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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  My Santa Fe - 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By polly A. - June 7 - 10:00 am

  This car came delivered in perfect condition and we have found no defects. It is a pleasure to drive. We bought on the results of the J.D. Powers quality review and we are not disappointed.

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  Super fun - 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe
  By Popeye - June 6 - 12:16 pm

  I would love to submit a review on this vehicle. The look is superb and is definitely a head turner. I have a friend who owns a Santa Fe and it was through this referral that I even considered a Hyundai. I initially did not think I would find any vehicle in the sporty line but indeed I did. This is a great ride and I look am happy I made the purchase. May I also note the dealership was excellent.

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  2014 Elantra - 2014 Hyundai Elantra
  By Tim Mahoney - June 4 - 11:45 am

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  Traded Mustang for an SUV, and not disappointed - 2016 Hyundai TUCSON
  By D. D. - June 4 - 9:57 am

  What? Traded in a Mustang for an SUV and not disappointed? How can that be you ask? Well first off you cant compare the two, one is pure American muscle rumbling down the highway sucking down gas blowing the doors off other cars. Will it beat a Mustang off the line? Uh no, of course not. Is it as flashy and eye catching as the Mustang? Again no. Are strangers going to come up to me at the gas station and tell me how much they like my car, eh probably not. So why am I so happy with my Tuscon? Three reasons, performance, convenience, and size. Im sure its also a lot safer than my old Mustang but lets focus on those other three. In terms of performance, as I said its not a Mustang. Its an SUV. The Tuscon is a peppy little guy, the 1.6L Turbo is a huge difference over the 2.4L non-Turbo in the base model. Put it in sport mode and it can really get up and go. Gets up to freeway speeds just fine, has no trouble at all. Havent really used the eco mode, I tend to keep it in normal or in Sport when I want a little extra zest. The 7 speed automatic manual transmission deal they got going on is really nice. Much better than the CVT stuff other manufacturers are using. Its a new trans so hopefully it holds up to the test of time. Thats where the warranty comes in, if it has problems Im covered for 100,000 miles. Now when it comes to convenience, you get all the gadgets and gizmos you would expect on a 2016, and with Hyundai you get a lot more than others. Bluetooth, touch screen radio, back up camera, all standard on the Eco (the middle tier trim level). The controls are all right there on the steering wheel and it is all intuitive. No need to read the manual to figure out what things do. So what about size? Im not a small guy (6 foot and weigh more than I should). I fit just fine. Plenty of room to drive in comfort. I havent really sat in the back seat, but thats for the kids so who cares. Speaking of the kids, they really like how the back seats actually recline a bit. Something our Kia does not do. And while talking about the Kia there is definitely more cargo room in the back than in my Sportage. The best thing about size, is the overall size. Its not a huge SUV. It drives like a car, and parks like one but there is still room for a family of 4 and our giant dog to ride in the very back.

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  The Santa Fe SE is a nice vehicle - 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By coldrink - June 4 - 4:09 am

  I have had a 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe SE for about six months. So far, I am very pleased with it. It is comfotable and fun to drive. It has the 3.5L 6 cylinder engine and it runs good. It is swift. It has lots of pep and that is important to me. On the one short road trip it has been on, it got about 24 mpg. In town it gets between 18 and 20 mpg. It is a very nice vehicle. I would recommend the Santa Fe it to anyone, but I would want the 3.5L engine.

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  Hyundai over Accord - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By Dan C - June 4 - 12:03 am

  Bought a 2009 SE V6. Spent a lot of time narrowing the search. Came down to the Honda Accord. Then just for curiosity, stopped @ a Hyundai dealerships and drove the Sonata. Quieter, more creature comforts for less $$, and a warranty thats best on the market. So far have only 500 miles. The first fill up, got 31 mpg. The car really is amazing how smooth and responsive. Youre at 80 mph and unless youre paying attention, you wouldnt know it. The SE really is a great handling car for a family sedan. My other driver is a Mustang GT. The Sonata isnt a GT, but its almost as tight in the corners Give the Sonata a fair shot. Youll be amazed.

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  LAWLERs PIC - 2002 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Patrick Lawler - June 3 - 2:00 am

  Great Looking SUV(inside and out) thats fun to drive, and also great on gas. Maybe American Car builders should take a better look at the santa Fe before making thiers.

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  I love my car - 2002 Hyundai Elantra
  By nycsexy69 - June 3 - 2:00 am

  It is a very reliable car and i am pleased with the performance i like the style of the car and the the way it is set up in the inside i love how smooth it drives

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  hy - 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By newhyundaiowner - June 3 - 2:00 am

  good price / value best warranty on the market fully loadet safe enugh space for tall people

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  Great Car for A Great Price - 2003 Hyundai Elantra
  By HappyCarOwner - June 3 - 2:00 am

  We test drove 4 other vehicles (Mazda, Nissan, Ford, Honda) and this vehicle stood out best among those. We are very satisfied so far. We feel like we got in on a good deal while the price is still right. FOR THE PRICE ITS A STEAL!