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 owner loves it - 2003 Hyundai Tiburon
  By pfarmist - September 1 - 10:00 am

  I waited years for a car like this that I could afford without breaking the bank.

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  More than expected - 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Happy Hyundai - September 1 - 10:00 am

  Overall, my Hyundai purchase has been a very pleasant surprise. It is a fantastic value - the car looks and drives like a luxury SUV. The outside design is great and the inside is filled with intutitive features and extras - it even has a first aid kit.

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  I have found my car soul mate - 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By shelley - September 1 - 10:00 am

  Fell in love at first sight. Drove 2.5L, got 3.5 L. More get up and go. Same gas milage as 2000 Grand Prix. Make up excuses to drive. Get looks all the time especially since had really great graphics put on sides. New liscense plate surrounds finish the look.

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  My Sweet New Ride! - 2012 Hyundai Sonata
  By n_g_ - August 31 - 8:44 pm

  I purchased my SE CPO w/ 9400 miles, Nav/Sunroof package, wind deflector, spoiler & full leather. It has the silver /blue pearl paint w/ black interior. The car looks amazing! Rides great, love how it handles. Ive had it one month and have driven nearly 2000 miles already and havent had any issues at all. The car came with this Blue Link thing that lets me remotely control the car(start/doors/lights/horn), gives monthly diagnostic reports and can even slow the car down to a complete stop if I reported stolen and then the GPS will tell me where it is. Cool or what. Since its CPO I get the 5yr/60k full warranty, the 10yr/100k power-train warranty and 10yr/unlimited roadside assistance :)

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  Happy Camper - 2016 Hyundai Sonata
  By AG - August 31 - 8:32 am

  This has been an excellent experience so far with the Hyundai Sonata Limited and look forward to the next one in 3 years.

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  I love my car - 2004 Hyundai Accent
  By patmcallister - August 31 - 2:00 am

  I drive a very steep mountain grade daily and still average 32MPG! I love that the car has added safty features for both the passenger and driver in the dual airbags and steel reinforced doors

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  Surprised by how much I like it. - 2010 Hyundai Elantra Touring
  By mom22kids - August 30 - 10:16 am

  We bought this car during Cash for Clunkers, and my goal was to buy the least expensive car that would meet our immediate needs. This car fit that bill. I am really surprised at how much I like it--the hatchback makes a huge difference for getting things (strollers) in/out. We bought the SE b/c of the bigger tires to make the ride a bit more smooth and b/c the moon roof made things feel cramped. Great vehicle for hauling kids and their gear. A bit loud, but for this price what do you expect?

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  Update, Have you experienced this? - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By TomP - August 30 - 10:00 am

  This is an update to my previous post. While driving on the highway (65-70) I put the rear window(s) down (front windows were up). The wind noise created was a loud, deep rumble like something vibrating in the frame. I thought I had a serious problem but then I opened the front and it went away. I wouldnt normally drive with either rear windows opened with the front ones closed and this happened by accident. I cant believe it is only my car and assume this affects all 2011 Sonatas. Try it and see if you get the same. Front windows closed and either 1 or both rear windows opened at highway speeds. No big deal for me and the car has been great so far but Hyundai should fix the cause.

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  Performance in accident - 2004 Hyundai Accent
  By jillboaz - August 30 - 2:00 am

  This is my second Hyundai. My first Hyundai was totalled in an accident when a woman ran a stop sign and hit me on the drivers side. I was able to walk away from the accident. I did not have side airbags. I think she hit me at about 30-45 mph. I am very happy with the warranty and performance of my hyundai.

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  Like it a lot - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By DAW - August 29 - 3:43 pm

  We were looking for something to buzz around town in for our family of 5. We are very happy with the car, no compliants. My wife also likes the car a lot. The car is very quiet. I have no regrets with our purchase.