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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  Great Car - 2007 Hyundai Sonata
  By Jocelyn - June 23 - 7:36 pm

  I have had my Sonata for about a year now and love it. The only problems that I have had were my brake lights went out (covered by a recall) and my visors would not stay up, apparently this is a common problem. But when I took it in to the dealership today, there were no questions asked and my car is fixed. Air conditioning is awesome! I live in Scottsdale and it gets HOT! My car is black and it cools off in no time. The pickup is great, and it is a very smooth ride. I have XM capability, just havent signed up for the service. And of course, the safety features are awesome. I think most unexpected was if there is an engine fire, the inside of the hood drops and smothers the fire!

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  2009 Santa Fe Limited - 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By D. Ray - June 23 - 12:40 am

  Alot of car for the money. I have only owned this vehicle for one week, but I believe that Hyundi is equal to Toyota and Honda in quality. Hyundai beat out Toyota, Honda, and Ford in price. I had a Honda Salesman tell me that they could not compete with Hyundai prices. I got a 2009 Santa Fe Limited, with $800 dollars worth of accessories for 25,800.

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  Traded in Camry-Sonata compares - 2007 Hyundai Sonata
  By Barry in Florida - June 22 - 11:30 pm

  Have the Sonata for two months. Im past the 1000 mile break in period. The car has a solid, sportier feel than my previous car- a Camry. On a recent 500 mile trip, the cars trip computer says we averaged 31.2 mpg. Thats with two adults and luggage. This was interstate driving.

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  HIGHWAY CRUISER - 2008 Hyundai Entourage
  By H. Kraz - June 22 - 7:53 pm

  This is my third Hyundai purchase and I am sold on their quality .... Zero problems

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  Great value but accelerator hesitates - 2007 Hyundai Azera
  By Helbling - June 22 - 5:50 pm

  Delighted overall with the car. However, the accelerator has a full half second hesitation that is not only anoying but arguably dangerous. The dealer claims this is in the engineering design and cannot be resolved. The Michelin Energy 17" tire provide great cornering and stopping capabilities.

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  Quiet Car - 2009 Hyundai Elantra
  By Robert Makela - June 22 - 12:16 pm

  I love the Hyundai Elantra. Its very quiet compared to most small cars. I tested a Toyota Corolla and it was miserably loud and I would never, ever get one of those now. I hate when small cars, just because theyre small and "economy" based, they are loud in the cabin interior. The Elantra really stands out because the cabin is so nice and quiet. I was going 55mph and there was no road or wind noise. The only time it gets a little loud is when youre really stepping on the gas, but thats because its a 4cyl. Im quite happy with how quiet the car is

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  Update from 1/28/09 - 2007 Hyundai Sonata
  By cmwolff - June 22 - 7:51 am

  My Hyundai now has almost 30,000 miles on it. The engine knock has not returned, and they replaced the rear struts for me for free. All I had to do is mention it, and it was fixed. It seems to be getting better gas mileage all the time. I recently got 31.7 miles to the gallon on a 200 mile trip. Overall I am very happy with my car.

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  Who would have thought... - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By carfan - June 22 - 2:50 am

  I was going to buy the standby, you know, Nice Accord with all the extras (Camry was too squishy) and low and behold I checked out the new Sonata on a lark. The joke was on me because I drove off the lot in one - I loved it that much...

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  Perfect car! - 2008 Hyundai Sonata
  By mfunk - June 21 - 10:31 am

  After researching and test driving Honda Accords, Toyota Camrys, and finally the Sonata Limited, it was clear that for the money, I was able to get luxury with the Sonata that I wouldnt get with other 2. We have always driven Hondas (7 to date) and my husband was skeptical about going with a Sonata. However, I made the decision to get the Sonata and once the dealer agreed to my terms.....no $$ down, zero percent interest, and payments under $300 for the Limited, its was a done deal. I love driving the car and its super comfortable on road trips. The only negative to say is that the side door molding loosened and had to be replaced and the drivers side visor has had to be replaced.

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  A Great Drive in the Snow! - 2002 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By KKD - June 21 - 2:00 am

  I saw a Santa Fe in a parking lot and loved the way it looked. After researching safety issues, warranty, price, etc., I took a test drive and decided to buy. I have been completely pleased with the whole experience. Dealer was great. Vehicle is the perfect size, big enough to feel secure, but still easy to handle and park. Lots of interior room, cool cockpit type feel. Its absolutely great to drive in the snow, plows through anything, doesnt slip or slide at all. Fun to drive, and all the standard options are great.