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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  If you like the feel of a VW, buy this - 2008 Hyundai Elantra
  By Difficult to please - September 20 - 3:31 pm

  1,500 miles into ownership and one 1,000 mile trip later, Im impressed. Feels like my wifes Passat (seating and steering). Feels big on the inside. Steering is wonderful -- full feel at speed and the ability to turn with a pinkey in a parking lot. Standard features blow the competition away on a $ to $ comparison. I wanted a Jetta but wouldnt pay for features I didnt want to get what I wanted. The Elantra SE had all that I wanted at a great price. This car has exceeded expectations.

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  Great Ride with Azera - 2006 Hyundai Azera
  By CJ - September 20 - 2:23 am

  I have Azrea for 5 months now. It rides so good. Just give it a test drive. you will feel what I meant. It is very very silent even over 80 MPH and has horse power for gallop. Room is very large and spacious. if you lease it and buy it after the lease, you can lock monthly pay around $300.

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  From Volvo to Hyundai - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By nicky - September 19 - 3:33 am

  Used to drive volvo for the last 10 years I would say this car is fantastic. Good fuel economy, handling and visibility (no blind spot on this car) are excellent, kind of wondering why I didnt try them before or where they as good before? Anyway on dont regret my choice!

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  2nd great Genesis - 2016 Hyundai Genesis
  By Mark J Rubin - September 18 - 2:23 pm

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  Best car I have bought - 2005 Hyundai Elantra
  By rich - September 17 - 3:46 pm

  What can I say. The best car in price range. Hyundai has come a long way!

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  Great car. I would buy another one - 2002 Hyundai Sonata
  By Milwaukee, Wi - September 17 - 10:52 am

  We bought car with 11,000. We have 98,000 miles and only minor repairs. Runs great and gets great mpg. Rides great, shifts smooth. Not a lot of horsepower ( 4 cylinder , 140 hp) but I love the idea of 30 mpg in a mid-size car. I will run this on into the ground. No reason to sell it.

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  Replaced my 99 with a 2010 and LOVE IT! - 2010 Hyundai Sonata
  By JLR97321 - September 16 - 6:23 am

  I had a 99 Sonata GLS prior to this one. It was a VERY reliable car for 10 years and 138,000 miles so I looked at the new model. WOW, Im impressed. Even my new husband, an old school gear head, loves driving it. I wont say how fast my husband has had this car going, but the speedometer limit is not wishful thinking. The Sonata has a very roomy interior and all the comfort we love but the zippiness of the car still allows us to have fun. Have put 4500 miles on it in 3 months and not even a minor defect yet. On a recent long distance trip we got 32 mpg (and I do NOT drive slow). I average 24-25 on combined highway/city driving.

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  My Hyundai - 2016 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid
  By david - September 16 - 6:09 am

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  Best Value Minivan - 2007 Hyundai Entourage
  By John - September 15 - 2:56 pm

  If youre buying a minivan, you can not beat the value of this Hyundai. Its at the very least neck and neck with Toyota and Honda and the price is far and away a better deal. Go for the Limited with all the bells & whistles and you wont look back. If youre nervous about a first year vehicle, get the dealer to give you free maintenance for 12 months, that should alay fears of unknown bugs in the design. Minivans are all about functionality, they were designed for one purpose: ease the travel & logistics life of a family, and Hyundai is one of the best before price is even in the equation. Hyundai has put together an excellent package; cant wait for the editors review & validation!

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  A lot of car for the price I paid. - 2006 Hyundai Azera
  By Yifan - September 15 - 11:24 am

  Nobody thought Id buy this car, including me, but I havent regretted since. A lot of power for its curb weight. The other day, I had no problem keeping up with a Mazdaspeed 3 on the freeway going 90mph. Like some people say, you dont realize how fast you are going because the ride is very quiet and smooth. Of course, it also helps that Hyundai has such long warranties on it. Havent had need to take it back to dealer yet though. Roomy interior and superb upholstery, though not leather, all the nice touches are there including the "fake" wood plastic finish. Large trunk. Exterior styling is ok, but not the best. But for a $23K car, its not bad.