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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  The best car I have ever owned! - 2009 Hyundai Genesis
  By Harold - November 6 - 12:58 pm

  I also own a Lexus and a Benz. This car is better than both. I would match this car with any car on the market that costs between 30k and 50k. I have own my Genesis for over a year and have had no issues with it. It beats both my Lexus and Benz hands down. Benz IMO is over rated I have had nothing but expensive problems with it since I purchased it new. The Lexus was an excellent car, but it is the little things that get too you.

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  Very Happy Consumer - 2004 Hyundai Elantra
  By KrazeyKel - November 5 - 10:00 am

  I purchased this vehicle because I needed something reliable, yet sporty to drive. Fuel economy was also important. I needed a 4 door vehicle and was initially looking at a used Camry. I found the Hyundai for roughly the same price, and considering the warranty it convinced me to buy a Hyundai. I have not yet had any problems with my vehicle and am happy with the overall styling. The stereo looks nice, but the quality of speakers could be bumped up a bit. The biggest downfall of this car would be the acceleration, which I crave a lot of, but considering the other benefits of the car, I can deal with the slight dissappointment. Highly reccommended purchase.

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  Incredible reliable vehicle - 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By scotie - November 5 - 10:00 am

  Bought a gls v6 in summer of 2001, so far no problems at all with vehicle. It drives like a champ. Had a couple of minor censor recalls but thats all. Now have 41,000 miles on vehicle. Drives great in snow & very comfortable drive. We have two kids & strollers and everything fits well. Highly recommended

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  My new car! - 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By ltckathy - November 4 - 6:06 pm

  Just bought my first new car in 28 years! I had been looking at the Santa Fe SUV for 2 years. Matt was great and very informative and I was able to secure a very good deal.

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  Azera is an Excellent car - 2006 Hyundai Azera
  By nthompson - November 4 - 3:46 am

  The finish quality is excelleny. The ride is superior and the noise level is one of the lowwest that I havent heard. There are many amenities on this car listed on the Edmunds web site as "not available". Check it out for yourself. The one thing I miss is a good GPS system.

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  FIRST BRAND NEW CAR - 2009 Hyundai Accent
  By TOM FROM PA - November 3 - 8:56 am

  Just purchased vehicle through a chain of dealerships I work for. I was looking at the Hyundai accent, the Suzuki sx-4, and the Nissan versa. I loved the accents looks and all the features it had for the money. The versa and sx-4 where way more money for a comparably equipped car. The only thing they had on the accent was more room (but they are four doors) and the Suzuki has all wheel drive. The performance in all three cars was almost identical, but in the end the car with the better looks and the better warranty won me over. I have owned it for less than a week and have put 1000 miles on it. I cant get over this car. I smile every time I get in it. No buyers remorse here!

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  Great vehicle - 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Florida golfer - November 2 - 2:00 am

  Great vehicle. Got the LX with the moon roof option. Researched SUVs for the last year. The Santa Fe by far had the most features and the best warranty. Ive not been disappointed in anything. Took a trip the week after I got it and it held four suitcases and golf clubs in the cargo area. My wife (who doesnt particularly like SUVs) liked the ride and said the stereo was better than the one in her Pontiac Bonneveille. Fit and finish are great, and dealer has been super. Comments about being under powered are not tru. Cruised on interstate at 80 without a problem. Only option I didnt get was towing package. Definitely my best car ever.

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  16 months of fun and satisfaction - 2009 Hyundai Genesis
  By Dullien - November 1 - 9:11 pm

  Yes, people make faces: "A Hyundai?" but I did four months of research and bought it for the value and havent regretted it yet. I also got lucky to have the wings on the trunk.This car kept every promise from riding comfort,road handling, to exceptional sound, and all the electronics are working very well with the small navigation button. I had Mercedes and still have a BMW Genesis compares extremely well. You have to go into BMW 700 category and the 550 Mercedes class, which will cost accordingly. And yes I had more than a dozen people ask me if it is a Bentley (because of the wings in the back).

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  First time Hyundai owner - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By pokermac55 - November 1 - 11:06 am

  I did a lot of research of cars in this price range, and size, and found the sonata to be the best car for the money by far. The interior cluster lighting is easy to read and the sound system is exceptional. The car has a smooth ride and spacious back seat compared to its competition. The warranty is also a plus, in addition to the excellent safety features that are standard. My wife and thoroughly enjoy driving our sonata and would recommend it to anyone. We have driven it over 2500 miles in the 2 months that we own it. Also the fuel economy is better that we thought, as we get about 26 mpg city and 32 hwy.

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  The best buy! - 2009 Hyundai Elantra
  By hnicoleg - November 1 - 9:34 am

  I just bought my Hyundai, and I have no complaints! Its performance is amazing compared to my old mazda, and you cant beat the price, 12,000. If anyone is looking into the Hyundai Elantra, you should really consider it!