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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  SWEEET SWEEET RIDE - 2015 Hyundai Genesis
  By Anthony Pewonski - December 28 - 12:59 pm

  Everything and more than more expensive cars. Looks good going down the road of parked and the interior is nice. All wheel drive is tops on my list.

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  3.8 Economy disappointed - 2012 Hyundai Genesis
  By Steve Barlow - December 25 - 2:36 pm

  I have read reviews that say 30MPG on highway, most I have had is 22.4 Should I have it checked? I have had MBZ 500s and the Genesis is a lot more car, I probably will not go back. There IS a surprise, if you are second owner the warranty is only 5 yrs 50,000 miles NOT 10 Year. after 5 years you are on your own. I didnt find this out until I had purchased the car. This was the only negative think I would say. I can find no reason for the big drop in pricing for 3 years..if you are thinking of buying one DO IT you will not be disappointed!!!

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  Switched from a BMW to a Genesis - 2015 Hyundai Genesis
  By Phil Carlson - December 11 - 9:20 am

  Ive had 5 BMWs: 2 740s, 2 135 convertibles and an X3. I guess you could say that I enjoy BMWs driving performance. But, I recently went on a long trip and I got tired of the BMWs rough ride. Sure, you feel the road, but you also feel all the bumps. So, I decided to look around. I found what I was looking for in the Genesis. Its much, much smoother than the BMW. Much more comfortable. The BMW jumps off the start faster, but the Genesis starts smoothly and then picks up. Their 0-60 specs are very similar. I went with the 5.0 to get the extra horsepower. The V-8 does accelerate well when you want it to. I test drove a BMW 535 for comparison. The Genesis is much better equipped. I really like the Lane Assist, which I didnt see on the BMW. The Lane Assist nudges you back into your lane by itself. That makes it very relaxing to drive. I also like the Adaptive Cruise control. I had one of those in a 2006 Infiniti, but it very jerky and only used it on long trips. This cruise control works in city driving. Again, its very smooth. So, between the Lane Assist and the Adaptive Cruise control its very comfortable. The Auto Hold feature is nice. With it on, when you stop you dont have to keep your foot on the brake. Very nice. I only wish I could set a default to have it on all the time. Overall, Im thrilled with the car. Of course, I also like the price. I saved money and bought more car.

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  Hyundai Accent - 2003 Hyundai Accent
  By Marianne - December 9 - 10:19 pm

  It is a great little car to get around.

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  2007 Hyundai Elantra - 2007 Hyundai Elantra
  By scott.stevens40@yahoo.com - December 5 - 8:06 pm

  I bought a 2007 Hyundai Elantra my car before that was a 1995 Isuzu Rodeo, so getting a bit old. The Hyundai so far in 2 months has been very reliable, great fuel economy as well. The tech is a little behind the current times, but it was made in 2007 so I wont be so critical on that aspect.

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  2008 Hyundai Sonata SE V6 - 3.3L - 2008 Hyundai Sonata
  By Bob Rubel - December 4 - 12:48 pm

  I bought this car brand new in 2008 from the dealer. I have a 10 year - 100k Warranty. I see people saying seat belts, door handles etc. are falling off. Have never had any of this happen. Im 62" and have no discomfort. The car is quick as hell, shell jump up to 100-120 easily. The car is about 8 years old now and I have only done basic maintenance and put tires and new headlights in due to the wax formation. Everything works. Sound system sounds great, and I love that the unit holds 6 cds. If I could buy this car again when I need a new car I would. Drove to north Carolina, Flordia (separate trip), tenesee (separate trip) and would NOT be afraid to drive to California from rhode island. The car has 161,000 miles on it so I expect problems soon due to use and age. I do not see poor quality in material. I love the car and think that door handles falling off in one guys review is total B.S.

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  Great car, but same lock problem - 2015 Hyundai Genesis
  By Steve O - December 4 - 12:40 pm

  Just like many, I absolutely love the car and was thinking about getting a 5-series before I decided on it. Feel like I got as good or better (my wife has a BMW) car for $15-$20K less. I am having exactly the same lock problem as the person I just read. Better not be $500.

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  Love It * (all except paying for remote start) - 2015 Hyundai Genesis
  By Artback - November 29 - 7:09 am

  Great value in a luxury sedan. Happy Hyundai just announced its launching distinct Genesis dealerships in the US, which will do nothing to enhance the driving experience, yet much to boost the prestige of driving one of the better luxury cars on the market. My 3.8 AWD is fully loaded, and short of a true remote start and auto park (offered by FAR lesser cars), I cant ask for any more features. My only gripe is that remote start is not available EXCEPT through an expensive upgrade to BlueLink, and it has to be the right BlueLink package. Seriously Hyundai? My mid-level 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited has the feature on the key FOB. For my $52K Genesis, I have to log into an APP, and work my way through several screens JUST to start the car remotely? Oh, and I have to pay for that experience....renewed annually.

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  Reliable Car and Great Value! - 2007 Hyundai Sonata
  By Benjamin - November 27 - 7:27 pm

  I have had this 2007 Sonata SE V6 since June 2011 (4 years) and it has been a wonderful car to own. I used to live in Texas so the paint has some minor wear thanks the the flaming sun but other than that most people dont seem to notice. I have received many compliments on this car to the point that many people thought is was a brand new car! This car used to be a rental car and Im impressed how well it has held up since I took ownership! I got this car around 97k miles and it is currently at the 152k mark and it is a trooper. I drove it from the West Texas area to Austin,TX (8 hours of driving) and I had a quarter of a tank of gas left! It gets really good gas mileage on the highway as long as you are in the 60-70 mph range. It gets terrible gas mileage in the city but thats a given for most cars anyway. During my undergraduate degree I drove six hours (one trip, 12 for round trip) from my hometown to my college and I havent had any major mechanical problems with my Sonata. Im currently attending Graduate school in Ohio and I have made 2 round trips of 2,224 miles from Texas to Northwest Ohio and I still havent had any mechanical problems. It still runs and sounds great! It has good acceleration, braking, a quiet cabin and is smooth on the highway. Im not a big fan of the body roll and the steering but I have dealt with worse. I have had regular maintenance and some major maintenance due to the age of the car. I had to fix the rear axle for the major maintenance but I havent had any problems with my engine and transmission. My passenger window motor went out probably due to my car transitioning from Texas to Ohio weather and from people opening it all time -_- I have had some problems with the brake lights but the manufacturer recall quickly resolved that issue. If you baby this car and drive non-aggressively it will return the favor. Im really happy with this car and I hope it continues to thrive!

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  Amazing Machine - 2015 Hyundai Genesis
  By Matt Stone - November 25 - 11:16 am

  I have always considered myself a "brand snob" and purchased Lexus, Volvo, BMW, etc. I never would have believed that a Hyundai would be my favorite car that Ive ever owned. The fit and finish is impeccable, the ride is sublime and power delivery is smooth. Before making the purchase I cross-shopped a 5-series which felt small, and cost $20k more with equal equipment. If I had to gripe about something it would be: no keyless sensors on rear two doors, you still have to push a button to unlock the front doors (lexus you just pull the handles), the rain sensing wipers dont work well, the city gas mileage sucks. The pros far outweigh the cons though. If you are on the fence, just test drive one. Even if you dont purchase you will be amazed at just how far this brand has come.