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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  Great First Car - 2007 Hyundai Elantra
  By ksjones - September 19 - 12:00 pm

  We purchased this car for our 15 year old daughter. Since she is a beginning driver, we wanted something thatÂ’s safe, easy to drive, with all the bells and whistles for under $20k. WeÂ’re impressed with the handling, gas mileage, interior features and space, and warranty. However, it is a bit noisy. Overall the Elantra is a great value for the money.

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  loved my sonata :) - 2001 Hyundai Sonata
  By misslyssa85 - September 18 - 11:21 am

  Until someone smashed into mine last week :-( I loved my Sonata. I just got it back in February. I would definitely recommend it to others. Never had any problems (I know I only had it a short time). Basic maintenance. I loved having the V6 engine, it handled well, good brakes, very comfortable. The only thing I didnt like was the cupholders. They were in an awkward place. But overall, I miss my car and want another one just like it!!

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  Dont get the 5 spd. - 2004 Hyundai Elantra
  By Roger - September 18 - 10:32 am

  Ive had a 2004 Elantra GT hatchback for two months. Great car - fast, safe, reliable, comfortable. However, the 5 spd. is extremely clunky it feels more like a truck transmission than a car transmission. Moreover, the fog lights come on only when the headlights are on, which rather defeats the purpose of fog lights. Otherwise, terrific car.

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  Good but not a great car - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By Good not great - September 17 - 7:06 pm

  I only have 600 miles and its ok, I am disappointed in the rough and bumpy ride. Also the engine noise is more than I would expect out a new car. The styling of the exterior is good and the interior is better than some more expensive cars. The ride is stiff and bumpy, the engine noise is more than I would expect from a new car off the showroom floor. The transmission hesitates a bit. The rough road feel through the steering is annoying and tiresome. Its not a Camry or an Accord, but for a price of 25%-35% less its an ok transportation car.

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  Limited pulls Left !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By l84work - September 17 - 9:25 am

  I wish I had done more research on the]is car before I bought it. The car constantly pulls to the left and it has been to the dealer three times for repair. The dealer acts as if they have never heard of this problem, but search the internet and it is everywhere. I am filing a Lemon Law complaint.

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  Good Buy, Looses Value. Boring. - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By ZNJ - September 17 - 6:36 am

  General: Boring, reliable, comfortable, good initial value, horrible resale value. OK if you plan to keep forever, lousy if you intend to trade or sell within 3 years.

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  I love this car! - 2008 Hyundai Elantra
  By bebe - September 16 - 5:21 pm

  We bought the car in July, Ive put almost 1000 miles on it. Have had no problems, save for the "check engine" popping on because I didnt screw on the gas cap correctly. Love it, love it, love it!

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  Confident Purchase - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By 09GLS - September 15 - 8:00 am

  Out of the blue decided to trade in my aging 1995 BMW 525i for the Sonata. While the 08 models sharp exterior styling initially caught my eye, the only 4 cylinder models in stock were 09s. The spacious updated interior truly feels classy and the fake manual mode lets you play a little. Acceleration is lacking and gear changes clunky, yet justified by your last refueling receipt. Great gauges and wood trim throughout. Upholstery is bland but practical. Although innovative, integrated USB/AUX ports suffer from compatibility issues (ie. iPhone support). Overall, best value for the money, if you can live with a goofy H on your grill.

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  Bought it 4 safety and glad I did - 2006 Hyundai TUCSON
  By Chip H. - September 14 - 6:26 pm

  Bought 06 Tuscon for daughters 1st vehicle. Was captured by the amount of standard safety features packed into vehicle along with crash ratings for the price. Build quality was good, sound system good, original tires did not last, gas mileage not the greatest but she is a heavy vehicle so what do you expect. We found 4 cylinder unimpressive and went with the 6. Ride was good, plenty of space for my college bound daughter and she felt good in it. Last Saturday evening boyfriend was driving and he fell asleep at wheel with my daughter sleeping next to him. They hit a concrete wall at 35 MPH. Front end of vehicle demolished and they essentially walked away from a potentially lethal crash.

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  My 2005 Tucson - 2005 Hyundai TUCSON
  By Laspalmas - September 13 - 10:13 am

  From the actual purchase experience to taking the vehicle home and owning it for a few days has been extremely satisfying. The dealer was upfront about everything and gave me a really great deal considering its a new model. It drives great, feels much more expensive than it is. (I can say that my opinion is educated considering my previous car I traded-in was a late model Toyota Camry.) When you go down the very long list of standard features, you see just how much of a superb value this SUV is compared to the others SUVs. I was particularly dissapointed with the Nissan X-Trail (not yet available in US). The Tucson was smoother, more roomy and had a much better ride. Way to go Hyundai!