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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  Good Car - 1997 Hyundai Elantra
  By Ech - July 22 - 2:00 am

  I had VERY VERY FEW problems with this car. It still runs well. It is a steal for the price.

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  very good, but... - 2007 Hyundai Sonata
  By Alex - July 21 - 4:56 am

  Very good car, not expensive, looks great, powerful

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  fun!! fun!! fun!! - 2004 Hyundai Tiburon
  By rousse le femme - July 20 - 10:00 am

  Brand New so not alot of behind the wheel time yet. I do love the way this car feels. It is very comfortable and feels solid around you. Not cheap feeling at all. I actually test drove 3 tib models and 3 Jetta models. I preferred the tib for handeling, smoother clutch... the Jetta clutch was "springy", less road noise and a much sportier look and feel...intimate. LOVE my "just for fun car!"

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  So far so good! - 2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid
  By ded99 - July 12 - 1:40 pm

  I have about 2200 miles on the car. I have taken the car on a couple three hour highway trips, along with many miles around town. I can get the advertised mileage if it is driven carefully. I find that the highway mileage is a little lower when the cruise control is set. To be fair I was traveling between 70 and 75 during the bulk of the highway trip. I got about 38 to 39 mpg. I find that with the cruise control off I can keep the car in the electric mode longer, and seem to get mileage of over 40 mpg. I must admit however that I have always had a heavy right foot so this is actually very good. My wife has gotten 35+ mpg in town. So far very pleased.

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  LOUD - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By fudge - July 11 - 9:50 pm

  I purchased my Sonata 3 months ago. About a month ago I noticed that it was running really load - almost like an exhaust leak. I brought it into the dealer to find nothing wrong with it. It didnt make this noise when I purchased it. Four other people at the dealership listened to it and compared to other Sonatas/ I am told this is how it is, new fuel injected systems.I hate the noise and dont want the car for the money I paid. Should run as smooth as the day I bought it.

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  2010 Preowned Former Rental - GREAT DEAL - 2010 Hyundai Sonata
  By Atomx71 - July 11 - 11:30 am

  It isnt often that I buy a car new off the lot. I saw this 2010 in the preowned area and inquired. It was a former rental which at first most people balk at when seen. I will say that I will never buy a used car that WASNT a rental first. It was immaculate, like new and had 30,000 miles on it. The dealer had all the maintenance records and CARFAX report on-site. The rental company changed the oil every 3,000 miles and did all manufacturer recommended maintenance religiously. I have had the Sonata a week now and it drives wonderfully. The handling is fine for a car of its size. Also, Hyundai allows the transfer of the 10/100,000 to another owner; so I still have 30,000 miles left to go.BRAVO

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  What more could you ask for - 2002 Hyundai Elantra
  By timmym1 - July 9 - 2:00 am

  Hey folks want a solid car with big time features for small time bucks look no futher I was a Honda Toyota guy and my Hyundai is just as good as them.Loaded for about 13k with a roof and abs civic ex around $18k+ with less horsepower I may add. have had 38 k roll so far with no interuptions. GOING STRONG. OH YAL THE WARRANTY !! ARE YOU SERIOUS HEADLIGHT BURNED OUT THE OTHER DAY MY COST $0 I HAVE HAD IT OVER 2 YEARS! THANK YOU HYUNDAI

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  Great Car - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By nell - July 8 - 10:23 am

  This is a great car, but i may not be able to keep it, the lumber support is killing my lower back.... I definitely would purchase this car if the seat could be fixed. I am completely surprised by this car, it is definitely worth every penny.

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  Bang for the Buck? - Oh yeah. - 2004 Hyundai Elantra
  By scottymac223 - July 8 - 2:00 am

  Well Ive driven pick-up trucks for the past 12 years so this small sedan is a bit of a departure for me. My wife did have a 99 Nissan Maixma SE for a few years, and while this would never be confused with a Maxima, it is fun. So far I love the way it drives. Its effortless. It dives into corners and zips through traffic. Basically for the money it cant be beat. I had looked at the Mazda 3s and to get it with the same features as the Elantra GT would have cost 4-5K more. The Nissan Sentra is... well a Sentra. The Hyundai warranty is simply the best.

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  Pleasant Surprise - 2001 Hyundai Elantra
  By djali79 - July 7 - 2:00 am

  After considering a few choices for compact cars, I narrowed it down to the Civic and the Elantra. I went with the Elantra because of price and given that it had received good reviews, I wasnt too worried. I was definitely surprised when I actually saw what it had to offer. Side airbags, 2.0L 140-hp DOHC engine, power everything, heated mirrors, excellent storage compartments, tilt height adjust driver seat, slick gearbox, etc. I bought mine with 31000 miles for $6,200. Similar civics were running around anywhere from $9-11,000. Obviously Hondas have better resale, but how much more can it depreciate from 6 grand? Great car, good build quality.