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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  reliable, but unexciting Sonata II - 1995 Hyundai Sonata
  By American in Korea - May 27 - 2:00 am

  My father-in-law gave me this car with about 100,000 km. Its not the nicest car Ive ever driven, but it is VERY reliable. It has never broken down on me. It starts up in the snow and cold no matter what. So far, all Ive replaced has been a battery, distributor cap, and plugs. Getting work done on Korean cars in Korea is dirt cheap, so that is a plus. Same problem with power door lock gremlins. They lock and unlock on their own all the time. When I get out without my keys, I make sure to roll down the window first! It has 155,000 km. (nearly 100,000 mi.) on it now and should be strong for much more.

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  37 MPG and loving it - 2002 Hyundai Accent
  By R J CATALANO - May 27 - 2:00 am

  Have owned two Exels My 2002 Accent is by far the best raw $$ value on the market. Ive only owned 5 speeds w/o air. Automatic with air would be a big mistake with this car. Its a blast to drive. Sips gas. Buy only the base model w/o any options and you will not go upside down. I drive it 40 miles per day and its just a fantastic value If you dont finance it figure 19 cents to 20 cents/ mile even at $2.00 gallon for gas over 60,000 miles. Sell off at 55k for half of what you paid for it and buy another new one, Ok in the snow Strong heater Plenty of power with 5 speed no air. 37 mpg HW Good Stereo.

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  Best SUV on the market - 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By hgoins - May 26 - 5:30 pm

  I purchased my Santa Fe about 2 1/2 weeks ago and I do not regret it one bit. So far it as been fun to drive. I am getting about 20 to 21 mpg which is not bad for a small SUV. The interior is very comfortable- my kids love it. It has great storage in the back for all your kids sport equipment. The Exterior- the color (Midnight Blue) is beautiful it sparkles in the sunlight. Overall this is a nice car for the money. Also, note in Car and Drive it was rated one of the top SUVs- The Nissan Murano beat it only on speed (I believe) but it won everything else.

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  Camry Beater - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By big al - May 26 - 10:03 am

  great car fun to drive handles well, lots of room up front large trunk. love the 5 speed automatic great for merging on the highway all the dials are user friendly nice features like steering wheel mounted radio volune and mute buttons

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  Love the look...NOT pleased with the performance and durability - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By amij - May 26 - 7:41 am

  This was my very first new car. I was very pleased with the price. I got the Hyundai employee discount. I only paid about $16,800 for a brand new vehicle! I love the gas mileage and look, however, I do am not pleased with the vehicle. My car is only a year old and I have had SEVERAL issues with it. My door fram has peeled twice, my steerling wheel has peeled, my horn quit working, my light buttons stick and on top of this my engine tries to stall upon excelleration( which they still have not fixed because they said it isnt showing up on the computer) Its annoying to have to contine to drive 100 miles round trip to get it fixed all of the time. Its a new car..shouldnt be happening.:(:(:(

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  Drive it, Youll like it - 2016 Hyundai Elantra
  By Richard Newsom - May 26 - 6:37 am

  Very good car. This is the 4th Hyundai Ive owned (the 2nd Elantra) and Ive been satisfied with each one. The acceleration is a little sluggish but OK. Nice front seat area though the center console on the 2016 could go back to the slightly larger one on the 2013. Back seat area is a little small for bigger adults but really good for kids. Overall features in the Value Edition are top notch and the trunk is a good size for this type of car. Warranty is top notch and Columbia Hyundai in Cincinnati is the best dealership Ive ever dealt with.

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  It is what it is - 2000 Hyundai Accent
  By Harvey - May 26 - 2:00 am

  This is a quality commuter car. Despite its slight appearance, it will take a beating and keep delivering. Mileage is great and the annual maintenance cost is minimal. An ideal car for those with a long commute, or a good first car for a teenager.

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  GREAT CAR.. im luvin it - 2004 Hyundai Tiburon
  By chris Zirbe - May 26 - 2:00 am

  this car has led me through many times. i it is very reliable and it looks cool. not only is the design of the outside cool, but so is the interior. this car is great for street, sand, and racing.

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  Beautiful, fun little looker of a car! - 2004 Hyundai Tiburon
  By Lindsey_12 - May 26 - 2:00 am

  I just bought this car last weekend...Ive wanted one since I was in high school, so five years. The new design is so beatiful! Its sporty, a blast to drive, and I love the looks I get from people. It really stands out. Plus, you cant beat the price for what you get. So many standard features, plus even loaded it is a bargain compared to similar cars. I really cant say enough good things about my wonderful new car!

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  Why get a celica or cougar - 2003 Hyundai Tiburon
  By Rodney Ryan - May 26 - 2:00 am

  This is the best car that I have owned. For the price I dont think I could get leather, power everything and even a foctory subwoofer with any other car.