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:

• 

  Love my Azera - 2006 Hyundai Azera
  By Eleanor - January 6 - 2:23 pm

  I have always purchased Lincolns since 1992. Decided to try an smaller car this year. Tried the Azera and saw it had all the "bells and whistles" that the Lincolns had, handled well and suited me just fine.

• 

  Outstanding Sedan - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By Dean - January 6 - 8:20 am

  I have purchased 15 new Japanese cars since 1978 - Mazdas, Nissans and Mitsubishi. This is my first Korean car. I must say that I am very impressed with the Sonata compared with the many Japanese cars I have bought in the past. Fit and finish are excellent, mileage is amazing (24.5 in the city, 34.5 on the interstate at 80MPH with the air conditioning). Many more standard features than most other brands and far less expensive. Most comfortable sedan I have ever owned. The warranty is far better than any Japanese manufacturers. After 3800 miles, Ive had no problems whatsoever. Although Ive only owned the car for 3 months, I highly recommend the Sonata.

• 

  I highly recommend this car! - 2008 Hyundai Veracruz
  By Kellyann - January 6 - 1:20 am

  I absolutely love my car! It handles great and hugs ever turn. It is very roomy inside and the comfort is definitely a 10! I love driving to work now!

• 

  so far, so good - 2007 Hyundai Sonata
  By Iowason07 - January 4 - 4:30 am

  Really nice ride, quiet, quick, comfy. Seems to me a better value than all the others. Many standard features, with many of them safety features the insurance institute really likes. I hope its as good as its warranty.

• 

  Enjoying my Santa Fe - 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Jasmine - January 3 - 10:00 am

  I have been amazed with my Hyundai Santa Fe. It gets great gas mileage. It pulls my 17 1/2 foot boat with little noticeable effort. It is is very roomy and comfortable. It seats 4 very comfortably and 5 if necessary. It has plenty of cargo space. I even put my dog in the cargo area when traveling and he weighs 90 pounds. I have had virtually no problems with it to date. I plan to keep it for a long while and when I trade, it will most likely be for another Santa Fe.

• 

  Enjoying my Santa Fe - 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By JASMINE - January 3 - 10:00 am

  I have been amazed with my Hyundai Santa Fe. It gets great gas mileage. It pulls my 17 1/2 foot boat with little noticeable effort. It is is very roomy and comfortable. It seats 4 very comfortably and 5 if necessary. It has plenty of cargo space. I even put my dog in the cargo area when traveling and he weighs 90 pounds. I have had virtually no problems with it to date. I plan to keep it for a long while and when I trade, it will most likely be for another Santa Fe.

• 

  Love the car - 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe
  By curtis - January 2 - 12:26 pm

  Out the door at $27k for 3.8 Grand Touring w/ 6-spd & nav. VERY powerful, handles great, and fun to drive. It rides a little rough compared to the avg sedan but thats to be expected- ensure you hit rough roads during your test drive or you may be disappointed. Seats become very hard and uncomfortable to the back/but after about an hour on the highway. Nav is easy to use, love all of the features on the GT- great value. A great city car, not so great if you need people/cargo or drive on crappy roads. Definitely turns heads. Makes you slightly taller, more intelligent, funnier, and lots more handsome. Love the car but it has limitations- not a good family car but a very fun toy for 2 adults.

• 

  Sonata - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By SteveO - December 31 - 11:50 pm

  One of the best vehicles we have owned, great ride, handling and performance, Very quiet.

• 

  The - 2006 Hyundai Azera
  By John R - December 31 - 7:43 pm

  After driving this vehicle for a month I have one thing to say "Wow! This is a Hyundai?" This vehicle is very quick, and agile for its class. It has a great turning radius compared to its size, acceleration is terrific, and overall handling is smooth and responsive. I drive around 600-1000 miles a week and comfort is a big deal for me and with this vehicle I havent had to worry about it. The interior is very confortable and has many posture support features such as a lumbar and higher placed seats (Good for bigger people like me). The interior has a luxurious warm feeling to it and its spaciousness and an overall sharp looking vehicle makes it feel even better. Worth every penny!

• 

  hyundai rules - 2007 Hyundai Veracruz
  By bernard n. edwards - December 31 - 5:43 am

  we have had our limited vera cruz two wheel drive,and all i can say is no one builds better cars than hyundai.we are on our 8th hyundai and will be buying the new rear wheel drive v8 sedan.so we already have our name on the list for this car in 2009.