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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  Santa Fe - 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By bmn - October 16 - 4:41 pm

  Purchased my car May10. Currently has 10,000 miles on it. There is much to like about the Santa Fe. It handles well in the snow and even with record snow fall I have not had any problems getting around. Other things I like - great acceleration,easy to manuveur in tight spots like parking ramps. Things that are disappointig - interior is nicely styled but scratches easily, carpeting is cheap, bigget disappointment is gas mileage. Should be getting an average of 22 mpg (according to Hyundai web site) but I am getting 14-15 mpg average. Brought to dealer they checked it out and said it is running as it should so this is what my mileage will be.

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  zippy and cool color - 2007 Hyundai Accent
  By sgopus - October 14 - 12:16 am

  I bought mine in July 2007, and loved the ice blue color, I dont like the placement of the front left windshield pillar, it blocks the view sometimes, first tank of gas was 42 MPG, I drive 20 miles one way to work, currently i get 32-34 MPg but not by driving 75, I go 65 on the freeway, the cars has lots of zip, I had to get the basic model, and really miss the keyless entry and power door locks, so far its been very dependable, I did notice a slight hesitation after backing up then press on the gas it waits just a sec, then goes, a new car shouldnt do this.prefer the seat back to be more adjustable ie lean further back

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  Great Midsize Sedan Comfy Ride for Empty Nester - 2017 Hyundai Sonata
  By Lady Tiffany - October 13 - 10:21 pm

  I have previously owned: 1979 Delta 88 Oldsmobile, 1988 Cutlass Sierra, 1999 Honda CRV 2WD, 2009 Mazda Madza 3 (rehabbed and still drive) 2012 Ford Fusion SE (traded in for this car). I like a sporty feel car but without the necessary high octane gas and manual shift equipment. As I am approaching 50 and my son is well out of the home, I have slowly navigated towards the mid-size sedans. My main reasons are more accessories to compensate for my short-comings as I get older and more comfort. (I spent nearly 2k on shocks, struts, alignment, breaks, tires and wheels for the Mazda - My 67 year old mom drives it now.) I traded in my 2012 Ford Fusion with 127k miles with an excellent interstate ride and suspension system. Fast forward to today. So Hyundai had a really nice rebate...up to 6k on the Sonata thru 5/31/2017 and I was upside down on my Fusion...by a lot. Needed a comparable larger sedan to help me compensate. I work for Enterprise so I can really ride a plethora of vehicles to try out car types. (well really anyone can...and its worth it...especially if youre looking for a major upgrade in some way). I rented the Hyundai Santa Fe and although it was nice...this standard SUV was really too much for my needs at this point in life. I thought I wanted the Hyundai Tucson crossover instead. But it would have been a less comfortable payment. In walks the Hyundai Sonata that Ive sold time and time again as a rental and thought...meh...Hyundai (remember its mediocre start). Man! Have they come along way baby. I am the owner of a new Hyundai 2017 Sonata Sport with the Value Package. Talk about taste of luxury and bells and whistles. It may not have the market mind-share of Lexus, Mercedes, BMW or the like. But it definitely has some luxury touches. Rear view camera helps me back up. Boy oh boy does it help especially since this empty nester must wear glasses for my astymatism and for close reading. The navi screen is awesome. Great that I can plug and play my phone into the Android phone option. All the necessary buttons for making phone calls, volume and other necessities it all compiled in a simplistic area. I feel confident as a woman driving along and even out of town. Push to start is amazing and Im getting more and more use to it...and how about that auto trunk open feature. Sound system is great. Ride is comfortable on the interstate and even though its a long car...it does not feel bulky in traffic congestion. Seats are great for my full-figure frame...part leather and cloth. Oh did I mention the sun-roof. Large enough to let some sun and air in without messin up my do. For the first time I opted for Silver which is a kind of plain color but the black and chrome silver accents make it look more luxurious. At this point I am completely satisfied and completely convinced I got the better deal for midsize cars on the market right now. Assistance manuals are comprehensive and I will have to probably take about 3 months to learn all my car can do. Im so looking for it. Me and my mom and best friend are going to have some sweet travels in the vehicle, Lord willing.

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  Would buy again! - 2003 Hyundai Elantra
  By DBiz - October 13 - 8:34 am

  Have put 45K miles on mine and its been great. I have a small car ego: my main concerns are reliability and gas mileage. This car excels in both areas. Only corrective maintenance needed in 4+ years is to replace headlight bulbs and a blown thermostat (car overheated). The thermostat repair was covered by warranty and I got a free tow through the roadside assistance plan - no problems with either. I drive 50 miles a day for work, mostly highway, and get 32-35 mpg cruising at 70. Its probably closer to 20 mpg around town. Other mentions: Excellent storage under the hatch...good power and torque, you can pass easily on the highway...easy to use interior controls.

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  A real DAH vehicle - 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Jack Carmody - October 11 - 8:23 pm

  After owning 15 new domestic vehicles I purchased this DAH. Bad mistake. No interior lights when door is open. Several blind spots Poor fuel mileage not close to sticker Wiper blakes freeze in the wells ice builds up and wipers fall off road noise so loud I am not able to play radio. I called customer service several times and was given a file number and name to call. every time I called I was given a new contact person (5 times) Dealer said the reason for poor fuel mileage was that i was not using the right oil. I had them cahange the oil and could not see any change.

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  Impressive Hyundai - 2006 Hyundai Azera
  By Kevin - October 10 - 10:56 am

  Ive owned my Azera almost 9 months and have enjoyed every minute. I was prepared to buy an 07 Sonata but after test driving some leftover 06 Azeras on the lot, I was hooked. I ended up paying about $1200 more than I would have for a new Sonata and got a heck of a lot more car. People cant believe its a Hyundai. Its not a tight "sporty" ride. Handling is a bit drifty, but its a bigger, softer car. BUT, with 263 ponies under the hood, this car is NOT shy. Styling is sharp and contemporary. Not one "cheap" element to this vehicle. I just dont understand why Hyundai has so heavily marketed the Sonata when this gem is out there. Just test drive it!

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  A great vehicle for us - 2001 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By hoverfish - October 10 - 5:50 am

  Bought this one at 125K km, now has 205K. Weve replaced only wear parts so far. Its a little underpowered for my liking but it did pull a u-haul trailer through the Canadian Rockies just fine.

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  New owner - 2008 Hyundai TUCSON
  By longbeachjohn - October 8 - 3:40 pm

  Drove a 6cyl then a 4 cyl and there was very little difference in performance. Car has good space inside, controls and features great. I appreciate the safety stuff like traction and stability control and all the airbags. First weekend cruise got 24+ mpg, mixed bag intown and freeway at 75+. Will update in the future. Like to see more cubby holes for things like cel phone.

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  best for the bucks - 2007 Hyundai Accent
  By best for the bucks - October 6 - 3:46 pm

  I am very pleased with the Hyundai Accent SE. After comparing it to the Fit, and the Yaris. The Accent SE had all the features I was looking for. Anti-lock brake, front and side air bags and all power. In California you cant buy a Yaris with anti-lock or side curtian. the Fit had all the feature I was looking for, but dealers were asking $3000 over sicker with very little lead way. 18,000. I got the Accent for $13,500 and a $500rebate. I was suprised how will the Accent handled on the road much smoother than I expected. I dose lack some power,but with 110hp what do you expect. Interior is roomy for its size and I like the body stlyeing. For a car in this class its the best buy.

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  My 2007 Elantra - 2007 Hyundai Elantra
  By Bill - October 5 - 4:44 pm

  Although the electric power steering takes some getting used to, I really like this new & improved Elantra. My other car is an 05 Elantra, so its easy to compare them.