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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  Problems with 2006 Sonata - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By Patricia Moline - June 19 - 8:06 am

  One year into ownership, I had trouble with the locks & the dome light burned out. The door locks would unlock & lock on their own. I have 18,400 miles on it now and the back drivers side back brake is bad. The dealership said Hyundai will not warranty the brake. The car is not yet 3 yrs old. I am the original owner. I bought the car new in Sept. 2006. I will be writing the MN Attorney General about this problem.

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  Great looking, fun car to drive - 2009 Hyundai Elantra
  By Bryan Gotch - June 18 - 2:58 pm

  I bought a GL model (Canada) based on all the positive expert and owner reviews I read about it, including its above-average warranty and great price. Ive had it for just under a month and so far I havent been disappointed. Im especially impressed with the interior room. Im 6-feet, 250 pounds and the head and leg room in both the front and rear seats is excellent. I find the seats very comfortable. The dashboard layout is well thought out and convenient (stereo, storage compartments). Ive read negative reviews about engine power, but its plenty for me. Overall, its a great looking, comfortable, fun car to drive.

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  Best Auto I have ever had - 2006 Hyundai Azera
  By sardonea - June 18 - 11:13 am

  The Azera is a very impressive car. I purchased the higher cost Limited Edition which has all the bells and whisles available for this model. I found that the tires were over inflated on delivery and once I reduce the preasure to the recommended 30psi the ride inprovement was significant. The only other problem I have had is that the sunrooof has a slight air leak at times. Dealer has adjusted it.

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  Life Saver - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By snbeavers - June 18 - 5:43 am

  I knew the safety on these vehicles were good but now I would make safety my first choice in buying a new Sonata. I havent even owned it a month and I will be buying another. My wife and I was just t-boned by a Durango going approximatly 40 mph, and yet here I am the next day leaving a review on edmunds. The durango driver blasted me on my side and totaled the car. I had to be cut out of the car. Thanks to the curtain side and seat airbags, I have only a few bruises and a craked rib. If you could see this car, you would know that its an unbelievable blessing from God and Hyundai that my wife and I are alive not to mention walking around normally with only bruises and a cracked rib.

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  Safety of driver and passangers - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By Diane - June 18 - 2:30 am

  All doors unlock when placed in park! Thieves and gangs will love this feature that puts all occupants at risk as soon as they park. Evidently the makers of this lovely car felt it was too much trouble to hit the button to unlock the doors when ready to get out of the car. The only thought of your safety when moving the car not when you stop it. This car was purchased for my elderly mother whom I now amy worried about going anywhere alone because of this new feature that puts her at risk. My 06 does not have this safety risk and when dealer tried to disconect it they could only stop it from locking not stop it from unlocking. Never again will I recomend this car to anyone who values life.

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  Sold ours for $500 - 1999 Hyundai Sonata
  By chapchap70 - June 18 - 12:26 am

  We bought the car when it had about 60,000 miles on it. My wife drove it basically around town. At about 90,000 miles I thought it needed the wheels aligned but our mechanic said the cradle bolt (sub frame) was rotting out and it was unsafe to drive. The part from the dealers cost $1500. We checked availability from junk yards and the common response was laughter. Since we were not the original owners, Hyundai did not offer any recourse. We sold it to a mechanic who said he would take a chance on it.

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  A Pretty Good Experience - 2005 Hyundai Elantra
  By grapemanca - June 17 - 11:40 pm

  Weve had our 05 Elantra for 4 years, and weve been pretty pleased. After testing many other cars in its class, we were happy to purchase the Elantra. It has a quieter and smoother ride than the 05 Corolla, and more power than a 05 Civic. Its nice and wide inside, with good head room. After 4 years its still solid and tight.

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  A expcellent very dependable car - 2007 Hyundai Sonata
  By Ronald - June 17 - 4:43 pm

  I have driven this car for 2+ years and have had not one problem. I have average 30 miles per gal. over the 63000miles i have driven. I did perform he scheduled maintenance. i have taken long trips and commute to work 45 miles one way per day. I am trading it in for a new model and my monthly note is going done by $35. both notes for 36months. What a value?

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  very unhappy with dealer and hyundai customer service - 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By drobbins - June 17 - 1:35 pm

  Lets just get right to it. A terriable metal noise in the back door.Dealer claims this is normal .to me and everyone else sounds like a pop weld somewhere between panels. how about a terriable squeaking noise in my driver seat sounds like a broken bed spring. Dealer claims this is normal. And how about a loud humming noise from the stereo system. Again dealer said this is normal. And how about help from Hyundai customer service. NO WAY DEALER CLAIMS CAR UP TO SPECS WE VALUE WHAT ARE DEALER TELLS US??. What a shame i only have 2300 miles it could of been a good value for the money. I guess I will look and trade my car in. my loss and my gain into a quantiy car this time like Honda.

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  The Best,, better choice than Lexus&BMW - 2006 Hyundai Azera
  By Azeran - June 17 - 12:16 am

  Azera would be your bet choice without a doubt! I have never driven any cars better than Azera. At $30K, you will have a car equivelent to $50K worth cars like Jaguar, BMW, Lexus. Just Go ahead and have a test drive, you will see what we, Azeran (people who drive Azera :-), talk about