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:

• 

  travelin nurse great car - 2003 Hyundai Tiburon
  By judi - November 10 - 10:00 am

  i travel all over and this car is not only fun to drive, but is so very comfortable, and has alot of space for my luggage. it has a beautiful exterior and interior design, and people consistantly look it over, and some ask what kind of car it is. im proud to drive it!

• 

  Great - 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By nothing - November 10 - 10:00 am

  I love this greatest car in the world

• 

  Ridiculous value - 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe
  By KC Cruiser - November 9 - 10:30 pm

  Ive only had this for a short while, but everything about this car has met my high expectations. For Hyundais first venture into the performance arena, the Genesis Coupe is a stellar debut. With comparable equipment, the Infiniti G37 listed out over $10K more & the only real edge Id give the G37 is in the aesthetics of the interior design. The Gennie Coupe is comfortable, quick off the line & navigating in traffic, nimble in maneuvering, & very stylish---talk about turning heads on the road! I would definitely recommend it as a quality performance car that represents a clearly superior value to anything in its price range, & it can compete with others priced several thousand dollars more.

• 

  Wow...this is a HYUNDAI !?!?!? - 2007 Hyundai Veracruz
  By Dougski - November 9 - 1:13 am

  My wife and I test drove nearly every vehicle in this class and the Veracruz wasnt even on the list until recommended by a friend. It soon became the benchmark for all others in its class. OUTSTANDING interior room, TONS of bells and whistles and safety features STANDARD (on the Limited with the Ultimate package). Peppy engine with a smooth transmission and extremely comfortable ride (on Michelin tires, no less) make this the perfect family vehicle. And, for $34K (for the FWD Limited LOADED) that included the warranty upgrade to 10-year BUMPER-TO- BUMPER coverage...aside from normal maintenance, this vehicle is stress- free to own. Thanks, Hyundai, for building such a classy vehicle.

• 

  Totally Awesome - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By Mike in MD - November 8 - 8:20 pm

  This car is very smooth and powerful. It has a much nicer appeal than accord or camry. You cant beat the price and quality and warranty. I love everything about this car.

• 

  New 2009 Santa Fe - 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Mikie - November 6 - 7:20 pm

  Just purchased my Santa Fe July 15,2009. I purchased the GLS w/Auto trans and only 3 options. Floor mats,mud guards and cargo net. You get a lot of standard features with the base GLS. Msrp $24,300, Cash for Clunkers $4500, $2000 rebate, Purchase price $17,399 out the door.

• 

  great car - 2003 Hyundai Tiburon
  By Mark - November 6 - 11:50 am

  I have had the car for about 2 years and nothing has gone wrong with it... other than a deer running into the side of it. (850 bucks) I have a cold air intake, catback exhaust because I felt like the 2.7 v6 with the 6 speed tran was a lil under powered with 172 hp. I also run premium fuel and Im at about 200 hp now, the 17 inch rims were nice but I replaced them with 18 inch black lighter weight wheels . stock the cars says it will do 0-60 in 7.2 sec, but I have it at about 200 hp and with the wheels at the track I ran it in 6.1 sec. The is a very fun car to drive stock or with some aftermarket parts. great car for the price, Take care of it and it will take care of you

• 

  Nice vehicle - 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By kriegerceniel - November 6 - 6:00 am

  Typically drive in metro environment and have averaged 22 mpg so far. I like the look of the vehicle and the bang for the buck! The interior is well thought out and the kids love the reclining rear seats. I like the hidden storage and that the drivers seat can be raised or lowered. Recently found the stability control works well (driving on icy roads) and that is something I couldnt do easily before (in a truck). Very happy with this Santa Fe and look forward to continued satisfaction.

• 

  Very good car - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By Jim - November 5 - 11:03 pm

  This is our second Hyundai after having 2 prior Hondas. Our XG350 was a better travel car, but our V6 Sonata handles better due to a less soft suspension and has 50hp more. Love the GPS and Bluetooth, as well as the standard 350 watt Infiniti sound system. Our onboard mpg computer pegs in-town at 22mpg, and generally 31-32 mpg on a flat, straight highway like I- 20. 5 year bumper-to-bumper and 10 year mechanical warranties will probably go unused.

• 

  TiB - 2004 Hyundai Tiburon
  By BuLLiT817 - November 4 - 2:00 am

  Completely happy with my new purchase. cCant wait for spring so I can get the hook-upz