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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  Love my Tucson - 2005 Hyundai TUCSON
  By Jeannie - January 12 - 12:40 am

  Why get a BMW X5 when you can save 30K and get this vehicle. It rides great,looks great, fully loaded, leather seats, sunroof, etc. :) Gas Mileage could be a bit better, it is great on the Highway. I have so much room. The warranty is outstanding. I used to drive a BMW car and wanted a BMW X5 but didnt want to pay the sticker price. I found the Tucson and it came with everything and a bit more than what the X5 had, and a WAY LOWER sticker tag. I highly recommend this vehicle.

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  I Like It - 2002 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By MonkG - January 11 - 10:00 am

  I was one of the first owners of this vehicle in northern California. The car has been a pleasure to drive, very reliable and quite spunky in terms of acceleration. I looked extensively at the Tribute, RAV4 and Escape before deciding on the Santa Fe. I must say I feel I made the right decision. The warranty gave me much comfort regarding the unknowns of this vehicle. I have been so impressed with Hyundai that I puchased an Elantra for my wife when she needed a new car.

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  " All Right in my little Book"! - 2002 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Ranfew - January 11 - 10:00 am

  Im a CPR Instructor, and this SUV is perfect for my equipment.

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  Satisfied with our Hyundai - 2001 Hyundai Elantra
  By Jqueen - January 11 - 2:00 am

  We have had our 2001 Hyundai for almost three years and 52,000 miles now. We have had a few visits to the dealership for minor problems, most within the first few months of ownership. We still get right at 33-35 mpg on the highway and 25-27 in town. The engine isnt as quiet as it was new, but it still performs the same way. There are no annoying rattles in the car, except when there is loose change in the cupholder or something to that effect. All in all, it has been an excellent choice for us.

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  If BANG for the buck is Important to you - 2007 Hyundai Veracruz
  By Maegus - January 10 - 12:40 pm

  you should put aside earlier Hyundai conceptions of build quality- they put out a hellofa product today and run 10- 15% cheaper than a comparibly equipped Toyota or Honda without sacrificng anything. I dont get other people blasting the Veracruzs fuel economy=> what the hell are you people comparing this to?? Comparing it to other Crossovers/SUVs and I think the fuel milage is damn GOOD- I can average about 22mpg in mixed driving, my previous Jeep liberty never got over 19-20(98%in 2WD)...and this is a beauty over the crappy Liberty and about 20% larger with AWD. Just look at the BLAND interior of a Honda Pilot vs. the VCs Limited. I managed to get my Limited for $100 under invoice price.

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  Best car purchase Ive made in 30 years - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By Bryan Price - January 10 - 1:43 am

  My 90 Gran Marquis needed replacing after 200K and another round of shorting somewhere in the firewall. With the good reviews from my wifes coworkers, we looked at Sonatas, liked them, and bought one. 100K/10 year warranty was a plus, since we both drive cars to their graves.

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  Seeing is believing - 2009 Hyundai Genesis
  By Carl - January 9 - 2:30 pm

  I walked into the Hyundai showroom to see the Genesis in person as I had only seen it on tv. I am not sure how long my mouth hung open as I took in the whole car! Eventually I made my way to the sticker and realized this model cost 6k less than other similarly styled cars. I arrived in a 07 Altima SE and drove home in the same Genesis that afternoon. The car is so quiet and powerful,a head turner for sure. Everything I have looked for in a car.

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  Heres hoping - 2010 Hyundai Sonata
  By federale46 - January 9 - 5:08 am

  I have had this car since March of 2010, and most of the time, it is trouble free, but there are quirks that make me think of turning it in. I commute 82 miles a day, and have 61K on the car. Everything was fine for the first 30k miles. Then, it developed a problem with the fuel tank where it wouldnt take gas, and this took the dealer a month to resolve. Then, the transmission started thumping. The dealer did a reset twice and replaced the fluid, but the thumping started again at 59K. The dealer says they will replace the transmission if they find the condition again, but the problem is that the thumping comes and goes, and when its time to take it to the dealer, the thumping stops.

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  This isnt your Hyundai of Yesteryear! - 2003 Hyundai Sonata
  By Chris12 - January 9 - 2:00 am

  From the first time I saw the new design of the Sonata at the Philadelphia Auto Show In 2002, I could not believe it was a Hyundai. I was currently shopping for a new car and this one definately caught my eye...It is wonderful to drive. Feels, looks and handles like a much more expensive sedan. CHECK IT OUT!..Its worth a try.

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  2001 Hyundai Elantra 4dr. GLS - 2001 Hyundai Elantra
  By ramsa46 - January 9 - 2:00 am

  Have not had to do any maintenance on this vehicle. Powerful engine and good fuel economy. Great vehicle for the price.