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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  PRETTY DAMN GOOD - 2001 Hyundai Elantra
  By WALTER66 - December 6 - 10:00 am

  I MUST SAY, FOR THE MONEY. THIS VEHICLE HAS TREATED ME QUITE WELL. WITH NO PROBLEMS AT ALL. ITS FUN TO DRIVE AND GREAT ON GAS. I WOULD BUY ANOTHER.

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  Pretty Good - 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By mikeeha - December 5 - 6:00 pm

  I was comparing the Santa Fe and the Equinox. They are the largets SUVs at the price point. So far Ive owned it for over a month and have about 1200 miles driven. When I was test driving the vehicle I noticed how smooth the ride was. The newly paved roads probably had a lot to do with it. I now notice how poorly it handles bumps and pot holes. You really can feel everything. The handling is a bit clunky. The fuel economy is a lot less than I thought it would perform. The model I purchased was said to be 21/26. The city mileage is nowhere near the estimated. I live in the city of Chicago and get roughly 15mpg in city, while I do get around 23mpg highway.

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  Good for Tall Guy - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By Steve - December 5 - 11:36 am

  Review for Sonata GLS with floor mats and Bluetooth options only. Im 66" and this is one of the only cars in this class that I can sit in and be able to fit my knee between the steering wheel and center console. Only other acceptable car was Nissan cube, but it didnt have armrests. Plenty of head room and my view outside front window is not blocked by roof. With driver seat back fully, still room for passenger legs in back. 4-cyl engine has adequate acceleration for commuter car. Auto Trans shifts smoothly. Has more road feel through steering wheel than my old Jeep Grand Cherokee, but not unacceptable.

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  The Best Car I Ever Owned - 1999 Hyundai Sonata
  By Roger Barwise - December 5 - 3:09 am

  Dont be put off by age or styling but pay attention to the way the car has been cared for and maintained. I bought this car in 2013 and its a 1999. I paid $2500 for it here in Korea where Im living now. It was in mint condition and needed nothing. In the 2 1/2 years in which I have driven this wonderful car daily it has performed like a champ. Its only a 4-banger and I left a Ford Taurus V-6 24-valve OHC in LA before moving to Korea and I like this car better. It is so comfortable and gets great mileage. The 4-cylinder 16-Valve OHC engine really does perform. I can cruise at 160 Km/Hr all day long if need be. I have only had one problem in all the miles that I have put on this car: it needed a new head gasket (a relatively cheap job in Korea). After that all has been fine. The car had 90,000 Kilometers on it when I bought it and, despite the high mileage, I have never had a more comfortable or reliable car. I love this car and, after all these years, it still looks mint. One thing I particularly like is the cloth seats and cozy, comfortable interior. The air conditioner is powerful and cold and the heater will burn your ears off in the winter. I drive hard and fast and this car cooperates wonderfully with me. But one must maintain any car religiously with oil and filter changes and inspections. One of the virtues of this car is that it is long, wide and low with a low center of gravity and excellent road-holding qualities in curves and driving through the mountainous terrain of Korea. It hugs the road like nothing else Ive ever driven. It is, far and away, the best handling car I have ever owned --and at 65 years old--this is my 29th car! No kidding. Ive owned English, German, Swedish, American, and Japanese cars but this one does take the cake as the best overall, but I have always had a soft spot for well-performing 4-door sedans. I highly recommend this car to anyone and bear in mind Im still driving this 17-year-old car daily!

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  Great Buy - 2002 Hyundai Accent
  By NDM - December 4 - 11:03 pm

  I was a little worried about buying a Hyundai, especially their cheapest model. My wife and I have always purchased Honda, Toyota, or Nissan. However, we needed a second vehicle, and we did not see the need nor purpose of spending major money on a second car. The Accent was just right. I truly recommend this car to anyone. Hyundai has really come a long way!!!

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  loving it - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By mike and deb - December 4 - 6:00 pm

  We only have 1200 miles on it so far but we are loving it. Getting better mpg already than expected...35-36 hwy. So quiet inside and runs very smooth. Biggest bang for the buck. Would recommend this car to all our friends and family.

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  2106 Elantra SE Great Choice - 2016 Hyundai Elantra
  By millet george - December 4 - 3:06 pm

  Was going to lease a Sonata but was more impressed with the 2016 Elantra SE. Seats were more comfortable, handling was better, overall like the Elantra better. Have driven for 1 month very happy with our choice, have gotten 38 MPG on the highway also good gas mileage in the city.

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  the best car ever - 2005 Hyundai Tiburon
  By Danielle - December 4 - 1:10 pm

  this is by far the best vehicle I have ever owned. I would recommend this vehicle to anyone who wants the sporty car but also a reliable one

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  Its For Real - 2009 Hyundai Genesis
  By Douglas - December 4 - 10:30 am

  After reading Edmunds reviews and specs, I dug deeper into consumer ratings and overall satisfaction. I owned a Toyota Avalon and planned to go back to the Avalon. The features and amenities on the Genesis are just too many to list. The dealership owned both Toyota and Hyundai and put both cars side by side - Clearly the Genesis came out on top.

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  Love it! - 2010 Hyundai Veracruz
  By Lori Myers - December 4 - 10:00 am

  We bought our Veracruz because we wanted the 7 passenger seating but desperately wanted to get rid of the minivan. This has given us the best of both worlds. Most of the time we use it as a 5 passenger vehicle with the back seats folded down, but it is so nice to be able to load up the car with kids when we need too. The ride is very smooth and quiet. The car handles well. It is an extremely comfortable ride for 5, not as much so for 7 because of the legroom - but in my book that is to be expected. I highly recommend this vehicle and am so glad that we bought it.