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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  Love It - 2001 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By coritoto - September 22 - 2:00 am

  I love this car,Its roomy enough for our family of four and I like its sporty look.

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  So far so good, no problems - 2001 Hyundai Elantra
  By dercat - September 22 - 2:00 am

  Bought this from Colorado for a cheap second car. Excellent gas milage. Drove from Amarillo TX to Dallas TX and all around Dallas on 14 gallons of gas. Hard to drive the speed limit, feels like you are crawling. Will be easy to get tickets in. Comfortable, reliable so far. Car was a dealer demo for a Hyundai executive. Bought it with 11,000 miles and now has 24,000 miles. Went ahead and got the 100,000 mile warranty and have not been to the shop yet. Resale seems a little low, trying to sell at this point as I no longer need the car.

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  Sometimes I just want to go on a joy ride! - 2017 Hyundai Sonata
  By Mike - September 22 - 12:03 am

  I was coming off a 2015 Sentra and I never really liked it all that much. I mean it was a great car and had good gas mileage but never loved it. I was just driving by a dealership and decided to stop in to take a look at a Sonata because someone in my neighborhood has a 2015/2016 one and it always caught my eye. As soon as I got on the lot I saw a Blue Sonata Sport, took it on a test drive, instantly sold. First, pricing makes this a very affordable car giving you the most bang for your buck in this class. The model I got has the package with the sunroof, leather seats, etc etc etc. Second, I am 64" 280lb former football player so its hard finding something I feel comfortable in... I fit perfect in this. Easy to get in and out, plenty of leg room, my head isnt right up against the roof, even with the seat back (not even all the way) rear passengers still have leg room. Infotainment system is pretty good. No complaints here. Compatible with Android Auto and Apple Car Play, which my neighbors brand new $50k Acura MDX doesnt have and they are a bit jealous of that ha! Now to driving, in regular driving mode its a little sluggish off the line but I have zero problems getting up up to speed quickly or passing someone. Now if you want to have some fun, throw it into Sport and pop it over to sportmatic shifting and go down some winding back roads. Now its nothing like the Lancer EVO I had in my younger years, but steering and suspension is nice and tight and very responsive. Allows you to accelerate out of tight curves without any body roll and nice solid grab on the road. Bottom line, this is a great car all around. You wont see it featured in the Fast & Furious franchise but it is fun to drive and you shouldnt have any buyers remorse either.

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  I made the switch... - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By John Jones - September 21 - 7:06 pm

  I have only driven Honda Accords for the past 20 years, but this new Sonata really surprised me! The SE trim level has the appearance of a much more expensive car, and the hybrid seats are a great choice in our hot Florida climate. Ive had the car almost a week now, and Im thrilled with it - the Bluetooth has been seamless, the push button start has been kind of fun, and it just "feels" really nice. This is an incredible value at just over $20K - no need to pay $30K or more, and the warranty cant be beaten.

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  So far VERY GOOD! - 2015 Hyundai Sonata
  By fishinjeff - September 21 - 11:42 am

  I have about 4000 miles so far and over 3 months of use. So far I love this car! I have the 2.4 Limited FULLY loaded and it is sweet! I have seen as much as 42 MPG, but average using ECO mode is about 25. This car is the smoothest, least expensive car I have driven. I have nothing bad to say about it and I typically am very picky about my autos being a former auto tech.

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  VERACRUZ IN SW TEXAS - 2007 Hyundai Veracruz
  By nrzjago - September 19 - 7:43 am

  So far (only 1000 miles on my VC) and Im extremely pleased. The ride is great. The a/c cools quickly. The sound system is great. The seats are very comfortble. We purchased a limited w/ ultimate package and one of my favorite features is the adjustable pedals/steering column. Seating for 7 is comfortable no matter which seat you are in. Exterior is very nice. Definitely a classy looking vehicle. So far mpg has averaged 19.9, I hope this will improve a little after the break in time.

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  What a buy - 2007 Hyundai Sonata
  By David Baker - September 19 - 5:03 am

  I could not believe how well the Sonata drive, rides , and feel. I would not even look at a hyundai 10 years ago maybe not even 5 years for that maater. But with Camry and the Accord being out my price range, I test drove sonata and was shocking surpise it had as much horsepower and more safely features and a much much better warranty.I was able to get the sonata limited for less than I was going to pay for the base camry with icthing cloth seat.its a really great car to drive thanks Hoover Hyundai, ill see you in 3 years when i get my Azera

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  Same problems as everyone else - 2016 Hyundai TUCSON
  By Brian M - September 18 - 6:54 pm

  Nothing else matters here, except the transmission issues. If you live anywhere where you might actually have to pull out quickly at any point, dont go near this vehicle. We had the 8/11/2016 "new" update done at the dealership, and we were holding out hope that would take care of our issues. Well, my wife just called me this morning - stepped on the gas to make a left turn, and the car just herked and jerked and just wouldnt get going. And today isnt one of the 95 degree days with the A/C cranking and you step on the gas and nothing happens for 1-2 seconds. 55 degrees this morning. You could give me this car for free today and I wouldnt take it. Starting down the road of heading to the dealership again

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  Azera Review - 2006 Hyundai Azera
  By sprtsmike - September 18 - 10:43 am

  excellent,fun,attractive car. excellent bulid quality from top to bottom and the interior is superb

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  FANTASTIC CAR AT A GREAT PRICE! - 2003 Hyundai XG350
  By Wayne Gordon - September 17 - 10:00 am

  Buy this model car, you wont be dissapointed! We got all the features of more expensive cars for about half the price. We bought it for comfort, but found everything else to our liking. Its the best car weve ever owned. Well buy a Hyundai again for sure.