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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  throttle and tranny problems - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By Ned - February 8 - 10:16 pm

  I have 30,000mi. Since about 5,000mi. the transmission sometimes kicks down two gears when lightly applying the brakes. results in a startling heavy thump & deceleration. the throttle has stuck open both on the open highway and in town resulting in scary moments. Had to throw it in neutral and shut the key off then turn the key back on without using the starter, throw it back into drive . engine started back up like nothing ever happened. Doesnt happen often but when it does WOW! dealership has no clue to the cause. said no one else has reported that problem. Wish it had outside temp info. other then this, what a great car ! handles like a sports car, gets 31mpg in cruise from a V6 250 hp

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  Love it! - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By Shuale - February 8 - 4:16 pm

  Picked up my car on Saturday. I love it...still trying to adjust to the color though. I had to settle for Harbor Gray but I really, really, really wanted Silver...lol. Because its a newly released model/style the availability of color combinations and options are limited.

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  Own A Lexus rx 330 But Hyundai Veracruz - 2008 Hyundai Veracruz
  By Robert Nell - February 8 - 10:03 am

  I got my Veracruz in early April in Florida.I drove it back to Wisc. in May. Its ride was better than my Lexus and the gas mileage about the same. It has even more features than my Lexus and for about 10 grand less Its interior leather is on par with my Lexus I think it Quality is as good as Lexus Will be leaving to go to Wyoming and cant wait to drive it on another rode trip. WE LOVE IT

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  My 2nd Santa Fe - 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By ncdeziner - February 8 - 6:06 am

  I owned a 2014 Santa Fe Limited for 3 days. I was t-boned at an intersection, resulting in all but the front air bags deploying and the rear axel snapping in two. The EMS at the scene kept repeating to me that the air bags and design of the Santa Fe saved my life. I replaced that Santa Fe with a 2015 Santa Fe Limited Ultimate. I had been driving Chevy Tahoes since 1999. This Santa Fe is a breath of fresh air! It drives like a dream, holds the road well, and the safety features are awesome. I greatly prefer the navigation system to OnStar. I will be replacing all my company vehicles with Santa Fes as needed.

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  Great SUV - 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By GregNYR - February 7 - 10:00 am

  Purchased this vehicle several months ago. Very happy. Ride is smooth and comfortable. Good on gas. AWD great in wet conditions. Plently of room inside. All in all, a great SUV for the money. Reliability a question, but you cant beat the warranty.

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  our third hyundai - 2010 Hyundai Sonata
  By fishcop - February 6 - 9:36 pm

  After looking at the accord and Camry we again bought a Hyundai. this our third hyundai and as a someone with a family who is middle class I really cant see buying anything else. This car is fully loaded with navigation, voice command, sunroof, xm stereo, etc. A comparably equipped toyota or honda was priced over 5k more. After two weeks we have been very pleased!!

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  A Bit of a Rough Ride - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By Frank - February 6 - 9:16 pm

  Bought it last month ... put 1500 miles on it with two out of state trips + local driving. MPG=20/30 ... I traded up from a 2000 Elanta ... the bored out 2.0 engine is needed for this car because its 550lbs more than the Elantra. Thats only .1L more on each cylinder to give it 2.4L. It works as a wanabe 6cyl. I like the car even though it rides a bit stiff and takes the bumps & cracks a bit rough ... accentuates the pot holes ... OUCH!... needs a bit softer suspension ... I had the Michaelin tires on the Elantra also ... they stunk & wore out in less than a year ... maybe changing them would also help the ride! Would have been nice if they threw in some rear splash shields. Great Deal !

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  Nice Car - 2007 Hyundai Veracruz
  By P. Proctor - February 6 - 8:00 pm

  Pros: Very roomy, every option but NAV Cons: Powerful, but moderate gas mileage. Drives very well, good pickup, stopping, turning radius is better than our Sienna. Neighbors all flocked over to see it. The Khkai color is very very nice Car has developed wind noise insid ethe cabin at highway speeds, loud enough to be annoying

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  OK, but - 2006 Hyundai TUCSON
  By tyron - February 6 - 7:43 pm

  the SUV does not even get close to the est. milage. It would be better if they changed the gear ratios or make it a 4 speed trans. Other then that it is fun to drive. I had a 4cyl. and traded up to the 6 after a road trip. The 4 gets better milage but does not go up hill and was very loud when going 65mph. I purchased because of safety features and the warrenty. My other Suv was 2 years old,

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  A Great Value - 2004 Hyundai XG350
  By socalguy1 - February 6 - 5:56 pm

  Did not know about this car before going to the dealer. Was impressed with interior comfort, decent power in V-6, long list of included options on L model (leather, etc.) and most of all - the value. Got this great car for almost $7k below sticker with the mnfr rebate. To get the same options on a Honda or Nissan youll have to pay around $7k more than what we paid. Its not sexy, but its a great car and if you can get past the Hyundai stigma youll feel the same way.