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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  A Lot of Car for the Money - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By L. Hyland - July 29 - 11:40 pm

  I find it hard to imagine getting any more car for the money. We purchased a 2006 Sonata in July with all the "bells and whistles" for $20K out the door (plus tax and title). The car is a spirited performer with tight handling characteristics at all speeds. Fuel economy is what I would expect from a 235 HP V6--around 20 mpg in town and 29 -30 mpg on the road. Fit and finish are excellent. Leather interior is a must. The car lacks a Moon Roof which is fine with me. Interior noise level rivals anything on the market. Weve taken several long trips and put around 5,000 miles on the rig with no complaints.

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  Very Satisfied - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By Gregg - July 28 - 6:40 pm

  Had a 2009 Ford Escape for 11 months and couldnt stand it, sold it and got the SE with nav sunroof and upgraded sound. It is a great car, This is a car I am gonna drive through college and am very happy to do so. The ride can be rough, but i love the 18" wheels so i can accept that. The nav is amazing and I use it all the time surprisingly. The engine pulls very willingly, Im 18 and drive this car hard all the time and it may not beat a G37 but it is no slouch, esp for a 4 cyl. The exterior is amazing and so is the interior on the SE and I couldnt be more happy with my new car.

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  Incredible Value - 2002 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By DaveD - July 28 - 10:00 am

  Weve had our Santa Fe for almost 3 months and have had absolutely no problems. This vehicle is fun to drive, easy to manuever, and has a great ride. Seats are comfortable and roomy. Rear seat space is ample. We got 24 mpg on first road trip - thats with AC on and pushing the speed limit.

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  Big bang for the buck - 2003 Hyundai Elantra
  By bartbrown - July 28 - 10:00 am

  I wanted a hatchback and narrowed it down to a PT Cruiser,Elantra GT and the Protege PR5. They are all good choices but the Elantra GT had the european styling( resembles a Saab) and came loaded for just $15 K delivered ,tax tags etc. . My wife doesnt like the tight european suspension....but I love how it handles. Once you get over that it is a Hyundai, you will really like the car. I keep my cars for a long time, so the poor trade-in doesnt bother me. Relaibility is what I want and I have a 10 years of warentee.

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  Mattys Elantra - 2003 Hyundai Elantra
  By Mattjo - July 28 - 10:00 am

  Buying my 2002 Elantra was the best dicision I could have made! For a small car, you cannot compare the ride comfort, standard features, warranty and price to any other foreign small car. When I searched for my "perfect" new automobile I never would have thought Hyundai...The warranty attracted me, I drove one and was so impressed I wrote my check the moment my test drive was over! I have driven over 26,000 miles in the 9 months I have owned the Elantra and not once has it skipped a beat~! AND you cannot beat the warranty!

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  Value not luxury - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By nanmark - July 27 - 10:28 pm

  Little disappointed after switching from Lexus. Navigation sounds like computer girl. Sounds very dated. Plus XM cant get there act together to activate traffic and weather. Still waiting. Home link hasnt been able to hook up on the garage door. My wifes Infiniti had no problem. Dealer thinks I might have a bad mirror Cant raise or lower the passenger seat and the phone doesnt have program abilities Overall it is a nice value, but not ready for people expecting more in quality and service. Id give mine back if they would take it

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  Most Worthless Best Built Vehicle - 2005 Hyundai TUCSON
  By Disgusted - July 26 - 11:56 am

  If youre looking for a vehicle that will get you 8 - 12 MPG City and no more than 21 Hwy (at 60 MPH), a concealed cargo area of no more than 8.4 cubic feet, tepid acceleration and a slow shifting transmission, the Tucson is for you. This is one of the most useless vehicles I have ever seen. You cant carry anything over 15" tall under the parcel shelf (or 24" deep with the back seats up). Four people can not take a Tucson on a trip and hide their valuables. In real world driving, a 350 HP Escalade gets better gas mileage than this underpowered piece of crap. It is however, extremely well built. If you want great build quality with no cargo space and pathetic MPG, this ones for you.

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  Fuel mpg - 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Jack Carmody - July 26 - 8:20 am

  This model vehicle is not getting the mileage I was told I would get. At 3000 miles I called the dealer and told him I was getting 19.1 hwy mile per gallon. She told me I would have to have about 6000 to get the miles that was on the sticker. At 6000 miles i called her and she told me it would get better after 8000 mile. I knew something was not right. I took it to the dealer and had a diagnostic check and everything was within the parramimeters of the manufactorers specs. I now have 11000 miles on the car and I am getting 19.8 hwy. My sticker said 19 city and 25 hwy. A dealer in Ohio said I would not get any better. I would not reccomend this car for fuel mileage the 2008sticker 17 and 23

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  A great gas sipper - 2004 Hyundai Elantra
  By Dave W - July 25 - 10:00 am

  This car has been a great change from our GMC 14mpg mini-van. We took our first road trip and pulled 32mpg w/a.c. on. Im 62" and have plenty of leg/head room, my wife is 51" and can pull up w/in easy reach. The trunk can fit quite a bit. 48qt cooler,2 sleeping bags/pillows,6 man tent,2 chairs and some toys for the kids. The seats are comfortable but not cushy. Our longest sit has been 3hrs w/one rest stop, a little stiff for that long. For around town and short jaunts its great. I would recommend this car to anyone looking for style, affordability and a great warranty package.

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  Absolutely Great Car!! - 2004 Hyundai Sonata
  By Jen2 - July 25 - 10:00 am

  This is our second Sonota (our fourth Hyundai) and I can not say enough great things about this car. It is fun to drive, has a lot of pep, the style of the exterior is modern and up- to-date, the interior is roomy (with lots of head room so you dont feel like your in a box), there is plenty of trunk space and it is very reliable! As you can tell, I love this car!!! I would, and have, recommend the Sonota to my friends and family. The price is great and the warranty is phenomial. Take one on a test drive and you will see for yourself!