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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  Tuscon SUV I Love It - 2005 Hyundai TUCSON
  By Roadturtle - January 10 - 5:16 pm

  I traded in a gas hog Ford Expedition. This Tuscon is more fun to drive. Easier to park, and twice the gas mileage. I love it. Very peppy acceleration. Fits into my garage. Has every accessory I wanted included in the price. Six airbags. Antilock brakes. 4 wheel disk brakes. Very safe. I am very happy.

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  My 2004 elantra GT - 2004 Hyundai Elantra
  By chris patton - January 10 - 10:00 am

  i bought a elantra GT last month,i looked at the civic and the sentra. Both were 1,500 to 2,500 dollars more. The fit and finish on my car is excellent, i have yet to find any defects inside or out.

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  Smart Buy - 2004 Hyundai Sonata
  By Floridaowner - January 10 - 10:00 am

  The extensive warranty, five year/unlimited mileage roadside assistance, FREE oil changes for as long as I own the car. Finally, the price. I had only seen them from a distance and read about them on the Internet. It wasnt until I test drove one that I became convinced. You can not beat Hyundai when you combine the price & warranty. I was a loyal Toyota owner for ten years. Toyota could NOT put me in a vehicle with this kind of comfort, space and features for 17k.

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  Super SUV - 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Buffy Nauss - January 10 - 10:00 am

  With two children and a large dog this is the perfect mid size SUV. The leather heated seats are wonderful, seats fold down very easily,and it is a joy to drive. Gas mileage is not the best, and more options would be great, such as a built in DVD player, upgraded stereo, and side cup holders in the rear. Absolutely love it!

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  Must get the stick - 2003 Hyundai Elantra
  By mr matt - January 10 - 10:00 am

  ok the break down. fun to drive. the manual revs high rpms. 2nd at 5000 rpm you hit 50 mph, red lines at 6500. Handels great, recomend getting anti-lock braks. 25 mpg until 2000 miles then you hit 30+ mpg. I replaced a ratteling factory stereo system so check yours at high volumes when you test drive if you dobt plan on upgrading.

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  its not a lexus - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By melvyn Shindler - January 10 - 2:56 am

  Its an excellent value for the money. The body style is the thing that first called my attention to this car. I have noted that, over the past 5 years, so many other makes, foreign and domestic, have copied all or parts of the body style. The engine has been extremely reliable as have the braking system. There were some front end suspension problems which have been corrected under my warranty. Warranty is excellent.

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  More Bang for the Buck! - 2008 Hyundai Elantra
  By Dennis - January 9 - 10:53 pm

  We bought our Elantra two weeks ago and have really enjoyed it very much. We were basically looking for a gas efficient vehicle that made better mileage than our PT Cruiser. We must say that it certainly does that and then some with 28 mpg in the city and over 35 mpg on the highway! And that is with the air conditioner going all the time. Our mileage has almost doubled from our Cruiser and you cant beat the 5 year/60,000 mile bumper-to- bumper warranty. You dont get that with Honda, Toyota, GM or Ford! The relatively low cost of the car was a big factor also. We looked at how much everything cost and how much gas savings we would realize. We are very happy with the overall features.

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  The best car I have ever owned, and a good friend. - 2004 Hyundai Elantra
  By Grant E - January 9 - 9:13 pm

  I just turned over 302,000 miles on my good friend. It has never let me down or left me stranded in 12 yrs of service (2 miles on odometer when purchased). Starts every time, runs almost like brand new, fast and reliable (5 speed manual). Yeah I take care of it (oil change every 4000 miles "No matter what"). Everything else has been routine maintenance brakes, rotors, tune up (once a year) it costs less than $20 for spark plugs (get NGKs G-power) an air filter and a PCV valve. I replace the spark plug wires every other year at a cost of about $45. Follow the manual (especially on the timing belt) this is an interrupt engine and you will kill it (dead) if that belt breaks. The book says 60,000 I do mine at 75,000 (but I drive about 27,000 a year). The front struts are original (this has been a problem issue with others), I replaced the back shocks at about 190,000 but I do haul stuff sometimes (lots of room to haul stuff for a car). The front bearings have been replaced and one of the backs. Anyway I have spent less money repairing this car (total) then you would spend in a weekend at mardi gras in New Orleans. Great gas mileage 34 mpg average, I got 46 MPG on a stint through New Mexico when the car was a child with only 58,000 miles on it (say 40+ a lot back then). Now that it is broken in I get 33 in the summer and 28 in the winter. Still does not use hardly any oil (less then a 1/2 quart between changes 4000 miles). It did use some at one point, before I changed the valve cover gasket (230,000 miles). I have been through one clutch at 165,000 and it will probably need another one at 330,000 (oh well $380) (Dont take it to a dealer they will charge you $1000, thats because it is so rare they do this kind of repair). This car is an amazing piece of machinery (get the stick, if you can find one). 0 to 60 in 7.8 sec (6500 rpm of course). Quarter mile in 15.7 at 93 mph (not bad for 138 hp). Top speed 127 mph (it gets there reeeal slow after about 114) never been able to get passed 127 (ahh well). This car is great and will probably rust out before the engine goes (I am thinking 500,000 Plus). If they made it as an all wheel drive it could be the best automobile ever produced (but then it would have some kind of issue with the all wheel drive system that killed it at 140,000 miles). I mean it is not a Subaru or an Audi.

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  Most car for the money... - 2005 Hyundai Sonata
  By jmfbr - January 9 - 7:10 pm

  After a lot of research among mid-size sedans including Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, Nissan Maxima and Mitsubishi Galant, the Sonata just couldnt be beat. With side airbags standard, a V6 engine and decent gas mileage, I couldnt imagine paying more money for less car. I even bought-up to the model with the sun roof for under $18,000. It drives like a dream -- having heard on a website that the motor didnt have a lot of pick-up, I was concerned. But it has more than enough for me. It looks like a much more expensive vehicle, has a smooth ride and is very comfortable. After one month of ownership Im still pleased.

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  Best Deal Out There In Midsize Lux Sedan - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By Dave - January 9 - 5:46 pm

  Wow, just got this car home today! Its the V6 Limited model with navigation, which was the only option. The Limited model is fully loaded with just about every feature you could want. There was a $1,000 rebate on the car which was icing on the cake, because its already under priced in my opinion for what Hyundai is giving you. I havent owned the car long enough to discuss reliability, but Hyundai has come a long way in the past 25 years and Im sure it will last me a long time with regular maintenance. What an amazing vehicle! Perfect interior ergonomics, extremely quiet even at 80 MPH, very fuel efficient for a V6, and very fun to drive! The 2009 Sonata refresh is a home run!