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 Santa Fe - 2005 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Dave - May 9 - 9:46 am

  Love it! Thought it would be small after having an extended van. Like the inside and love the stereo - great for in traffic concerts. Great vehicle. The warranty is great and the standard features are excellent.

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  Big Bang for the Buck - 2007 Hyundai Sonata
  By goldwing - May 8 - 10:26 am

  I now have just over 20,000 miles on my Sonata and to date 0 problems. For a car in this class I have to say that Hyundai hit a home run. Plenty of power and considering the engine size and horsepower, fuel economy is very good (22+ city, 32+ hwy). This is a fun car to drive, very comfortable on long trips, great handling and I can put up with the little noise of the suspension at this price. If you can find a better car at this price than please let me know. I looked at Toyota and Hondas before purchasing this car and I found the Hyundai Sonata to be an exceptional value.

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  I love it! - 2005 Hyundai TUCSON
  By MJ - May 8 - 1:13 am

  I absolutely love this car! I bought it almost two years ago and I cant wait to upgrade and get the new Tuscon! The design is sleek and the size is perfect for a family of 4, with a lot of storage space in the back. Ive only had to complete basic maintenance. The interior design isnt a 10, but it serves its purpose. My mother in law drove my car (she travels a lot and gets rental cars fairly often) and she loves my car compared to many others that shes driven.

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  awesome! - 2002 Hyundai Elantra
  By fenton - May 6 - 11:00 pm

  This wonderful car has been a blessing for me. Its one of the most reliable cars i have ever driven. With 133 ft/lbs. of torque, acceleration is not a problem and with 140 horsepower, highway passing is easily accomplished. The smooth design of this machine is one of the best around giving you a sporty look as well as one of class. Brake lights bigger than your head let everyone know when to stop! An A/C that will always keep you cool, even in the dead of summer. All the features needed to live in comfort and drive in style are right at your fingertips. It is truly an amazing vehicle.

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  workhorse - 2001 Hyundai Elantra
  By altaylor5 - May 6 - 10:00 am

  Have had the elantra for 2 years, driven it over 60,000 miles, and still love it. PROS: Comfortable quiet ride, 80 mph no sweat, drivable and good handling, has a "bigger car" feel when driving it, especially does well on express way. CONS: Although car has plenty of pickup once you get going over 25 mph, the first 0-25 mph is sluggish, some of the inside trim is cheaply made.

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  I Love my new TIBURON - 2003 Hyundai Tiburon
  By Jazmine - May 6 - 10:00 am

  I got it about 2 weeks ago. I want to go to the gas station to show it off but the damn car is to good on gas.

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  Tib 03 - 2003 Hyundai Tiburon
  By SparkyNC - May 6 - 10:00 am

  It handles really well on mountain roads and is built to deal with ice and snow on the roads without missing a beat. The cruise control is really smooth, there is no jerk when you apply it. The trunk is really spacious and I love the fact that the seats fold down. I recently moved and carried most of my stuff in my car and a surprising amount would fit in the back seat.

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  sweet ride - 2000 Hyundai Tiburon
  By tuner - May 6 - 3:20 am

  i bought this car recently and am very pleased with the style the paint needs help seems to chip easy the clutch is a little weird never had anything like it the engine sounds great especially in high rpm a great car to put a sterio in the interior is comfy i like the leather no problem with it yet handles great i tested it out on a parking lot holds very tight in high speed turns

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  Love the Touring - 2009 Hyundai Elantra Touring
  By Atl_touring - May 5 - 4:10 pm

  I have had this car for a week and am loving it. I traded in my 2008 Veracruz and dont miss it at all.

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  A great car! - 2005 Hyundai TUCSON
  By cardsfam - May 5 - 7:33 am

  I spent over a year checking out small SUVs on the Internet. I also test drove many. The Tucson is one great SUV! The quality really surprised me along with the price. All the extras are standard (except a minor few like roof rack rails/sun roof). This makes dealing with the dealer on the price much easier. You really must drive this car before you buy any small SUV. If you do, I think youll be sold!