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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  Not so good - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By Joe - June 9 - 2:00 am

  Back to the dealer for a new radio couldnt see screen. Electric window fails to open and close cant find nothing wrong keep checking.4 Cyl very sluggish car feels heavy for the engine

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  Seven series killer - 2009 Hyundai Genesis
  By James - June 8 - 4:06 am

  Believe it or not I once believed that Hyundai was an inferior brand, after buying my Genesis And driving the car for the last week I must say that anyone in the large performance Luxury Market would be foolish not to buy this car every aspect of this automobile screams Luxury From the twelve way power seat to the throaty almost three hundred Horsepower v-6 I have owned a diverse selection of luxury cars and I have to say I have never been more impressed with a vehicle. I am also surprised how many people break their neck looking at the car If you are considering a new Luxury car drive all others first and then drive the Genesis. better yet just drive it first then take it home

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  Fun car to drive - 2012 Hyundai Sonata
  By duey65 - June 7 - 10:08 pm

  I bought a 2012 2.0T limited after two months of reviewing and many test drives. The Sonata in my opinion is the best car in its class for value. I love driving this car although the ride is a bit harsh. (stiff suspension and low profile tires). Its quiet and comfortable on the highway and the heated leather is nice on a cold Minnesota morning. The one thing I am concerned with is the mileage. The car has 1500 miles on it now and my mileage has been getting progressively worse. I started with 29 mpg combined and I am now down to 21mpg combined. I Drive 104 miles a day round trip to work and I have had to go back to driving my Saturn which gets 40+. Love my Sonata but cant afford the gas.

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  very well done i am very happy - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By joe - June 7 - 3:50 pm

  I am very pleased with the limited v6 the handling is very good hyundai did a excellent job with the 09 sonta limited those that have the models that are under the limited should have test drove the limited you would have been sold on it this car is very well put together with a very good ride and excellent gas mileage i am a premium gas man and my mileage is 32 on the hwy nothing to complain about this excellent car

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  Extremely Disappointed - 2011 Hyundai TUCSON
  By rtexas - June 7 - 1:44 am

  Bought this vehicle new in May, 2011. Manifold was replaced at 5,000 miles, between 5K and 13K it had to be replaced 2 other times. Radio system had to be replaced; brake switch had to be replaced. Yesterday the vehicle was towed to the dealer as the transmission switch was defective. I was stranded on the road when the transmission switch broke; I understand vehicles have a break-in period; however, I believe this is out of the ordinary. I contacted Hyundai and was told that the dealer will repair all mechanical problems. Not the answer I was expecting.

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  falling apart quickly - 2008 Hyundai Elantra
  By Sherri - June 7 - 12:43 am

  At 814 miles, 17th day of ownership, the fuel pump went out and left me stranded. Hyundais roadside said they would tow me to closest dealership and leave me there even though it was closed and would be for the next 2 days. On 21st day of ownership the drivers rear window wouldnt work and had to be repaired. The car didnt even have tags yet and is already falling apart. This particular car is a lemon and neither the manufacturer or dealership wants the responsibility for it, so as of now Im stuck with an unreliable poor quality vehicle still searching for some help.

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  Excellent Value - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By Cirdan - June 6 - 11:40 pm

  Traded in a 2002 Chevy Trailblazer for a V6 GLS. After 15 years of SUVs and pickup trucks, the Sonata handles like a Porsche (okay, not really). Still, the handling is crisp and the V6 winds up nicely. I drive in the Mountains a lot, and this car moves right along on steep twisting roads. Mileage (25mpg for first 1k miles) good for a V6. Bottom line - this is a VALUE purchase. There are better cars available, but not even close to this price. At some point, the Honda/Toyota brand just isnt worth it.

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  Great Car - 2012 Hyundai Sonata
  By jtrager3414 - June 6 - 2:11 pm

  I just purhased a 2012 Sonata Limited 2.0T with the navigation option, and it is a great car. I replaced my 2003 Honda Accord V6 with only 31,500 miles on it (also a great car). The new Sonata is fun to drive, with excellent build quality. The interior is very nice. The Sonata shifts just as smoothly as my V6 Accord, and has many options that the Accord didnt have (but then it is 8 years older). Its 2.0L Turbo engine produces 274HP with 268 lb-ft of torque from 1750 - 4500rpm. The 2011 BMW 535 Twinpower engine is only good for 300HP, and it is a 3.0L engine? Something doesnt seem right there! Perhaps it isnt a twin-scroll turbo, and is loosing power at the interface to turbo?

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  Nice, but definitely doesnt compare - 2009 Hyundai Genesis
  By bbrown - June 5 - 6:10 pm

  I recently purchased a 4.6 Genesis for my wife, and Im not too impressed. An impulse buy really, but Im beginning to see why the car is so much cheaper than my BMW. The engine is pretty nice, but in no way compares with my 550is V8 (torque curve, etc). Im pretty particular about my cars, and its the little details with the Genesis that turn me off. The materials just feel inferior, and it just seems like Hyundai stole design features from all of their so- called "competitors", down to the fake iDrive and 5-series exterior styling cues. I think the buyers of this car will realize over time that this car is just a flashy attempt at producing a true luxury car w/o any substance.

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  Lack of interior colors. - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By Anthony - June 5 - 6:10 pm

  I like most everything about my new Sonata, but I didnt really get the color I wanted. I preferred the Natural Khaki, a beautiful light green, or the Dark Cherry. However, these colors, for some reason, were only available with the light beige cloth, which looked like it would get dirty very easy, and which illuminated the interior. So I had to take an exterior color that looks pretty boring grey, to get the darker [grey] interior.