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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  Hyundai Fan - 2002 Hyundai Sonata
  By DLAC - August 26 - 2:00 am

  The quality, reliability and features makes the Sonata one of the best cars Ive owned.

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  My Sonata - 2002 Hyundai Sonata
  By Yorgos - August 26 - 2:00 am

  Thia car is great almost 2 years and still lovin it. I would definitely buy another!

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  Great car - initial review//more later - 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By necostanzo - August 25 - 3:56 pm

  Bought this vehicle today after driving a Azera and Sonata. This vehicle was actually quieter on the highway than the Sonata and was almost as luxurious as the Azera. I am very happy with this vehicle. This is my initial review and I will update it as I drive the vehicle more....Only annoying issue so far is the blue lights on the dash, even when turned to full dim, they are still too bright. I dont care for the brightness of the lights.

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  Love My 06 GL!! - 2006 Hyundai TUCSON
  By SunnyE - August 24 - 1:20 pm

  Okay, I know its not the top of the line model with the bells & whistles - but this SUV is wonderful! Its interior is roomy, ride smooth, noise is minimum, the safety features are unmatched. My insurance even went down!! IMO you get a lotta car for a lost less than Honda and Toyota - who, by the way - tried to rip me off time & time again. Hyundai cares about their customers & its shown from the 100K mile warranty to all of the additional perks we received after purchase. Ive been warned about buying a Hyundai - have heard all of the jokes about how unreliable it is. Well, with the warranty, Lemon Law protection & perks - you can laugh away...but my husband a came out the winners!!

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  Zip, zip, zippy!! - 2013 Hyundai Veloster
  By Susan - August 23 - 10:53 pm

  My husband and I absolutely love this car! After driving suv vehicles the last ten years I had forgotten that a car could be fun to drive. This car is a blast!! Ours is white and we get loads of compliments on it. We primarily purchased it to save on gas costs as we are constantly driving our son to tennis tournaments around the state. It has more than enough trunk space to hold all his tennis gear and our baggage. We do live in a rural area and I will say that you do feel any bumps in the road and I would not recommend it for any unpaved roads as it sits very low to the ground. Would definitely purchase another one in the future, especially the turbo version because it would be even more fun than our little "zippy" which is quite light and quick. By the way my husband is 62 and has ample headspace and our son is 511 and is relegated to the backseat. My son does say the only thing he dislikes about the car is getting in and out of it. My husband and I view it as a little extra "exercise" in our day.

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  Sold in One Month!! - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By Richard Dunphy - August 23 - 8:20 am

  I own a 2005 Sonata w 105k miles on it, and was very pleased with the car as basic reliable transport. When I saw the 2009 Limited it was obvious that Hyundai had upgraded the car tremendously. Great looking, lots of pep, good stereo, good mileage. Hyundai has realy dropped the ball with the suspension. The car rides OK over very flat roads, on any uneven surfaces, THE CAR THUNDERS LIKE IT DOES NOT HAVE ANY SPRINGS OR SHOCKS... It was substantially louder than my 2005.. The interior looks great, but the interior materials crack and pop when the temperature changes, AC or Heat, it doesnt matter. I was extremely disappointed. Took a bath to sell it, bought used 07 Lexus which is a dream.

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  Well built, dirt cheap, gas sipper. - 2003 Hyundai Accent
  By NDiamante - August 23 - 2:00 am

  Needed a commmuter car for my wife. This car has almost everything. I dont mind rolling down the window myself but I should have gotten the ABS. I love the powerful air-conditioner. You dont wait for the car to cool down. I never before had a car that got BETTER than the EPA numbers but this one gets 32 on the highway. This car wont make you cool but you will feel smart.

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  No better car in this price range! - 2003 Hyundai Elantra
  By soccerfan - August 23 - 2:00 am

  If you find an equally equipped competitor, chances are that they will be 3-4 thousand dollars more expensive. For this price, which is around 14,000 dollars, you get leather seats, cd player, moonroof, keyless entry, etc. There is no better car than this if you are looking for something affordable, sporty, and fun to drive. Also plenty of cargo space. Just an overall great car!

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  Great car. Great Value - 2012 Hyundai Sonata
  By wwhite1036 - August 22 - 9:00 pm

  great car. i choose the hyundai after driving the 12 altima and 12 accord. Hands down winner.

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  Excellent Car - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By Richard A. Schall - August 22 - 12:20 pm

  This redesigned Hyundai Sanata GLS has an excellent exterior design and an excellent interior design with comfort, fuel economy quality and style.