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:

• 

  My best car - 2011 Hyundai Azera
  By BERNIE - October 30 - 2:00 am

  My last cars before my azeras were Jaguar & Lexus. I just traded my 2009 azera limited for 2011 limited. I liked the 2009 so much that I wanted another. The 2011 is even smoother & faster with the 6 speed transmission. The trade in value was excellent & I am very happy. This is more of an automobile than the jag & Lexus could hope to be, and for thousands less. I test drove the sonata & Genesis. The sonata was too small & the Genesis is not as smooth & comfortable as the azera. The azera is just the finest car I have ever owned.

• 

  Very dependable and fun car - 2007 Hyundai Elantra
  By bill - October 29 - 2:00 am

  We have 49,000 carefree miles now. Only reg maint. 4 new tires at 42,000 miles wiper blades, just normal wear parts. Best mpg 40, average 35 mpg. No rattles or squeaks. Controls very easy to use. If in snow definitely need snow tires. Brakes still good. Good solid car for the money. Only minus is low resale which I think is unfair since I think it is just as good as Honda and Toyota.

• 

  A fun return to the basics. - 2011 Hyundai Accent
  By Erik - October 29 - 2:00 am

  Car is basically the same as a 2000 Honda civic hatchback, plus brand new. I got no air cond because I rarely use it, and I prefer the engine is freed up to get better mileage and have better acceleration because of no extra pulley stressing the engine. I also prefer to buy my own stereo. Why would I want to waste money throwing the stock stereo in the garbage? The car drives nice. The cost makes it extremely fun to drive. You dont worry about gas much, and you dont even worry about somebody stealing your car. 95% of new cars are overloaded with crap that isnt needed. An aftermarket stereo is all you need. Car is basically the new CRX people have wanted but Honda didnt make.

• 

  Love it - 2008 Hyundai Elantra
  By Livlife - October 29 - 2:00 am

  I have owned my Elantra for over 2 years now and still love it! I am a big guy who drives a lot for work, however I fit well into the Elantra. My kids call it "lightning" and I like the gas mileage. I did change the cheap tires quickly, and also put new brakes/rotors on at 55k. Other than that, I have had zero issues.

• 

  Satisfied First Time Hyundai Owner - 2007 Hyundai Sonata
  By Mark - October 29 - 2:00 am

  2007 Hyundai SE 3.3 liter V6 I purchased this vehicle new in Oct. 2006 and it has 100,750 miles on it. I had no problems and more then satisfied with the quality of this vehicle.There is more power in this vehicle then the 2005 Toyota Camry XLE V6 I had before this. I am a firm believer and will be purchasing another Hyundai product

• 

  Best Small Car - 2010 Hyundai Elantra
  By Dan - October 29 - 2:00 am

  I test drove Civic, Corolla, Soul, Mazda3, Focus, Cobalt, Aveo and others. I found the Elantra the best overall, huge points for comfort, roominess, and quietness. SE version had the handling and road feel the GLS lacks. I average so far 29.4 MPG mostly city driving. Not bad at all. Decent stereo, tilt/telescope wheel with controls, nice brakes and decent power for a 2.0L engine, a turbo would make this a little screamer. Decent looking, I got the Black Noir Pearl, decent wheels, very nice fit and finish, no rattles or strange noises. Large Trunk. Maybe lacking a few bells and whistles from other cars, but a great all-around vehicle that does what its suppose to.

• 

  Less than 2 months, problem starts! - 2010 Hyundai Elantra
  By myz - October 29 - 2:00 am

  Comfort, yet cheap interior. The cabin of the car is quiet compare to its competitors. The ride is comfortable with acceptable handling quality. You may want to get SE edition to increase handling property to make the ride more fun. Problem: after less than 2 months of ownership. 1) Squeaky noise occur when turning my steering wheel. 2) Knocking sound + minor vibration from rear wheel(s) when going more than 20 MPH.

• 

  Overall Love - 2007 Hyundai Entourage
  By Moms Taxi - October 28 - 2:00 am

  I bought this vehicle two weeks after it was on the market. Major issues have been doors jamming and mine are not automatic. I have had problems with both sides not closing. When my seats are folded into the floor the car squeaks loudly...annoying. Brakes are definitely an issue and my brake servicer blames the calipers. I have had a couple sensors fail that literally stopped my vehicle from moving. Fuel economy is not so hot but I did see that on the sticker upfront. This van does handle very nicely and everyone who has driven it is impressed and surprised. I have five kids and it is very roomy.

• 

  Never Hyundai again! - 2010 Hyundai Genesis
  By car fiend - October 27 - 2:00 am

  This has to be the worst vehicle Ive owned. I am a long time Hyundai lover, but what happened here? Not only does the momma vehicle not come close to what Ive gotten used to by driving a few years old luxury car for a much lower price range than theyre asking for this, but Ive had to deal with a ridiculously bad Lithia Hyundai service department. My advice- save some money and buy a Subaru with every option available. Or spend the same amount on a Volvo. The performance on these cars is amazing! This car may be pretty and loaded but youre still buying a Hyundai.

• 

  Great commuter! - 2005 Hyundai Elantra
  By Salamander Sam - October 27 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car new when I could not find a cheap, reliable commuter on the used market and have been 100% pleased with my purchase. Comfortable on long drives as well as around town. Only nonscheduled maintenance has been for O2 sensor and noisy visors. Both were fixed with no problems by the dealership. This is a great first car for those looking for one or a great commuter.