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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  Warning - Burns oil. Destroyed engine. - 2013 Hyundai Sonata
  By brigitbardot - May 1 - 5:44 am

  I bought a 2012 Sonota to replace another. It had regular 3000 mile oil changes. I bought it to NTB for the last one in June of 2014.The sticker said to get oil changed at 58,000 He said it would be fine at 62000.No problems. I heard some knocking at 63000 so I had it towed in, I have a warrahty so I did not want to risk it, No oil light . No burning, No indication of oil issue, I thought it was a belt. I take i They told me it had burned through almost 4 quarts of oil and it killed the engine. Mild weather Light driving, Reasonable oil changes a little past oil change date and this? The extended $1000 warranty wont cover it . They want $5000 to put new engine. Beware

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  My 2nd Hyundai Santa Fe - 2005 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Rick and Kaija - April 30 - 9:23 pm

  We love this SUV so much, it is our second one in two years. They have both performed very well under the conditions we face here in Massachusetts. We traded in our 03 because it had over 50,000. miles on it in two years. Beside the fact that my wife liked the new color, Steel Blue. Keep up the good work Hyundai, and Ill keep buying. Rely on the 3.5L V-6 for the power you need, I do.

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  Very Happy - 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Tim - April 30 - 11:53 am

  After taking about 6 months to decide on what SUV to buy I finally decided to get a Santa Fe. It is a very solid built SUV with attractive styling inside and out. There is plenty of room in the second row for 2 adults to sit comfortably and the second row seat backs recline which adds more comfort. The front seats are great with plenty of leg room and have a plush feeling. Dash design is nice and the blue lighting is not as distracting as a green or a red. Over all I think that Hyundai is well on there way to pass Toyota in quality and price.

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  Happy Owner - 2004 Hyundai Sonata
  By Artie Dee - April 30 - 10:00 am

  I love the way it looks style wise and it handles beautifully.The trunk has ample space, especially when to put down the rear seatbacks to give you more cargo area for longer items.I am very happy with its pickup and passing ability.A great car for the price and especially the warranty. That really sold me on this car. I figure if a car manufacturer gives you such a long warranty period, that means they trust their car to have less performance failures.

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  Love My Azera! - 2006 Hyundai Azera
  By larry - April 30 - 3:56 am

  Ive had my Azera Litd. since June 15 and love it. It was difficult to find the color I wanted. But I eventually got what I wanted--venetian blue with tan leather interior. Car is soooo quiet and comfortable to sit in. Only drawback is lack of fuel economy. Ive been averaging just 17-18 mpg over several tankfulls of gas, even with some highway driving. With mixed driving, I thought Id average around 22-23 mpg. Very disappointing, especially with gas prices as high as they are. At least the car runs on regular gas.

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  Dual clutch problems - 2016 Hyundai TUCSON
  By Beetle - April 30 - 3:43 am

  I purchased my 2016 Hyundai Tucson Limited at the end of May 2016. For about five weeks, I enjoyed the comfort, smooth ride, quiet cabin and features. Unfortunately, after about five weeks, I had to have the vehicle towed to the local dealership because of problems with the “dual clutch transmission” (DCT). It appears that I am not the only person experiencing problems with the DCT (the Eco, Sport and Limited models of the Tucson). You should check out the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration “safercar” web-site to see the over 100 complaints 2016 Tucson owners have reported about the DCT before you buy one for yourself.

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  A fantastic makeover! - 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By tom mielczarek - April 29 - 9:46 am

  Found that we needed a vehicle to replace our aging mini-van, and since we live where it does snow, wanted something with either all wheel or 4 wheel drive. Compared a Honda CR-V and the RAV4 with the Hyundai Santa Fe. It ended up being no contest! The Hyundai in the SE trim level is loaded with safety/convience/comfort items. We also qualified for special financing, which clinched the deal. The redesign of the Santa Fe has created a beautiful looking vehicle both inside and out. I had a guy think it was a Lexus! And if youre considering a SUV check out the Santa Fe, especially in the Dark Cherry Red (which is what we got), its stunning.

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  Fun, performance, and great Looks !!! - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By Scott - April 28 - 4:56 pm

  I have had some of the worst vehicles known to man - Intrepid,Taurus,Astro. I Really needed a car, but none really interested me until the Sonata. I knew nothing of Hyundai until I checked the web, and the reviews were outstanding. BUT when I saw it, I knew I had to have this car. The quality and attention to detail is outstanding as was the price. The interior and trunk have lots of room. We love this car, and will probably get another Hyundai for my wife. Drive one - it handles like its on rails and pulls hard (if you get on it). The warrantee is second to none.

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  09 Limited V6-NAV - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By fscot - April 28 - 4:06 pm

  Preferred the Sonata over the Accord, Camry, Altima & Malibu - the much lower price was icing on the cake. Ride is silky smooth, and exceptionally quiet. The new interior is fantastic beats all the competitors. Great car!!!

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  An absolute MUST buy! - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By Proprioceptive - April 28 - 1:43 pm

  It was down to a Malibu, Fusion, and Sonata, and we went with the Sonata. You cant beat the combination of a huge interior, great gas milage, safety, and the best price in the market for what you get. I love how nimble the handling is and how quick the 198HP engine is. We got an amazing deal on a GLS with popular equipment package. Right now the only gripe I have is with the drivers seat. It seems like they could have made it a little more comfortable/ergonomic. It isnt too bad, but I guess Im nitpicking. We love that the trunk actually opens all the way when you hit the FOB button. The ride is pretty solid.. kind of a mix between the plush Camry ride and the sporty Fusion ride.