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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  Would Buy Another - 1999 Hyundai Accent
  By Andrea - February 2 - 4:18 pm

  This was our 2nd Hyundai. Our 1st lasted 14 years. This one was rolled in an accident. It performed perfectly, the driver walked away. I would buy another in a heartbeat. It was reliable, easy to drive and maintain, fun and inexpensive. Everything you want in a little car.

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  Excellent car! - 1995 Hyundai Accent
  By micqn - February 1 - 7:31 pm

  I used to make fun of my little Accent but not any more! This car has been the most reliable car I have owned and it doesnt cost a lot to maintain. The engine had to be replaced but I did that myself, the paint is still in excellent shape, the car overall is a great little car. I am able to get about 325 MPGmiles on a full tank of gas around town and nearly 375 MPG on the freeway cruising at 65 MPH. This equates to filling the car up every two weeks. The tires are very inexpensive when needed, oil changes are a cinch, basic maintenance is nearly obsolete. The car takes very good care of me hence I take very good care of it.

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  Great car for the money - 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By rma - February 1 - 10:00 am

  My husband and I fell in love with this car and also added crome rims to it. We like that it has enough leg room and is comfortable. The cargo area is spacious for a small SUV. We have had numerous Suburbans and Tahoes and now it was time for something smaller. The warranty was a big plus also. Only thing that I wish they had were power seats.

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  Stay away from the 2.0T - 2011 Hyundai Genesis Coupe
  By nwillingham - January 31 - 10:59 am

  have the 2.0T premium coupe. Ive had it for almost 5 months. Beautiful car, fast car, love the navigation (hate the ipod interface), comfy car in the front seats, BUT The sticker of 20/30 mpg is a complete lie. You would have to be going downhill all the time to come close to either of those numbers. When I drive like a grandpa I MIGHT get 16.5mpg in town and 24mpg on the highway. The 5 speed doesnt seem sufficient. ALSO, the T in 2.0T is for Turbo and Turbos use supreme gas only. Personally with the trash gas mileage, slow to shift paddle shifters, crap iPod interface, and supreme gas, I hate that I bought this car and wish I had gone with another.

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  Happy Azera Owner - 2007 Hyundai Azera
  By bigal - January 31 - 1:33 am

  This car has the look of cars in the $35,000 to $45,000 price range. In handles extremely well and has good acceleration. Trunk space is unbelievable.

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  Love our Santa Fe Sports - 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By donnie71281 - January 30 - 9:29 pm

  We purchased 2 SFS in November. Mine is the 2.0T and the other is the 2.4. Both are exceptional CUVs. The AWD has been wonderful in the snow too. The 2.4 get 22 in the city and the 2.0T has been getting 21. Highway for the 2.0T averages stays between 26-28. For an AWD CUV I am happy with the MPG. Ive had experience with the 2.0T in my 2011 Optima. Though the HP is less in the SFS I am more than pleased with the power. The only issues we have had is trying to decide which one to take!! Absolutely love the purchases we made.

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  Not a bad car - 1999 Hyundai Sonata
  By Shane Crook - January 30 - 3:36 pm

  We bought our Sonata with 24,000 miles on it. The main problems we have had is electrical such as sensors, spark plug wires, etc. The transmission has always shifted strangely, but I have had this checked out several times and have never found anything wrong. For the warranty and price, it is hard to beat. The resale value isnt the best.

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  Nice car, needs more "GT" in the GT - 2004 Hyundai Elantra
  By cheslers - January 30 - 12:08 am

  This is my wifes car and was purchased three weeks after I got my Mazda 3s 5-door. Both cars have a real nice fit and finish. I would recommend either one for the long haul. Thats where the similarities end. The Elantra GT has bland looks. Not much separates it from the GLS sedan. The interior is nice, especially for the small amount it took to upgrade to the GT. On the peformance side, this is hardly worthy of the GT designation. The engine is reliable, but hardly a performer. The leather seats are slippery and unsupportive in turns. My biggest gripe would have to be the steering ratio. It takes too much movement to coax this car to turn. Nice reliable car, splurge for the 3s to add fun.

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  Good Value - 2005 Hyundai Sonata
  By James Grabsky - January 29 - 6:27 pm

  The cost, warranty,appointments, and performance was just to compelling to pass up as we shopped for a second car. I was concerned about the engines responsiveness with a small V6, but was very pleasantly surprised.

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  sonata - 2005 Hyundai Sonata
  By sal - January 29 - 2:47 pm

  Best car on the market for the $