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 for the money - 2002 Hyundai Elantra
  By J. Glaser - May 5 - 2:00 pm

  In less than 3 years i have put 60,000 miles on this car. I had a few issues in the begining with superficial maintenance, but overall this has been a fantastic car for the money. It has reasonable performance, great cargo space, stylish, and as I already said, economically priced.

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  1st time Hyundai owner - 2006 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Karen32 - May 5 - 7:20 am

  The vehicle is comfortable but has limited driver leg room. The power seat adjustment seems limited and hard to stay comfortable on any trip longer than an hour. Dont expect great gas mileage - 22 hwy with air. City about 16-17. 2200 rpm at 70 mph. Stereo, trip computer, heated seats are very good. Traction is very nice - you feel very safe even during rain. Rear cargo area is well designed and the sun shade works well - A/C is extremely good and cools the car quickly - Temp control could be more user friendly - Nice acceleration and good braking - Overall the car is a good value for $20k - $25k but if I had to do it all over again, Id probably purchase the Tucson - more bells and whistle

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  More Bang For Your Buck - 2005 Hyundai Sonata
  By Steve Elliott - May 3 - 1:23 am

  Car handles well when driving even in the rain. Engine noise is not loud so I dont know why other consumer said it was loud. It looks like a Jag car on the road. Im happy with the driving performance, I have a 4 cylinder and it felt like a V6. I feel Hyundai really wants my business and cares about their customers even long after you buy the car. I feel that Hyundai quality in the GL 2005 Sonata has improved so much that it can compete against Japanese cars. Im beginning to see more people on the road with a quality car that cant afford a big name brand car like Toyota or Honda. This car safety features are great with standard side impact airbags.

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  Great car - 2017 Hyundai Sonata
  By Dominick Edwards - April 29 - 7:12 pm

  I have always owned/leased high end cars. Traded my loaded 2015 Genesis 3.8 for the Sonata Limited 2.0T. In general, I am very pleased with the car. However, if youre downsizing from a Lexus or Genesis like I did, you might be a little dissappointed with the ride which is a little rough and with some road noise. The Sonata compares well to its competitors in all aspects including price. So, given the price differential between high end cars and the Sonata, one could live with the minor shorcomings. Overall handling is great. Electronics are as good if not better than most any high end cars. Safety features are great. The power seats are widely adjustable and very comfortable. Overall, I am very happy with the car. Yes, I miss my Genesis but Im getting used to a smaller car payment lower insurance premiums and much better gas mileage. In addition to all that, the car looks great.

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  Good, small SUV - 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By TerpFan - April 26 - 3:20 pm

  Maybe the biggest of the small SUVs. Roomy but easy to manuver. Plenty of room with the back seat folded down for carrying cargo.

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  A Dependable, Comfortable Little Car - 2003 Hyundai Elantra
  By BosMa25 - April 25 - 2:00 am

  Im coming into this 02 Elantra GLS from a 97 Accord LX. I dont know why people think that Honda is one of the best. Iv had NOTHING but problems with mine... Iv had absolutely NO trouble with the Elantra.But "eeww a Hyundai" I think to myself.. I still think Excel.( Had 3 of them..) HYUNDAI HAS CHANGED. The Elantra PROVES it. Its built very tightly, and very quite ride. Excellent attention to detail. Better than Civic, Sentras in many ways. Its roomy. Styling is original. Its not hard to look at. But its not "cute." Overall I like this car a lot.. Root for the underdog!... Go Hyundai.. =)

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  Very Pleased - 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By David - April 24 - 6:43 pm

  We really like our Santa Fe. Its our "family car" in Colorado. It seemed to be bigger than the CRX or RAV but smaller than the Explorer and comparable models. Nice size then, not too big, not too small. Gas mileage not too bad at 19.5 overall, mostly in the city, in Colorado. AWD drives like a tank in the snow on original tires. Wont be changing to snow tires in the winter anymore, yippee. Very quiet, smooth ride. Not really a sporty ride, but works well for me, I was hoping for a smoother, cruiser feel in the family car. Great price for a pretty good looking car thats already got crumbs, shoe marks and general family use. We are very happy with the purchase.

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  First Hyundai,and my last Hyundai - 2012 Hyundai Veloster
  By gls1 - April 22 - 9:46 am

  The good is the styling,both interior and exterior. The bad is its woefully underpowered. The good is the radio is really good. The bad is you get stuck with a Bluelink system that you cant turn off even if you decline authorization. (Commercials on screen for the life of the car because Hyundai says so) The good is the little 6 speed shifts great The bad is its still hooked to the underpowered engine. The good is you get roadside assistance. The bad is youll need it because theres no spare tire The good is this is a nice economy car. The bad is no matter how it looks, its still just an Accent that went to the beauty parlor

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  Excellent Economical Performer - 2005 Hyundai Accent
  By SAC1955 - April 21 - 9:22 am

  This is my 3rd Hyundai. Very reliable, excellent fuel economy great commuter vehicle.

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  Best Kept Secret - 2002 Hyundai Elantra
  By gene frazier - April 19 - 2:00 am

  This car is the best kept secret in autodom. Great fit and finish, adequate performance and in my experience, relibility second to none. I have had one problem in two years and 57,000 miles, warped brake rotors. The dealer replaced all four rotors no questions asked and the problem has not returned.