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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  Under valued no regrets - 2015 Hyundai Sonata
  By Rob - October 5 - 9:18 am

  Hated cold steering wheels and interior noise. This car eliminated both. With heated steering wheel & seats my 75th winter isnt nearly as tough to take. Talking on phone is better in this car than in the house, much quieter. Safety features with sound alerts backing up and lane changing definitely will keep me behind the wheel as I age. Handling at higher speeds is most reassuring and makes driving a pleasure. Possible Icy road sound alert was a little puzzling until I waded through the thick manual. Would be great if they just put a demonstration on YouTube for all the equipment loaded in this well thought out sedan.

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  Love My Hyundai! - 2013 Hyundai Elantra
  By Sandra Van Domelen - October 5 - 8:09 am

  This is me second Elantra (other one was a 2008 my daughter-in-law bought from me) and it has been amazing. I love how it handles, the comfortable seating - front and back - plus the gas mileage. I am definitely a big fan of Hyundai.

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  Go for it - 2007 Hyundai Sonata
  By Paul - October 5 - 3:56 am

  I went from a bare bones Accent to the Sonata Limited because it was time to move up. I have never owned a car with power anything, cruise, cd, etc. I took my time and checked out other models. It took 6 months or more researching test driving and contimplating price and dealerships. One saturday I test drove 13 cars. Nothing really came close for the price and comfort. I am a large man and the room was incredable. My son (6) sat in the back behind me and he had plenty of knee room. My wife enjoys the heated seats along with all the room she has for her legs. I would recomend this car to anyone. I plan on keeping this car for a long time. Its to comfotable.

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  Great Car to Drive - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By Allan - October 4 - 8:20 pm

  Purchased the 2011 Sonata GLS with Navigation package and upgraded stereo system. The car is fun to drive with great handling, great lexus like ride and roomy interior. Hyundai has scored a home run with the design and performance, great gas mileage and interior dash design. The Dimension stereo system has only average speakers and should be improved. Otherwise, i am pleased with the vehicle for a great price under 25K. It is hard to get a better car with all the features of the 2011 Sonata for under 25K.

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  Walked away alive - 2008 Hyundai Elantra
  By Changingtide - October 3 - 3:35 pm

  I purchase this car in June and have loved driving it for the past three months. We took a long 2,000.00 journey and the car performed great and was a pleasure to drive. Two weeks ago we were rear ended at a light by a SUV and forced in to a truck in front of us (bad enough to declare the car totaled). The car crushed by the impact but protected everyone in the car. I cant complain one bit about the way the car held up in the crash. Were on our way to get a new Elantra next week.

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  Fun to Drive - 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Ann Webb - October 3 - 11:33 am

  This is my SUV to own and I have been really pleased. This is my second Hyundai thought. I had a 2001 Sonata and traded it for the Santa Fe. Its fun to drive and handles well.

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  Great Value - 2003 Hyundai Elantra
  By westsidecouple - October 3 - 2:00 am

  Finally a small car that is a blast to drive. This car (2003 Elantra GT 5 spd) bridges the gap between $20,000 plus smal sport car and value oriented customers. We purchased the car below Edmunds TMV price. The car is loaded. We couldnt be happier. We dont feel like we had to settle to get a car in the price range we were looking for. We feel like we got a better value than we were looking for.

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  The Best - 2002 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Sue Smith - October 2 - 8:10 pm

  This auto gave on the average 23 mpg and many times 28 mpg. The comfort and, performance was great for a 6 cyl. vehicle. Will be buying another within 1-2 years!

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  Wow What a Car - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By stephr74 - October 2 - 7:50 pm

  Just bought the 2009 Hyundai Sonata 2 weeks ago after owning a 1996 Camry for 10 years. I cant say enough about this car. I recently went on a road trip and was getting 35 MPG at 80 MPH. The exterior looks like a more expensive model and the interior is nice too. Wish I had upgraded to the sunroof though.

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  People Keep Asking - 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe
  By Karen - October 2 - 1:06 pm

  People keep asking me about this car and commenting on how great it looks. I get a lot of "thumbs up" when driving down the road. I was hesitant to give up my Saab 93 convertible but am glad I picked this car when the market fell out from under Saab.