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:

• 

  Great Price, Great Value, Great Car - 2007 Hyundai Sonata
  By sleb - March 17 - 5:36 am

  I traded in a 2006 Chevy Uplander Minivan as the gas mileage was horrible. I checked out the Camry, Impala, and others and nothing compared to the value of the Sonata. I had to get a car that would allow three Child seats in the rear seat. The seats fit fine as the vehicle is classified as a large car it has plenty of room inside. The vehicle rides smoothly and the 4 cylinder has provided plenty of power. I also have the premium package and the floor mats. I would say that this is the best car in its class for themoney and possibly not even considering the cost. The five year warranty also puts the vehicle at the head of its class. I would recomend this car and the dealership to everyone.

• 

  We are IMPRESSED - 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By tom m. - March 17 - 12:56 am

  The exterior design is eye-catching and attractive. The insrumentation is easy to learn and easy to read. The brakes feel good. All of the doors sound solid and secure when they are closed. It handles very nicely, and easier to park than our old Tahoe. Time will tell of the reliability.

• 

  good car!! - 2004 Hyundai Sonata
  By cindi - March 16 - 6:31 pm

  I am happy with my Sonata, I drive daily to and from work as well as casual driving on the weekends and I never experience any problems.

• 

  An Amazing Car at a Great Price! - 2005 Hyundai XG350
  By Drive This - March 16 - 4:53 pm

  I wasnt even looking at a Hyundai, saw one on the lot, liked the lines and when the dealer asked if I had ever driven one, I said, "No, its a Hyundai." She convinced me to try it and I was amazed, solid, quiet, love the shift-tronic clutchless manual. I have recommended it to friends and family!

• 

  A Fun and Awesome "Genesis Joyride" - 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe
  By Ken - March 16 - 11:30 am

  What a terrific car! Look out Infiniti G37 and BMW 3-series - the Genesis Coupe IS the best designed coupe for the value! I love just about everything on the 3.8 Grand Touring I purchased six weeks ago. Overall performance and acceleration on the 6-spd auto transmission is excellent and I love the "shiftronic" option with the paddle shifters. I chose the black exterior color, which contrasts nicely with the reddish brown leather interior of the GT. The high-tech gadgetry (the voice- activated and touch-screen GPS and Bluetooth) makes the Genesis Coupe so much more fun to drive. People ask me when they see my car, "Thats a Hyundai?" and I proudly say with a smirk, "Yes, it is!"

• 

  Awesome Buy - 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Bermboy247 - March 16 - 10:00 am

  This is a great car for the money. Good gass mileage, rides smooth, fun to drive, and a good warranty(10 years/100,000 miles)

• 

  Awesome - 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Mike Conroy - March 16 - 10:00 am

  Its the best.

• 

  One of the Best Cars Ive Owned - 1998 Hyundai Accent
  By Chad - March 15 - 8:38 pm

  Great Car - yes it had minor problems with cheap pieces of plastic breaking on the cup holders, etc. As long as you keep the oil changed and maintain the car it will treat you well. At 120K miles the transmission went out. For a couple years I lived in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains - I think it was too much strain on the car.

• 

  2011 Sonata SE - A Real Blast! - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By John Mc - Erie, PA - March 15 - 6:03 pm

  Wow! This car not only looks fast, but with 200 HP and a set of paddle shifters, it goes fast! Just picked up this car for me and my teenage son on Memorial Day Weekend, and we cant stop driving it. People that see it cant believe its a Hyundai. We love the looks and styling. The seats are very comfortable, and the Dimension sound system ROCKS! SE model really grips the road. Glad we picked it up.

• 

  It is a little Ferrari 456 GT!! - 2006 Hyundai Tiburon
  By Maximus - March 15 - 4:36 pm

  When the Tiburon is driven hard, it literally burns its tires. It has the athleticism of its lighter weight competitors. Its V6 is very confident and its steering is very responsive. Despite it is little bit heavy for a sport coupe, its effective powerful engine over comes any challenges. This car outperforms its competitors such as Toyota Celica, Acura RSX, Mitsubish Eclipse and delivers a smooth ride.