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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  05 Santa Fe 4Cyl FWD *(Canadian Model) - 2005 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Andy Hutcheson - August 12 - 12:16 am

  Have owned this Santa Fe for 3 months. Surprisingly pleased with the performance and gas mileage. Currently getting 31.88 mpg with mostly "around town" driving...only 3 trips over an hour in duration. Vehicle has lots of get-up-and-go due no doubt to a very well geared 5 speed manual transmission.Exterior style and ergonomics of interior very pleasing. Feels very solid and tight on the road. Have no reliabily info yet.

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  Loved my Santa Fe - 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By nitlion - August 11 - 7:30 pm

  From the time of purchase, until I traded my Santa Fe in on a new vehicle, I loved this car. Car was great, dealer wasnt.

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  performance - 2005 Hyundai XG350
  By marie Crissler - August 10 - 11:30 am

  This is the second one I have purchased. Hyundia has always stood behind and correct any problems I have had without a fuss. I would buy another one today.

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  A Joy To Own!!! - 2004 Hyundai XG350
  By jean - August 9 - 3:16 pm

  I have enjoyed this automobile immensily. I highly recommed it to anyone who is looking for a new car. The Anchorage Service Center treats me like a king. I couldt expect a better treatment if I was driving a Rolls Royce. Best Value for Money (VFM) in an automobile I have ever had.

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  Hyundai the new Undisputer Minivan Champ - 2007 Hyundai Entourage
  By John WV - August 9 - 1:10 pm

  Great van for the money, cant wait till Car and Driver does a camparo with Honda, Toyota, etc... there may be a new champ in town... Very comfortable, at highway speed it just chews up the miles and spits them out, smooth ride, great power. The SE with premium package gives great values with great options. The beige interior and wood grain interior looks better than the grey/aluminum, and looks very upmarket, not like the cheap GM stuff. Buyer Beware, my local Hyundai dealer in WV puts a bump sticker in the window ($1000) over MSRP then wont deal off of that price, you can get this van for and not have to pay that, just shop at the right place, fair dealers are oput there.

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  Great Car - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By RNuts - August 8 - 11:00 am

  I have 10k miles on my Sonata. I have not had the first problem. MPG is great. Even with my wifes heavy foot, the car still gets 24mpg in town and we get 32 on the highway loaded down for a trip going 70mph. My GLS did not come with the auto on/off headlights but you can still leave the headlights turned on all the time and they will go off when you turn the engine off and remove the key. If you have BMW taste then do not consider this car. But if value means more to you than people judging you by the coolness of your car, then the Sonata is for you.

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  Proud new owner - 2002 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By poorav9 - August 8 - 2:00 am

  We are the proud new owners of a Pewter Santa Fe LX AWD. It is truly a "neighbours envy, owners pride"! The other favorite was the Mazda Tribute. Four reasons why we went for the Santa Fe: 1)Stalling problems and recalls in the Tribute. 2)Good crash test rating for Santa Fe(top of its class) 3)SF loaded with a lot of standard features. 4)SF exterior stands out from the rest.

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  Watch out Toyota - 2001 Hyundai XG300
  By john115 - August 8 - 2:00 am

  Good solid ride,no wind noise,no rattles only needed to go back to dealer for new floor mat clips.I will keep this car for at least 10 years,and hopefully still love it,as much as now.

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  excellent car - 2003 Hyundai Tiburon
  By steve lee - August 8 - 2:00 am

  Excellent overall

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  Nice car - 2011 Hyundai Genesis Coupe
  By Jack - August 8 - 2:00 am

  A really nice car - fun to drive, easy to drive, looks and sounds great, and all at bargain basement price. What a deal.