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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  Happy with 2003 elantra ve [canada] - 2001 Hyundai Elantra
  By jcl - March 8 - 2:00 am

  GOOD PRICE. VERY COMFORTABLE.VERY QUIET. ONLY 2000 KM SO FAR.CHECKED OTHER CAR COMPANIES,AND NO OTHERS COULD EVEN COME CLOSE TO WHAT HYUNDAI HAS TO OFFER ON PRICE AND EQUIPMENT.SO FAR VERY SATISFIED.dealer and sales staff very nice and helpful.

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  So Far an Amazing Bargain - 2006 Hyundai Azera
  By frazee - March 7 - 3:03 pm

  Due to dramatically different driving positions, my wife and I needed a car with tilt/telescope electically-adjustable steering. This is the only car in this class with this attribute which is why we began to look more closely. Has full memory settings for seat, this steering and mirror as well as EZ-In/out with seat and wheel receding. Amazing set of features with all safety goodies, fast engine, large interior & trunk; upscale touches like rainsense wipers, rear window shade, MP3 310 watt system etc. So far the car has been perfect. Some minor design complaints, but nothing fatal. Also, sales reps, service techs etc. have not gotten good schooling on car...so do your own homework.

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  Hyundai Love has been passed on to me! - 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Taryn R - March 6 - 10:50 am

  I got this SUV for my 18Th birthday, I drove my moms old 2003 Santa Fe when I was first starting out, than I got a Infiniti QX56, but I needed a regular SUV! When I got this SUV I love it 90% more than the infiniti, the navigation is amazing the comfort fo the seats could be better and so could the mileage. But hardly drive the QX56 anymore! Hyundai is making a huge come back!

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  Love the Tucson - 2007 Hyundai TUCSON
  By KOBYCAT - March 6 - 9:16 am

  Love the vehicle. Such a smooth ride, takes bumps very smooth. Nice and compact, but roomy. Just what we were looking for. Nothing too big and a decent fuel amount.

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  Good value and safety for young drivers - 2002 Hyundai Elantra
  By Lorjefer - March 5 - 11:03 pm

  So far so good

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  My best car yet - 2005 Hyundai XG350
  By Bekele - March 5 - 8:46 pm

  This is the fourth new car I ever owned and the best. My other new cars were a Honda Accord, a Pontiac Grand Am and a Jeep Grand Cherokee. I havent had one problem with the car yet. Everything still works just like the first day I drove it out of the dealership. Just amazing!

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  Wow! Fantastic Car - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By Brandon C - March 4 - 9:26 pm

  By far the best family car out there. Best fuel: 39 mpg or 6 L/100 km in hwy, 27 mpg or 8.5 L/100 km in city. I am getting about 33-34 mpg combined, with 65/35 hwy/city while always driving in ECO Mode. The car is amazingly smooth/quiet at hwy speeds of 110 km/h or 70 mph, and revs only 1950 rpm. Very sharp new design, large interior space, and huge trunk, very comfy leather seats, nice Bluetooth feature, great stereo, climate control, trip computer, nice smooth feeling of electronic steering in hwy/city driving. Currently have 500 miles or 800 km on Odo, but still havent fill up the tank yet. Will probably go around 850 km or 528 miles. Will also purchase Turbo version if fuel eco is similar.

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  Great car! - 2001 Hyundai Sonata
  By Daniel Yorgov - March 3 - 10:11 pm

  I bought this car used 3 months ago and I took it on a 1300 miles trip on the very next day. GLS Leather is very comfortable and roomy inside. It is also a beauty: I have had quite a few good comments from my friends. It proofed itself as very dependable vehicle in the extreme upper Michigan weather conditions. Definitely will consider buying Sonata again!

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  fun car, great milage - 2005 Hyundai Accent
  By tim testor - March 3 - 9:44 pm

  2005 GT Hatch. I do a lot of highway business driving and have seen 38.5 mpg crusing @ 75mph. Fairly quiet relaxed cruising for a econobox in this price range but a little "buzzy" in the lower gears (automatic).

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  Like A Best Friend - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By Anthony - March 2 - 8:10 pm

  I love Sonatas. This is my second one and it has been great overall! Pros: * This car is a work horse and a good cruiser. * Fuel economy is outstanding! Ive gotten 40 mpg on the highway many times, during non-stop driving and doing between 70-75 mph. * The satellite radio is a great option, you can listen to your favorite station anywhere! Otherwise the CD/flash-drive (USB) is another good option. * Other than routine maintenance performed at the dealership, this car is solid. * Love the stability control! Some cons: * The drivers seat is uncomfortable. It is narrow and lacks support, however, on long trips, you do tend to settle in and forget about it. * The 4 cylinder engine, while effective for, is somewhat under-powered. When the car is loaded for those long, summer trips, or with the a/c running, it can easily lose up to 20hp and youll notice it when attempting to merge onto a highway. I should have opted for the 6 cylinder version instead. * Tires are very important! Do not go cheap on them and always get the original or better. You will be thankful, especially when it rains as the car tends to lose grip upon accelerating from a stop or going around corners. * I wish navigation was available when I bought it.