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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  Happy Owner - 2004 Hyundai Sonata
  By Artie Dee - April 30 - 10:00 am

  I love the way it looks style wise and it handles beautifully.The trunk has ample space, especially when to put down the rear seatbacks to give you more cargo area for longer items.I am very happy with its pickup and passing ability.A great car for the price and especially the warranty. That really sold me on this car. I figure if a car manufacturer gives you such a long warranty period, that means they trust their car to have less performance failures.

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  A fantastic makeover! - 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By tom mielczarek - April 29 - 9:46 am

  Found that we needed a vehicle to replace our aging mini-van, and since we live where it does snow, wanted something with either all wheel or 4 wheel drive. Compared a Honda CR-V and the RAV4 with the Hyundai Santa Fe. It ended up being no contest! The Hyundai in the SE trim level is loaded with safety/convience/comfort items. We also qualified for special financing, which clinched the deal. The redesign of the Santa Fe has created a beautiful looking vehicle both inside and out. I had a guy think it was a Lexus! And if youre considering a SUV check out the Santa Fe, especially in the Dark Cherry Red (which is what we got), its stunning.

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  Fun, performance, and great Looks !!! - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By Scott - April 28 - 4:56 pm

  I have had some of the worst vehicles known to man - Intrepid,Taurus,Astro. I Really needed a car, but none really interested me until the Sonata. I knew nothing of Hyundai until I checked the web, and the reviews were outstanding. BUT when I saw it, I knew I had to have this car. The quality and attention to detail is outstanding as was the price. The interior and trunk have lots of room. We love this car, and will probably get another Hyundai for my wife. Drive one - it handles like its on rails and pulls hard (if you get on it). The warrantee is second to none.

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  09 Limited V6-NAV - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By fscot - April 28 - 4:06 pm

  Preferred the Sonata over the Accord, Camry, Altima & Malibu - the much lower price was icing on the cake. Ride is silky smooth, and exceptionally quiet. The new interior is fantastic beats all the competitors. Great car!!!

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  An absolute MUST buy! - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By Proprioceptive - April 28 - 1:43 pm

  It was down to a Malibu, Fusion, and Sonata, and we went with the Sonata. You cant beat the combination of a huge interior, great gas milage, safety, and the best price in the market for what you get. I love how nimble the handling is and how quick the 198HP engine is. We got an amazing deal on a GLS with popular equipment package. Right now the only gripe I have is with the drivers seat. It seems like they could have made it a little more comfortable/ergonomic. It isnt too bad, but I guess Im nitpicking. We love that the trunk actually opens all the way when you hit the FOB button. The ride is pretty solid.. kind of a mix between the plush Camry ride and the sporty Fusion ride.

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  great suv - 2006 Hyundai TUCSON
  By mud - April 28 - 2:06 am

  Fun to drive. The unique auto-shifter is a plus when driving around town and the way it automatically downshifts when you slow down is great.

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  excellent all around - 2002 Hyundai Elantra
  By trunks99 - April 27 - 2:00 am

  i have had my Hyundai Elantra GT for a year now and i still love it. the leather is luxurious and comfortable and the hatchback design is great for the outdoors (camping, rock climbing, snowboarding). i can fit three snowboards with the 60/40 split and three passengers. the engine is smooth and quiet and absolutely no problems.

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  What a bargain! - 2004 Hyundai Elantra
  By emmaspop - April 25 - 10:00 am

  This car is an excellent value. Loaded w/ features and comfortable for a family of 4. Hyundai cant be paying the Koreans enough if they are making a profit off this car!

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  Great Car!!! - 2004 Hyundai Elantra
  By ExHondadriver - April 25 - 10:00 am

  I love this car more than my previous 99 Honda Accord. I dont think there is much to improve upon this car. Gas mileage is awesome and the car is very comfortable.

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  Love it - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By toysax - April 24 - 6:26 am

  Finally got my car fri. The steering took 1 hr to get used to. Drives great feels great. People ask questions and gawk at it. Some problems getting my phone book downloaded to bluetooth. But I found way to do it anyways. Build quality is great. Design great. Drive is great.