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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  nice car - 2009 Hyundai Genesis
  By doberman - March 16 - 3:50 am

  I received the Genesis yesterday. What a great car. Iwas a little disapointed as far as the dealer. The very next day had to bring in for a airbag sensor. Genesis should have there own dealership.

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  Very happy so far - 2008 Hyundai Sonata
  By trex - March 16 - 2:50 am

  Have had the car for about a month and put on approx. 1000 mi. Have gotten very good interstate mpg- about 28 @ 80 mph, about 31 mpg @ 70 mph. Rides quiet and nice, plenty of power for normal driving. Very roomy as well- we were considering a Fusion or Milan based on reputation, price, and mpg, but the Sonata met or exceeded those requirements with more room for (future) strollers, etc. I also own a 01 Sonata, and would without a doubt recommend Hyundai vehicles.

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  Great Car - 2004 Hyundai Accent
  By mikenjustine - March 16 - 2:00 am

  Best little car around. Fun to drive, excellent fuel mileage. This dealership is devoted to after the sale customer service, and it shows. Dont pass this one up. The Accent is a keeper.

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  LUV MY CAR - 2002 Hyundai Sonata
  By STAYCEE7 - March 16 - 2:00 am

  I FELL IN LOVE WITH THIS CAR AT FIRST SIGHT BUT I MUST ADMIT THAT I WAS RELUCTANT TO BUY A HYUNDAI. THE COMPANY AFTER ALL DID NOT HAVE A GREAT REPUTATION. BUT AFTER I DROVE IT I KNEW IT WAS GOING HOME WITH ME. AFTER ALL THE WARRENTY WAS GOING TO COVER IT SHOULD ANYTHING GO WRONG. I HAVE NOT REGRETED MY DECISION ONCE. I LOVE DRIVING MY CAR AND EVERYTIME I PARK IT MY HUSBAND TAKES OFF IN IT. THE POWER IS INCREDIBLE AND THE INTERIOR I COMFORTABLE AND BEAUTIFUL. WITHOUT A DOUBT THE BEST CAR WE HAVE EVER OWNED.

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  I love my Veracruz! - 2007 Hyundai Veracruz
  By Kelloggs99 - March 15 - 8:43 pm

  I freaking love this car! First, it looks great--the exterior is very stylish (the front end could use some perking up), and I love the chrome accents. The interior is very nicely appointed with the wood trim. Fit and finish is excellent. The Veracruz easily competes with any luxury SUV. The seats are very comfortable, there is plenty of leg room, visibility is great, and the ride is amazing. Very quiet, smooth yet sporty, and responsive.

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  It keeps on going and going! - 1992 Hyundai Sonata
  By daleagarratt - March 15 - 2:00 am

  The pick-up is good, and I need that on the highway every day. In Korea, drivers tend to be like New York drivers, aggressive and in your face. I need the extra juice I can get from my Sonata. The interior is very comfortable, and the ride is nice, for an older car. Just a pleasant experience to drive, Id say. And the dealer here (near the UsaRMY7 BASE) sold it to me for only $950, about half of what I would have paid to a dealer in the states, and even less than a private party would have asked for.

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  Pleasantly surprised! - 2002 Hyundai Elantra
  By toppdollar - March 15 - 2:00 am

  I have owned my Elantra for almost 2 years now. I got this car just a year after my wife got a 2001 Elantra GT. It has well surpassed my expectations. My wife had a 92 Elantra brand new and it was just horrible. I can truly say comparing the two is like day and night. The ride is quiet and smooth. Lots of storage! Gas mileage could be better especially for a stick. You get more for your money with this car than other in this class, and it wont cost you an arm and a leg. Very Practical.

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  Very Disappointed - 2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid
  By j_m_m - March 14 - 7:39 pm

  I was very disappointed with the Sonata Hybrid. They advertise 40 mph highway, but I get about 32; the internal computer says I get about 35, though. When I asked about the discrepancy between my actual fuel consumption and the sumputers estimate, the dearship told me the computer was more accurate than the actual (not sure how thats possible). The interior is also very constrictive and not comfortable for anyone over 6 for anything more than about 30 minutes. The electric motor is very weak, only operating up until about 10 mph, and only kicking in after that during coasting. The accelerator is also very unresponsive, sometimes taking up to two seconds to kick in.

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  Exxxxxcellent - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By CWright - March 14 - 5:20 pm

  Ive waited 3 months to do this. We have now put 7K miles on her and I am astounded. Averaging 38 MPG and havent got a single negative thing to say. Still get head turns all the time. This is the most comfortable car we have had (17 cars in last 35 years). Incredible comfort. Cornering and braking are smooth as silk. My in-law has the Infiniti 35 and I actually think ours is more comfortable. Lots of room (were average build) in front & back. Huge trunk space. Dealer gave us lots of perks, including nitrogen in tires, which I have had in past and believe adds to fuel economy and tire wear. The only possible negative point: its my wifes primary car. Do yourself a favor, you cant go wrong.

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  so far so good - 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By paulie1960 - March 14 - 10:00 am

  after driving my gls santa fe for one month i have only found two issues which i feel need mentioning the first is the gas mileage not to good ? before this i had a grand caravan with a 3.3 engine which gave me very good mileage , and two the one exterior problem is the way that the rain water chnnels are directed in a bad direction if you open your window after a rain the water come pouring in ontop of all the window controls which