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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  All in all very nice car for $$ - 2012 Hyundai Sonata
  By shop74 - September 27 - 2:11 am

  I have owned a Lexus, Acura and Volvo. This car compares to the Japanese luxury brands as far as the drive. It is very smooth feeling and saves gas. Great price!!! It doesnt drive like the Volvo did in its good days. I really only missing my sunroof. I upgraded to leather and alloy wheels. You should too the cloth seats are cheapish and kinda hard to me. The ride is very loud and rough with stee The passenger side seat is kinda low to the ground. The gadgets on the car are nice. Everything wraps around the driver which is NICE and luxurious. The backseat and trunk are very spacious! Way more exciting than the Honda Accord or Altima- BORING. I do like this car only time will tell if it lasts

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  Owner - 2006 Hyundai Tiburon
  By my tibby - September 26 - 10:00 am

  Love this car however multiple problems continue to arise and costly at that. Of course from what Im hearing clutch problems are very common with these cars, Im a single mom who cant afford all theses costly problems.

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  Love my Santa Fe - 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By riceman - September 26 - 10:00 am

  This is my second Santa Fe and I love it even more than my first one. I put 100,000 miles on the first one with virtually no mechanical problems. I have owned this Limited for almost a year and had the first & only problem this month, an idler arm pulley. The warranty covered it with no down time. This is a great vehicle and when I trade again, Ill look for another.

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  Giant step up for sonata - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By carguy2011 - September 26 - 10:00 am

  I could not imagine a bigger step up than the one the Sonata took with this new 2011 model. Attention getting looks from everyone. The new style rivals cars twice the cost of one of these. The SE model stands out when compared to the GSL and LTD. Paddle shifters. Really. Dont need them but adds a sporty feel for sure. 18" wheels and low profile tires complete the racy look of the SE. Ride is stiff and sporty feeling on the SE so if your worried about ride quality then stick with the LTD. SE models are hard to find so take note. No long trips yet but MPG good for big car.

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  So Impressed - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By oxford u - September 26 - 10:00 am

  My Brother was so impressed with mine, he bought one the day after I brought mine home! Smooth quiet ride, plenty of power, great gas mileage, and the best warranty in the business

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  Incredible Surprise - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By ftessina - September 26 - 8:46 am

  Never thought I would even consider, let alone buy a Hyundai. Read online write-ups and reviews of Sonata, Camry, Altima, and Impala. Liked all of the cars, but Sonata was by far the least expensive with more useful features than the others. Smooth, strong and quiet acceleration with the six. Handles better than reviews led me to believe. Gas mileage is great. Lots of interior room. Weve owned a Lexus, 3 BMWs and traded an Acura and this car held its own with all of them at a much lower price. Tremendous Value! Not the flashiest car, but no better car for the money.

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  First Hyundai - 2006 Hyundai Elantra
  By J - September 26 - 5:16 am

  This is our first Hyundai, and I have been very impressed. The ride is so smooth and quiet. Also, it is enjoyable to both drive and/or be a passenger in this vehicle because it is very comfortable. We have been shopping the market for some time now and this was the best vehicle we found for the money!

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  Great Car - 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Michelle - September 25 - 5:13 pm

  This is our first Hyundai and it will not be the last. We are very impressed with the 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe. What drew us to the car were the standard safety features. Then when we drove it, we couldnt wait to get it home. It is smooth, comfortable and fun to drive. We looked at the 2006 Santa Fe and we werent that impressed. The 2007 is an overhaul of not just the outside, but the inside. Great value for the money and the Santa Fe is easy on the wallet regarding gas. On ten gallons of gas, strictly city driving, we went 230 miles. I highly recommend this SUV.

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  A truly desirable car - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By Dror - September 25 - 3:10 pm

  With the very low price and a full array of features and extras it simply makes this car to be one of the most desirable cars on todayÂ’s market. Safe drive - 5 Stars award for the front crash on both passenger and driver sides, also one of the few who earned the 5 Stars ratings for side impact tests. Powerful acceleration with smooth touring on low fuel consumption while maintaining high speed cruising. Amazing road handling for a low priced car. IÂ’m able to take sharp ramps on 55 mph while other cornering behind and crawling on the 25 mph mark; ESC computer controls superb the wheels and the car speed when careless driving is involved

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  Full Option V6 - 2007 - 2007 Hyundai Sonata
  By Bijan - September 25 - 6:26 am

  Nice car for the price, but still a lot of space to improve on design aspect without real additional cost, e.g. suspension! Engine is nice and powerful, but not as quiet and fuel efficient as competition. Brakes are excellent, but no way in comparing handling or refinements of this car with BMW 5-seires, as advertised! I believe it has better value for money than 3.3L Azeras. You are not really upgraded with a Toyota or Honda! Next step is a BMW, Luxus, or Mercedes! Engine noise when you look at it at ilde with hood open, seems more than one expects from such a beautiful piece of engineering! Cant feel the difference Solar Glass is supposed to make! Functional, but not beautiful dashboard!