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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  Great Car - 2007 Hyundai Sonata
  By Nate - January 18 - 12:51 pm

  I love this car. The 4 cyl engine has plenty of power. It handles well and give a very comfortable ride (Im 6 2"). The incredible warranty also lets me budget for only tires and oil changes during the next three years. Before I bought the car I also looked at a Camry and an Accord but the bottom line is that the Sonata can stand toe-to-toe with those cars and you do not pay for the brand name.

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  Santa Fe...... Something Special! - 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Amla - January 18 - 6:56 am

  It has silent engine, smooth going, stylish look, lovely interiors, competitive price and great warranty. All You need is zeal and quest to drive this vehicle. Ofcourse Auto Pundits are branded boys to rate the vehicles accordingly. So it didnt surprise me rating Santa Fe less than the poor performers & hard sellers.

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  So Far SO good - 2016 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid
  By MikeM - January 18 - 1:48 am

  Really enjoy it. My first hybrid, so Im still getting used to the braking feel. The hybrid system is seamless and the balance between power and economy is excellent. The car has a very premium feel. The ride is smooth and steering feels consistent. The vented seats work great, and the climate control is strong and flexible. Back seat comfort is high and plenty of room for two passengers with a car seat. Trunk is sizable. I opted not to get the Ultimate, but sometimes wish I had for a better touchscreen, the panoramic roof and some more safety bells and whistles. A few nits: my drivers side window will freeze half way up and head back down; sometimes it takes a few cycles of up and down to get it to close properly. The Limited (no Ultimate) touchscreen is SMALL and doesnt pack a lot of info. The clock and compass are far out of normal drivers sight lines. And I havent been able to get the drivers seat consistently comfortable. Overall very happy, and would definitely recommend. I chose this over a Mazda 6, which was a close second

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  Great Vehicle - 2004 Hyundai Sonata
  By Muppit - January 17 - 12:10 pm

  I drive 1100 miles a week, to work and back, and this car has been faultless for the past 23K miles. And yes I do preventive maintenance, to assist this, such as 3K miles oil changes, tires, etc. And have only really incurred the cost of four Yokohama 520 tires which are superb on this vehicle. Get one youll be surprised at this good all round secret. PS 32-33 mpg (95% highway).

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  Not to be expected of Hyundai - 2011 Hyundai Genesis Coupe
  By pcseely - January 16 - 3:36 pm

  Fantastic car to drive. I have had a few longer road trips and the car feels the road like you would expect from a european model of $20K more. I am a tall man 63" and sitting in the drivers seat feels extremely comfortable and has great visability. I fell in love with the look from the 2009 model and have received numerous compliments from people. Each one has been shocked this was a Hyundai. The car has aggressive lines and the two-tone interior really adds the extra sportiness to the black exterior. Very happy about my decision.

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  Great get around vehicle - 2002 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By LynS - January 15 - 2:00 am

  If your driving around town or on short excursions, it is a great vehicle to own. Drives and handles very well, good gas mileage for an SUV, has a lot of cargo room. Was hit by another car from behind and it felt like I rolled over a little speed bump -- good quality construction.

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  Sonata 101 - 2004 Hyundai Sonata
  By Sister1021 - January 15 - 2:00 am

  I have owned my Sonata since October and drive approximately 100 miles per day. I have found two problems with this car both minor but worth mentioning. When making a sharp left hand turn if you knee or hand touches the drivers door the bell which indicates an open door sounds no matter how firmly the door is closed. The second problem is the washer fluid for the windshield doesnt squart up high enough on the windshield - as a matter of fact it just hits the bottom of the windshield. Other than these two minor problems I love my Sonata I find it as comfortable as some high prices sadans and I didnt pay high dollars for it.

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  great car - 2004 Hyundai Sonata
  By clive svendsen - January 15 - 2:00 am

  better than a honda civic EX by far

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  Excellent Buy For The Money - 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Mindinversion - January 15 - 2:00 am

  I *love* this vehicle! 3.5L engine is an absolute BEAST on the road, and I havent had a single REAL problem with the car yet. Everything is modular inside, easy to work on and easy to find. I love the styling as well, though some seem to think its "too aggressive". Then they go back to driving their Neons and Cavaliers. Well worth EVERY PENNY *AS LONG AS YOU PLAN TO DRIVE IT FOREVER* (Resale value doesnt hold as well on these)

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  Love mine! - 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By mommy2zoe - January 15 - 2:00 am

  This is an afforadble car that is so worth the money! Its roomy and comfortable and fun to drive!