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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  Unbeatable Value ... Excellent Quality - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By John P. - April 25 - 10:16 am

  Some buyers think quality and price are synonymous ... but the Sonata is a perfect exception to that rule. Superior V6 performance with tight handling ... and satisfactory ride. At 33k miles, its been completely reliable. The fit and finish is very comparable to Honda ... but without the $4~5k extra price. This Alabama built "jewel" is a real winner !! Fuel economy is very acceptable for the engine size (25~27 mpg mixed driving). If you are looking for a quality mid-to-large size sedan, you will kick yourself for not looking at Hyundai. Truly the best "value play" on the market.

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  Welcome in the New Sonata - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By rkaslyfox - April 25 - 6:13 am

  If you were having any reservations about what your next family sedan should be, let me help. This is far and away the absolute best of the best. The fit and finish is approaching that of vehicles costing thousands more. You have options that are standard that arent even available on the competition (heated front AND rear seats as an example). The motor is more than adequate and extremely fuel efficient. I predict this vehicle will become the most highly acclaimed vehicle in the segment. The facts are undeniable and the vehicle itself stirs emotion!

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  "Azera" Best Buy in its Class - 2006 Hyundai Azera
  By Eric Conova - April 24 - 12:33 pm

  Extremely smooth drive...plenty of interior room, even for my 64" frame...features that are standard would be optional in other models in the same class...milage off a little, however, for its size, averaging between 18 and 25 mpg...the smartest buy Ive made in many years...

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  So far So Good - 2005 Hyundai Elantra
  By Mark - April 23 - 4:33 pm

  Love our 1993 Toyota Corolla so we looked at the 2005 models but chose the Elantra instead. We are both 6 feet tall and have a bit more leg, head, and shoulder room in the Elantra than the 2005 Corolla. Costs less than the Corolla too, for the same equipment. And it can tow 3,086 lbs instead of 1,500 if we ever need it. Reminds me of the Corolla from the 90s - simple and clean interior design. Live in Phoenix, AZ metro area, been running the A/C non-stop and getting 28 mpg so far with mixed city/highway driving. Longer basic and powertrain warranty than any comparable car out there. Smaller turning radius than the Corolla, handy for U-turns on side streets.

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  My Best Car Ever - 2000 Hyundai Accent
  By Miss Dee - April 23 - 3:46 pm

  I brought this car brand new, it now has 147,000 miles and still running. With gas prices nowadays I can not complain at 33 mpg. I am currently looking for a 2008 but .. Hmm I love my car and dont want to sell or trade in. I guess Ill keep it for one more year.

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  Great Value for Money - 2004 Hyundai Sonata
  By Swaroop - April 23 - 10:00 am

  I first looked at this car after stumbling on the J.D Power review in some news article. After a lot of research I test drove the Sonata LX and fell in love with this car. I also test drove the Toyota Corolla and Honda Accord. Corolla was just a good point A to point B type of car with no frills and thrills. Accord was similar to the Sonata. Well it was slightly better in terms of quality but it was atleast $8K/$9K more than the Sonata. The value for money was maximum in the Sonata. The Sonata is THE car for the cost-conscious person who wants a good car.

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  Tiburon Experience - 2003 Hyundai Tiburon
  By mushroomangel - April 22 - 5:56 pm

  I first feature I noticed was the beautiful rear end and since I realize thats what you end up looking at the most of the car in front of you while driving, I wanted a car with a gret rear ;-D - Then after the looks of the sheik exterior comes the drive. This car handles the road great taking turns with ease even if your zoomin a bit fast for a curve it just glides along like its attached to a track. The best test so far has been the rain. I drove thru hurricane rain conditions from VA to PA with truckers splashing an added monsoon of water on me & my car only skidded once the whole 7 and half hours of driving.

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  Sonata is big drive - 2007 Hyundai Sonata
  By truewbil - April 22 - 8:50 am

  There are so many add-ons and items of standard equipment!. You can spend 10 minutes telling friends about stability control, anti-lock brakes, Michellin radils, hugh trunck, foldable this, collapsible that, soft, interior, and with the V6, an engine that takes off like a 3/4 cam GTO

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  WoW! Boy was I wrong! - 2008 Hyundai Accent
  By Larry R - April 21 - 4:35 pm

  I have always driven either a large sedan or suv. I thought that a small car would be uncomfortable,slow and poor quality. Boy! Was I wrong! The Accent that we purchased is quick, made of great quality and is as smooth as any large sedan or suv that I have ever owned. Let me clarify quick. I took this Accent on a short road trip to California from Las Vegas. I was able to cruise at around ninety and I was passing much large and more expensive cars along the way and in L.A. The best is now I put in $25 of gas every eighth day instead of $50 every three days. I did look at other small cars such as the Toyota Yaris and the Chevy Aveo. I found the Accent to have a better value and warranty.

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  Perfectly balanced SUV - 2005 Hyundai TUCSON
  By Zeljko - April 21 - 3:36 am

  Went to buy a safe small SUV for my colege student son and ended with keeping it for myself, giving my son his dream 2000 VW Passat that I had for 5 years. Fantastic job again by Hyundai-my wife owns 2002 Elantra GT. But Tucson isnt just for price. It has everything what you need for solid transportation and enjoyment. All this safety features should be in every car,its possible, thanks Hyundai. It drives very smooth, quiet, corners unbelievable nice, 4 cylinder engine more than sufficient, a lot space everywhere. Im 63" and cant complain about space, ergonomy is excellent. Simply I feel good driving this SUV as a car. Advice for parents: buy for kids just 4 cylinders, safe and nice.