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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  LOVE my Diamond Blue Genesis Coupe! - 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe
  By BEN44 - June 2 - 4:23 pm

  I always look forward to pressing the automatic start button and driving this WONDERFUL CAR of mine! The way she handles the road is simply phenomenal... even if its just maneuvering through a grocery store parking lot! My acquqa minerals blue beauty actually makes the drive to work every morning a stimulating experience!

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  I really like the car. - 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By mikea11414 - June 1 - 3:52 pm

  I only have 300 miles on it but love the looks and driving view. The ride is nice but it is noisy over rough roads and you do feel the tight suspension. I had a 09 murano and the ride was softer. Very easy to work the nav and other functions blue light is nice. Put your foot on the gas and you go zoom. My wife loves the view over the hood when she drives it. Except for the noise everything seems great so far. I actually like the firmer ride as I feel more in control. Wind noise was terrible in the murano but is much better in the SF. So far we really like this car andr . If you can spring for the extra few bucks go for the limited it has some nice added touches.

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  My new Sonata - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By lman - June 1 - 6:36 am

  I have had my new Sonata Limited for one week now, silver with black interior.Can not say enough about this car!The looks, outside and in, is a head turner.The proximity key is fabulous, sound system much better than my azera which had 11 or 12 speakers.The gas mileage is excellent so far, 23.5 MPG which is 100% city driving.Will give update in another month. So far, way to go HYUNDAI!

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  update - touring hatchback - 2009 Hyundai Elantra Touring
  By mark - May 30 - 3:23 pm

  Well heres an update to what I already have. Just took a little trip to cape cod. The car went 188.5 miles on 4.8 gals. of gas. Thats 39.2 miles per gal highway at 70 mph. I think it would have been higher if we did not get stuck in a 5 mile crawl to the Bourne bridge. In city seems to be about 31.5 miles per gal. The ride was very comfortable. No back pains like in other cars. The car handled great on uneven surface for repaving. I am loving this car more now than when I first got it. Good going Hyundai!

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  Great Little Car!!!!!!!! - 2005 Hyundai Elantra
  By Paladin - May 29 - 9:30 pm

  I love this car. Perfect size for a sporty sedan. Great 5-speed gearbox. Short throws in the shifter. Solid feel and great handling. Best value I could find for the money. Its just fun to drive. Engine is smooth and has sufficient power for the cars weight.

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  style - 2003 Hyundai Tiburon
  By dandy - May 29 - 10:00 am

  the style of the tibiron turns many heads!!!!Its a class act.

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  Luv my Sante Fe - 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By meeeepster - May 29 - 10:00 am

  Great car for the money. Fun to drive in all conditions. We looked at all the other models in the same class and none came close to having the options the LX Sante Fe had for the price. Try it!!! You will be glad you did.

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  Switched from American - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By Tate - May 27 - 10:16 pm

  Never thought I would do it but I finally bought my first non-American car (although its built in America, so I dont feel as bad). I love this car! Roomy, beautiful styling, gadgets galore and the warranty to back it up. How could I choose otherwise. A little more road noise than I am used to going from a Buick, but I think different tires will quiet some of that once they wear out. Bought mine on memorial day and looking forward to many years and miles!

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  glad I purchased - 2007 Hyundai Veracruz
  By R Davis - May 25 - 12:20 pm

  I have had my Veracruz for about six months now. It was my plan to a buy a Toyota, as I have owned two and knowing the quality of the car. This car is the equal to the Toyota and a bit better because of the warranty. Buy this car, you will not be disappointed, and rest assured with the warranty. This car averages about twenty miles to the gallon. I am satisfied as this car is a mid-size and carries up too eight people. Again buy a Hyundai save the difference in cost and has a better warranty. So far my car is perfect.

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  Soooo Quiet - 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By crystal10 - May 24 - 6:10 pm

  This car is so quiet that I sometimes wonder if its running. Much more front legroom than my Ford Escape, even if your 6 foot 3. The transmission is smooth and pickup is quick. Great horsepower at 260 so I have no trouble passing on the highway.