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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  its a great car - 2003 Hyundai Tiburon
  By Harley1240 - October 17 - 10:00 am

  It is a great looking car. Drives better than I thought it would.

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  Better than expected - 2002 Hyundai Elantra
  By sk_66 - October 17 - 10:00 am

  Had the car for 6 months/7000 miles and I love it. Not a single problem other than fighting my wife for it(beats driving the family mini-van). Wish the car had a little more low-end acceleration, but it more than makes up for it with the overall ride.

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  Over 2 years with Sonata 2012 Limited 2.4L with navigation, Hankook-Tire H431 215/55/17 V - 28,000 miles - 2012 Hyundai Sonata
  By dave436 - October 17 - 9:57 am

  I might be wrong / you have different situation but Id like to help someone who are suffering from the issues as the same as mine. 1. Creaking noise from rear suspension - fixed by dealer 2. Pulling issue & tire noise at high speed - dealers answer : no problem - My solution : Adjust wheel alignment & Changed tires to Michelin MXV4 94H(94V recommend) - It works great. 3. Hands free button malfunction (sometimes) - replaced by dealer 4. Cruise control "SET"/"Cancel" malfunction (50% failure) - dealers answer : no problem - waiting for 100% failure. 5. Weird noise from engine. - Using Octane 91 / 93 Gas. Now Im feeling more comfortable after spending money & time.

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  Wonderful - 2003 Hyundai Accent
  By logan - October 17 - 2:00 am

  I was hesitant about buying this car, but I had read an article in the paper and this car got rave reviews. I have always liked Hyundai but never heard good things about their product. Never the less I bought an Accent anyway and instatnly fell in love. Great dependabilty and great gas mileage, whats not to love.

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  Not good, Not bad either! - 2002 Hyundai Accent
  By Jimmy Joe - October 17 - 2:00 am

  The car is used as my commuter car. I drive 1/2 hr to work each day in it. i think I paid $8200 total (including TTL) and pay around $12 in gas a week. the car is cramped (I am 61) and the seat does not slide back enough for me. The radio also has a problem with keys sticking and being hard to press. The car runs well enough...although it has too much power for the light frame so the front tires peel out froms tops at times.

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  Elantra GT review - 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT
  By zaps - October 15 - 9:45 pm

  very bad MPG it is giving 21MPG only as compared to 34MPG on highway and 24 on interior roads. While driving you can feel it is not smooth and can feel the hardness on accelerator. The Dealer says talk to hyundai and hyundai says talk to dealer. This is worst car i had

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  Hyundai lover! - 2013 Hyundai Sonata
  By Sandra Wood - October 15 - 11:22 am

  First of all I had a 2011 Hyundai before this one ! Now, I think this is a great vehicle ! I love the heated leather seats! Plus the Blue Link app is great to have in the winter! I have the sun roof which I would give up for either the rear camera or navigation! The gas Milage around town isnt the greater but great on the highway ! I am keeping this vehicle after the lease but will buy another in the future!

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  Diamond in the Rough! - 2010 Hyundai Veracruz
  By PML - October 14 - 11:13 pm

  What can I say.... test drove, BMW, Benz, Accura, Lexus, Infinity, Ford, GM, Subaru and for the $ no one even comes close! Social mask aside (yeah its not an over priced vanity product) but this vehicle is a gem! Wonderful fit and finish, exceptional torque to gear ratio and this lady will move when you need her to with her 260 H.P. and 6 speed manumatic tranny. Hyundai (I also own a 2009 Santa Fe AWD Limited)is quickly getting the attention it deserves. Toyotas recent and ongoing quality control issues will further compliment and fuel Hyundais ability to take on an increased market share. BTW... Best warranty in the business! They truly back what they build! Love the Brand!

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  Good car for the money - mostly - 2010 Hyundai Sonata
  By L - October 14 - 3:33 pm

  I have had this car for over two months and have taken two substantial trips with it, in addition to daily city driving. Plusses: fabulous pick- up; good performance; decent comfort; roomy; fairly smooth ride (especially when fully loaded with passengers); GREAT highway mileage -- my record so far: 38.4 mpg (single occupant, A/C, minimal luggage, flat topography, cruise control, 65-68 mph); Minuses: cant seem to fill tank up without the pump auto-shutting off at about 2/3 full; mysterious fresh petroleum odor from air-vents, especially when idling; confusing/ambiguous/redundant- looking A/C temp/fan controls; auto headlights dont seem to activate easily enough (e.g., when rainy, cloudy)

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  Its Okay - 2012 Hyundai Elantra Touring
  By urbanhippie001 - October 14 - 11:00 am

  Overall, the car is reliable. However, Ive had to replace the odometer/dash twice (w/in 60K miles) due to the numbers disappearing on me. Not sure if due to malfunction, heat/sun, etc... But its annoying because the fix resets the odometer back to 0. I really miss my old 2005 Hyundai (accent). It was made better than this car. Other than that, the car has been reliable. No major problems aside from odometer. Does not accelerate quickly. Would I buy one again? Unfortunately, no.