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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  Excellent - 2004 Hyundai Elantra
  By Dave LeHew - October 14 - 10:00 am

  I am extremely pleased with my new car purchase. At first, I was hesitant about buying a 4-cylinder vehicle. However, now I am very pleased that I chose it because of the outrageous fuel prices. It is the most economical vehicle for a college student. Overall, I am extremely happy with my purchase and would recommend this vehicle to anyone.

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  Great family SUV. - 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Karaya - October 14 - 10:00 am

  My wife wouldnt be caught dead driving a minivan, yet she doesn’t need neither a real off-roader nor a gas-guzzling monster SUV for everyday driving around with a baby. And here comes Santa Fe. It has comfortable driving and roomy enough to take a family of 3 or 4 with their belongings for a long vacation trips, and it excellently handles snow / ice / rain in any combinations and quantities. We drove this car trough last winter in New Hampshire (with storms et al), and it passed the test with A+ grade.

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  Great Car! - 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By appst89 - October 14 - 10:00 am

  Bought mine in August 2001. I now have almost 58,000 miles on it and still have the original tires. I will be replacing them soon, but should easily get 62,000 miles out of them. I drive over 100 miles per day for my commute and average about 24 mpg. I have had absolutely no problems from this vehicle. It has never been in the shop except for routine maintenance. My wife will be buying a car this fall and I doubt we look any further than the Hyundai dealership for her next vehicle.

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  Comfort and Style - 2005 Hyundai TUCSON
  By Red - October 14 - 4:46 am

  Comfortable ride! Its like sitting at home on my sofa. The independent 4 wheel suspension, leather seats, and low noise all add up to a smooth driving experience. The V6 engines performance is fine! Nobody buys one of these for a race car. Also, as a previous original owner of a 1989 Jeep Wrangler, and current owner of a 2000 Mustang, I have experienced many bumpy rides down the freeway during long vacation trips. We no longer have this inconvenience!

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  Good - stick 5spd model - 1994 Hyundai Elantra
  By Sorin Leucuta - October 14 - 2:00 am

  I brought this car from a dealer in 2002. It had 61000 miles at that time and I payed $2,200. I one year i added 25,000 miles and the car still runs and looks the same. But the engine is loud now and i had to replace many tires and parts (horn, winshield pomp motor, brakes, axel, bearings). I alwais use Valvoline MaxLife engine oil. So its up to you to decide, but even if i love my car, my next choice would not be a Hyundai. Its not reliable enaugh. Maybe 2003-2004 models are OK, but I dont wanna take the chance.

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  Delivers much more than it costs - 2001 Hyundai Accent
  By TimAv - October 14 - 2:00 am

  I have run my fully loaded GS for over two years as a spare car and it is worth every penny. That is all you spend on this car is pennys. Even with the bigger engine the oil capacity is just 3.5 qts. Oil changes are cheap! It is actually fun to drive and decently engineered. Im 62" and it fits me ok. The body rolls a little more than I like but the ride is good for a small car and you can hustle it around and it responds. A really good value.

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  Im satisfied - 2009 Hyundai Elantra Touring
  By lh - October 13 - 4:53 pm

  This is a wagon with great utility and nice design. We had it for more than a year and mostly for city driving with avg 25 mpg. Four adults and one toddler sit in it with plenty of room. When the back seat is folded down a queen mattress pad can fit in with some extra cargo. ABS and ESC are standard and worked well. The interior materials are of great quality, not some cheap foam and plastics. Overall a great buy!

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  Love love love this car - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By Judymomof3 - October 13 - 11:16 am

  I researched getting a car for 6 months, narrowed it down to 3, then test drove them all. The Sonata won hands down. It handles like a sports car and is just as fun to drive with plenty of elbow room for my 3 kids in the back. Im 1/2 way through my 1st tank of gas and my only complaint is my gas mileage is only 24. I hope that changes with the 2nd 1/2. I do 75% highway driving and was expecting it to be higher. Ill update if something changes. That being said, this is still the best car Ive ever driven. I got the red one and it is hot. I would highly recommend this car to everyone.

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  Got it Right - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By Joanne - October 12 - 4:03 pm

  Great ride, great looks . Got a lot of compliments from others.2nd Hyundai for me.Had 2002 XG350L before this and the Sonata was supposed to be a step down in class,but it certainly is not.This is sharper,roomier and just as luxurious. Only down side the tires,would reather have a better all round seasonal tire than the performance tires they use.

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  Pleased Overall! - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By Takis Tzinakos - October 12 - 11:16 am

  It`s my first Hyundai and after 16500 on the odometer I am pleased overall! It`s stylish, great interior space and trunk,Quiet and smoth,Silky Engine and dual-mode Transmission,34 miles per imperial gallon,good on twisty roads even with 5 passengers! Great value! Like to test drive the Azera.