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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  Engine Shake and Misses - 2013 Hyundai Sonata
  By hyundainomore - June 27 - 11:11 am

  Worst choice in vehicle i could have made. The car has a shake and engine miss at idle that feels like it will fall out of the car. At idle when stopped at a light the engine has a lope and as you takeoff it shakes and vibrates until you take off. Dealer has blown off all my complaints but acknowledged they test it at idle it park, and they felt what i felt but it doesnt set a code in computer so they cant tell whats wrong. I guess im supposed to just live with it. Hyundai suggested i take it to another dealer which i can guess will go over real well.

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  XG350L - 2004 Hyundai XG350
  By mr76dac - June 27 - 10:00 am

  Unbelievable ride. Would compare to the Lexus 300ES ride.

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  The best for your dollar - 2004 Hyundai XG350
  By leonard zahler - June 27 - 10:00 am

  Beautiful and classic looking auto with all the features a discriminating buyer would want to have in a car. The price and its warranty are unsurpassed by autos with similar characteristics.

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  great car - 2004 Hyundai Sonata
  By moviecash - June 27 - 10:00 am

  this is the best car I have ever owned and my first import. I was afraid of the brand at first but find the customer service great. The car is real fun to drive,

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  April 2002 - 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By kremer - June 27 - 10:00 am

  I purchased my Santa Fe in April 2002 In my 30 plus years of purchasing of a new automobiles, this is the best one.

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  I LOVE THIS VEHICLE!!! - 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By reno142 - June 27 - 10:00 am

  This is the best vehicle I have owned and I am on my fourth new car. It is the most comfortable ride I have had. There is no substitute for the price. The Personel at the dealership was SUPERB!! they have treated me like I bought a BMW or Mercedes.

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  Fast little Rocket! - 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By andychesney - June 27 - 10:00 am

  Searched for a spunky little suv that gets exceptional gas milage. The 3.5 liter is the best choice of engine though you lose your gas milage of the smaller 6 or the 4 but definatly worth it back in power! Very nice design both interior and exterior. I would recommend the tan interior as it breaks up the colors and looks great!

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  Great Car, Great Value - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By Clark - June 26 - 12:53 am

  I never thought that I would buy a Hyundai. I spent six weeks looking for a 5-door econobox to get better mileage on my long commute. I looked at the Honda Fit, Pontiac Vibe, Toyota Matrix, Mazda 3, etc. I wanted a small car that would carry cargo. So why would I end up with a sedan. I bought the Sonata because it was a great car and a great value. It also gets great mileage (38 mpg on the Interstate at 60 mph). I wanted the four-cylinder to get better mileage. What I didn’t expect was great performance. I also didn’t expect to have a luxury car with almost all the options I could think of for such a low price. If you buy a Sonata, youll be happy – guaranteed (10 years/100000 miles happy).

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  Hot Wheele - 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe
  By Genesis5 - June 25 - 3:53 pm

  Just bought a Gen 2 turbo last week. What a fast, fun and good looking vehicle. People stop me in parking lots to ask what kind of car it is. I keep finding new things out about it as I drive. The 2 l is plenty fast and exciting to drive. Its a great car.

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  BEAUTIFUL, FUN TO DRIVE , I LOVE IT! - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By Kathleen Gayda - June 25 - 2:56 am

  My last two cars were Cadillac CTSs, I spent countless hours researching online and took many test drives, searching for a more fuel efficent and less costly alternative to the CTS. The 2011 Sonata fits the bill. My Black exterior with gray/black interior Sonata is fun to drive, gets great gas mileage (averaging 32mpg) and the Bluetooth is so cool! Im attracting lots of attention and comments. Im very happy I decided on this car, be sure to test drive one.