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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  Great Car at Its Price Point - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By Ben G - August 4 - 9:20 pm

  Test drove similar sized cars such as Nissan Altima, Ford Fusion and Toyota Camary....This car is a good value for the money and was about $2000 less than the 2010 Fusion which was my 2nd choice....The car lacks a few items like driver and passenger side arm rets..The rear seating could be better...The 2.4L engine delivers good response and the overall ride is very good for a car this size....

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  One solid performer - 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By the major - August 4 - 6:46 pm

  I test drove the Honda Pilot, CRV and Element and the Mazda CR7. None of them gave me the overall satisfaction I get from the Sante Fe. This car does everything well. The gas mileage is not bad when you consider the vehicle weighs 4300 lbs. I traded in a very temperamental 02 Audi Allroad for the Sante Fe and have no regrets.

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  From Camry XLE to Hyundai Sonata Limited - 2013 Hyundai Sonata
  By btiger14 - August 4 - 10:51 am

  Had been driving Toyota Camries for the last 20 years. The new 2012 Toyota Camry styling just did not do it for me. I liked the Sonata exterior styling much more. The car is good looking and fun to drive. Rides nice and looks great. The Nav option is very nice; only complaint being the special cord required for IPOD use. The 2.4 engine is ample in power; a concern I had since I was coming from the V6. Gas mileage at this point not great, but still in break in period. Given that the Hyundai comes with a very good warranty it is discouraging and concerning that the dealer pushes hard on the extended warranty for a sizable sum of money; makes you wonder about the service aspects.

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  Waste of money - 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Meredith - August 3 - 10:22 am

  Since purchasing my Santa Fe a year ago, I have had nothing but problems. Within 2 weeks I had to spend over $1500 on repairs, and that wasnt the end. The windshield was not placed in properly (apparently a common problem with these cars), causing the passenger side to have a large leak any time it rains. The gas gauge does not read properly, and will say the tank is empty a day after it is filled up. The seat heaters do not work (the passenger button controls the driver seat, and the passenger heater does not work at all). The a/c and heat are on constantly at full blast, there is no way to turn it down or off. I could go on about the problems I have had with this car, and unfortunately Hyundai will not cover any of the costs to repair these problems. I am counting down the days until I can buy a new one. I will never buy a Hyundai again.

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  EXCELLENT CAR - 2001 Hyundai Elantra
  By JG15LZB - August 3 - 2:00 am

  Wow I could not believe how good of a job Hyundai did on this car when I had first got it. The car drove effortlessly down the road cruising at 65 mph. It handled bumpy and uneven roads darn well. The seats were very comfortable and supportive, plus they were easy to adjust. And I loved the audio system. Mine was equipped with the optional CD player, ABS, and moonroof. Yet I gaot the Elantra for right under $15,000! try doing that with a Civic. I had the car for 3 years. I can honestly say that I didnt had any problems with the car. I was shocked because I havent had any car for 3 years without ANY problems!I never thought my 1st would be Hyundai!

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  Paint is peeling after 10 months!!! - 2003 Hyundai Elantra
  By New_Mexico_Viking - August 3 - 2:00 am

  The clear coat and paint are peeling off in dime and quarter-sized spots the car that I bought only 10 months ago. I took it to the dealer expecting that the "so-called" paint warranty would cover the repairs. The dealer, and later the Hyundai Regional Service Manager, both told me that the damage had been caused by "bird-droppings." I wash the car weekly. Worse yet, they said that this is considered "damage caused by external contamination," and hence not warranted under their "bumper-to-bumper warranty." They tell me that it is perfectly normal for bird poop to peel the paint right off a car. This is the first time Ive seen such a thing.

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  Clutch Failure - 2006 Hyundai Tiburon
  By Kim Weise - August 1 - 8:16 pm

  Clutch Failure at 30,000! Not covered by original or extended warranty Cost $1055 only owned the car for 7 months Looks are very deceiving if you own one get rid of it before it costs you!

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  Love my Hyundai - 2004 Hyundai Accent
  By marion - August 1 - 2:00 am

  I love my car.....this car looks sporty and the price is right....I love my sun roof, and some of the other features. Im also glad its a basic model, no electric windows to worry about....I hate ABS...so this is a great car for me. It handles really well...drives pretty smooth, and I find it a lot of trunk space....and room for friends in the back. My friends are surprised by how spacious its in the back. Very economical to drive. ")

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  all around top class car - 2004 Hyundai Tiburon
  By #1 ramrod - August 1 - 1:46 am

  We have currently ran our TIBURON GT for four days and the gas meter has not moved off full. Hyundai is best vehicle yet.

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  sonata lx - 2003 Hyundai Sonata
  By james imel - July 31 - 10:00 am

  This car is one of the best values on the market. It has more standard features than many higher priced vehicles. The quality is excellent and the warranty is unsurpassed.