spent 4 months researching and test driving new cars, and for only 17 grand, I have never, and I mean NEVER encountered a car that looks as classy and has so much value. I have the optima white with beige interior and I have to say I like the design of the dash in the Elantra even more than the one in my partners Audi A3 (though I have not a single complaint about the A3). Overall, a wonderful vehicle. Fun to drive, classy, and a great bang for the buck!

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  Reliable and roomy - 2002 Hyundai Elantra
  By Astrid Klocke - March 24 - 1:40 am

  Purchased in 2002, put 38,500 miles on it since. Only complaint: brakes started to wobble at 15K, dealer said the rotors need to be resurfaced. Supposedly the extreme temperature differences in the AZ mountains warped the metal. Not covered by warranty! That stinks, especially since my brake pads are still over 1/2 good. Car is roomy for my huge dog with the seats folded. Tires and FWD perform well in snow at 7,000 feet. Love this car and will buy another Hyundai when this one is out of warranty - despite the brakes. I just live with the wobble. Had Chevy, Grand Marquis, Audi before. The GT is the most reliable by far.

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  Good Car for the Money! - 1999 Hyundai Elantra
  By Eric - March 23 - 1:28 pm

  I have had this car for a few years now and have had no major problems with it.

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  Comfort drive in a sporty body - 2013 Hyundai Elantra
  By Sharon Graczyk - March 23 - 9:15 am

  From the moment I took the test drive I felt completely comfortable in this car! The look of the car is really sporty but classy....love it and would purchase another!

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  You should test drive this car! - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By Pete Roddy - March 23 - 6:50 am

  My wife and I love this car. We have only had it for a short time but so far its been great. For a mid size car it is very smooth and quiet. The V6 engine is very strong and is a delight to drive around town and on the open highway. We drove the new car to San Antonio,Texas from Corpus Christi about 160 miles on our first road trip. I didnt drive fast... about 65 and we got 32 miles per gal. The next day on the way back home we drove against a very strong head wind and the mpg fell to 28. I would like to have more but you cant always have your cake and eat it too. If you want more miles per gal. go for the 4 cyl. But dont expect the same power as the V6.

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  Point-a to Point-b @ ~32-34 MPG - 2005 Hyundai Accent
  By Roger - March 23 - 12:47 am

  Unreal milage. Ive put 5,000 miles on this puppy in a few months and I average 32MPG. That is what I need when gas is expected to hit 2.50/Gal this summer. I am happy with the warranty and the low entry price.

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  Elantra GT rocks!!! - 2004 Hyundai Elantra
  By Brittond - March 22 - 10:00 am

  I purchased a 2003 Elantra GT (pretty much same as the 04) and i ablsolutely love my car. As a 21 year old college student I was shocked that i could afford a car with leather seats, power everything, on a part time job. not to mention it sorta looks like a late model saab 9-3 (bonus!!!) For functionality, you cant beat it b/c of the hatch w/ fold down seats that fold completly flat with the trunk floor. It is a breeze to put almost anything in it, ive even put in 8 sheets of plywood without having to cut it!!

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  Best car to own - 2004 Hyundai Elantra
  By craigwsr - March 22 - 10:00 am

  We bought this car based on all the information we obtained on Edmunds. This has been the best car we have ever owned. I handles like a dream, average MPG is 29.1 and we have not taken a highway trip yet. On back roads the Elantra GT does not lean into the turns and holds the road perfectly. The only problem was w/Hyundai they did not manufacture enough models w/ABS and we could not get the color we wanted w/all the options. We cannot praise this car enough you must own one to understand the enjoyment of having/owning a Hyundai Elantra GT.

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  Surprised - 2005 Hyundai Sonata
  By td - March 22 - 12:55 am

  I would never had dreamed I would be driving an Hyundai, but I am pleasantly surprised by this car. Drives well, handles great and very comfortable.