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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  New Hyundai Owner - 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By tdyson - August 22 - 11:56 am

  Im a first-time Hyundai owner who was previously skeptical of the brand. I read lots of reviews and learned that Hyundai has greatly improved its quality so I decided to test drive a SF. Who knew? I was pleasantly surprised at the quality and standard features given the price. I was leaning toward buying a 2009 RAV-4 V6, but the 2010 SF SE was approximately the same price with more cargo room and more comfortable ride and fit/finish. Hyundai is giving Toyota and Honda a run for their money, especially considering the warranty and price. If youre looking at SUVs, you should definitely test drive a Santa Fe.

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  Very Impressed - 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By John Wildeman - August 22 - 12:10 am

  Picked up a 2008 Limited Santa Fe two weeks ago. Very impressed with the vehicle. I was a GMC man prior to this purchase and traded my 2001 Jimmy with 145K miles. The fit and finish is excellent and the little things got me like the front defrost comes on automatically and shuts off as well. Infinity sound system is fantastic, ride is smooth but the tires seem a bit noisy. Overall Im very happy with my purchase.

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  Forget CX5, buy a Tucson! - 2016 Hyundai TUCSON
  By Fazel Tafti - August 21 - 12:25 am

  Awesome car, cheaper and BETTER than CX5. I love it. Amazing vehicle.

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  All-Around Affordable Quality - 2006 Hyundai TUCSON
  By WVTuscon - August 19 - 7:13 pm

  My wife and I purchased a 2006 Hyundai Tucson Limited and we love it. The car is by far the most quality small SUV for the price on the market. We are both commuters who travel frequently and in a variety of weather conditions. The Tucson has performed phenomenally in snow, on mountain highways, and it is fun to drive from interstates to small country roads. The price, all of the features, the performance, the look, the warranty, and the comfort of the limited make it the best vehicle we have ever had. It has the look and the feel of a Lexus, with the best warranty around and every where we go people comment on how great it looks. This is an outstanding SUV - you will love it!

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  i love my sante fe - 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By pboggs - August 18 - 4:40 pm

  I am very pleased with every aspect of my santa fe, it is comfortable, and i feel safe while driving it. It handles wonderful on mountain roads, snow conditions and wet roads. It may only be 2wd but the design and ground clearance have made it the perfect crossover. Fuel economy well 270 miles on 1/4 tank of gas, need i say more? It is perfect for the wife if she wants to keep her tall husband in his own truck.

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  Wow - 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By froggers - August 18 - 3:45 am

  Just purchased 2WD V6 with Navi and 3 rows of seats. Drove from LV to LA, 23.7mpg with ave speed of 67mph. Very comfortable, great vision and no real blind spots. You still need to turn your head and look! A/C worked great as temp in LV and desert 109F. Great power, no problems going up any of the grades and able to easily pass. Cant tell the difference between 70-90mph, so you have to pay attention. Takes a while to learn the Navi system and its not as good as the Honda Crosstour to learn or use (few more steps and a more difficult menu system). Handles very car like and has a compliant (not mushy) suspension. Handles the Pasadena fwy curves easily at >60mph with some body lean

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  2006 Hyundai Sonata GLS V6 - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By TucsonT - August 17 - 11:56 pm

  Having been saddled with a 4 cylinder for 7 years, I decided to upgrade to a V6. However, with the gas prices being what they were, I wanted a V6 with decent mileage. Having compared the Hyundai Sonata with the Honda Accord, I went with the Sonata GLS w/option 5 because I dont need leather seats, a seat warmer or a 6- disc CD changer. I used the reviews posted at Edmunds.com and a few other online reviewers. So far the acceleration is excellent, the silence of the interior is deafening, and the roominess had been complimented by my family & friends.

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  Great ride - 2005 Hyundai TUCSON
  By Ackal - August 17 - 7:36 pm

  Great looks Great ride. When I first saw it I fell in love with it. The test drive was great. A lot of leg room front and back. The cargo room works for me also. I do wish that the gas mileage was better. But you cant have everything.

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  great value - 2003 Hyundai Tiburon
  By Bytor - August 17 - 10:00 am

  I have owned this car for about 3 months now. I never plan to race anyone so 0-60 really doesnt matter to me. It handles great, looks fanastic, the sound system is the best I have ever experienced. I took it on a 2000 mile road trip two weeks after I bought it and nearly had to have the grin surgically removed from my face. The car turned heads, got better than advertised mileage and performed like a champ.

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  My first Hyundai - 2012 Hyundai Sonata
  By enjnir - August 16 - 10:07 pm

  All i can say is WOW. This is my first Hyundai and so far I love it. We almost bought the 2011 model but I am so glad we paid a little more for the 2012. The panoramic sunroof is worth the extra money by its self not counting the blue link as well. Time will tell how good a car it really is but at first glance I could not be happier.