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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  Best SUV in its class - 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By parkone - July 9 - 7:36 am

  i cant believe that hyundai has built such a great vehicle - its not the same as the 1998 that my sister owns. it was 4000 less than a comparable honda and toyota with more features and warranty.

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  Luv my 07 SE - 2007 Hyundai Tiburon
  By heavyrightfoot - July 8 - 3:53 am

  This car drives like the real deal. It outperforms most of the others in its class, and thats obvious in traffic and on the highway. The gearbox is nice and tight, the clutch pedal requires just enough force to keep me from wanting to ride it, and its performance at the high end is remarkable for the price. Then, on top of the great performance, it turns heads wherever it goes, and I look and feel great in it.

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  Better than I expected - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By iwannacar - July 7 - 12:53 pm

  I did the usual and spent a lot of time looking at the Accord and Camry. I wasnt convinced about Nissans reliability and I didnt like the Altima/Maxima styling. I was surprised when i test drove the Sonata. Its quite competent and very stable. While not a sports car, it handles itself well. The steering can be bit numb if you get the 16 inch tires.

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  03 tiburon gt - 2003 Hyundai Tiburon
  By derek neal - July 7 - 1:06 am

  I recently purchased the 03 Tiburon. I fell in love with it the minute i saw it online mine wasnt stock from the factory had same major alterations to make it look more sporty. The car runs perfect and like new for being 5 years old. Were into a cold spell where I live now and the car warms up in 5 minutes tops which is great with gas prices as high as they were. If youre looking at buying this car definitely do it, its a great for a teen to go to school in and upgrades as far as engine or body are surprisingly affordable. Great car and rate it a 10 out of 10 on any scale.

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  Outstanding value - 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By maniar - July 6 - 2:00 am

  Test drove a Acura RDX, Honda Pilot, Toyota Rav4 and Hyundai Santa Fe. Settled on the Santa Fe and we are extremely happy with our choice. Suspension is awesome: much better than the RDX, Pilot and Rav4 that we test drove. Interior build quality is excellent. Dashboard layout is functional. No road noise on the highway. Vehicle has about 4500 miles on it and so far there have been no problems.

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  Happy Hyundi Owner - 2004 Hyundai XG350
  By Charles Gail Oliver - July 5 - 10:00 am

  I have been very satisfied with this automobile. I found it to be a solid car with almost every feature I could ever afford. It has very good acceleration and the braking is also excellent. I have found this car to be a solid performer.

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  Impressive - 2009 Hyundai Genesis
  By Mattman - July 5 - 1:30 am

  Coming out of a Toyota with 176K miles my expectations were huge. My old car never had so much as a squeak or rattle. After test driving BMW, Acura, Lexus and others, Hyundai earned my business because the Genesis is every bit the car it is represented to be. As far as I can see, they didnt cut any corners. I work in an industry where image is very important and this car gets tremendous compliments from clients, valet workers and strangers.

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  Best Car Purchase I have ever made - 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By k - July 4 - 6:20 am

  I read all the reviews for all the vehicles in this class and visited Ford, Nissan, Honda, Chevy, Buick, etc. This car is beautifully luxurious inside and a very comfortable ride. My husband hates suvs and admitted he really likes this car. A friend who owns a 2002 version summed up her experience with "I love this car as much as the first day I bought it" - thats 7 yrs of ownership. If you want luxury, reliability, fun drive, room for the dog and your kids friends, have comfortable ride for 5 adults-all staying in the mid 20,000 range -check out this car. I got my 2009 limited with nav and 12 miles for 26k. I dont think anyone can beat Hyundai these days-I was just as surprised as you are!

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  Problem with leak / wet passenger side floor - 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By brianh2013 - July 3 - 11:54 pm

  My wife and I just purchased the 6 seat Santa Fe 2013 that arrived last week. We had looked at the sport but waited on the larger model. So far we are pleased with the car, the appearance and technology are great. We have not had much time to road test it but have encountered a problem, the passenger side floor was wet after a day on road with the AC on, there was also a little water on the driver side. The dealer was closed and we are dropping it off today, no idea if this is related to the AC drain or evaporator yet. Not happy with the idea that much water was in the cab for at least a day, could cause rust and mold. I will post after we find out what happened

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  Love the new Sonata - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By dajak - July 3 - 11:06 pm

  The new Sonata comes only in a 4 cylinder which, at first, was off- putting. I drove and purchased the Limited, and was more than satisfied with the acceleration and handling. However, what really sold the car is the innovative new Lexus-like body style. I own a 2006 Sonata, which my son inherited, and had considered a 2009 or 2010, but was not in love with the looks -- plain Jane. The 2011 changed all of that. One sharp, well- equipped car for the $24,200 purchase price.