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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  Impressive! - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By Matt_Landers - December 28 - 10:06 am

  Purchased my 2011 Sonata Limited a week ago and 600 miles later, so my immediate impressions are positive. A lot more bang for your buck than a comparable Accord EX-L which I owned (2009 model)

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  Toyonda Who? - 2008 Hyundai Sonata
  By DrDrewOSU - December 28 - 1:13 am

  Check out the Sonata, I love mine and I am very glad about my decision to purchase it. And I dont say that lightly. Im a 12 out of ten when it comes to being particular about my vehicle. See it for yourself, I think you will be impressed. Azera and Genesis here I come!

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  Genesis is a Winner!! - 2009 Hyundai Genesis
  By Lou A - December 27 - 8:13 pm

  I just passed 1200 miles and this car is a winner for Hyundai. Drives well in Erie PA snow. There is a luxury about the Genesis that "drove" me to it. Everything so far is excellent... As with all new model cars there maybe an issue or two that comes up. Genesis provides the higher cost models (Lexus/BMW/Acura/Mercedes, etc) a true run for the money. The 5 year BTB is one of the key components for the purchase. Hyundais decision to extend the extra year was a thoughtful and calculated one. I agree with all previous comments from other owners. I did research for at least 6-9 months prior to purchase and I am glad I did. The service is key to post purchase and success to Hyundai.

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  Awesome little car! - 2005 Hyundai Accent
  By Shawna - December 27 - 5:47 pm

  I bought my car used in 2008 with 35k miles on it. It is now 2016 and Im still driving it with 286,000 miles on it! I love my car! There have been some fixes here and there- I had to replace both front axles a few years ago. I replaced a couple belts. The a/c doesnt work anymore. I replaced the radio with a better one. Both interior door handles broke. I fixed the drivers door and it lasted a couple years and broke again. Its ok. To me, its all just fixing the wear and tear. I would buy this car again, any day. Its not very often that you find a car like this one.

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  A Piece Of Paper is More RELIABLE - 2007 Hyundai Elantra
  By lemlonboy - December 27 - 4:02 pm

  My used 2007 Hyundai Elantra is ok. Its a very practical car but Ive had to replace my air conditioner 3 times in 2 weeks. My headlight froze and fell out in a -35 Celsius day in Alberta. And Hyundai says its over abuse on the car! Plus Ive only had this car for 3 weeks. It was a former rental from Avis. This car is bad except the looks and fuel economy. DO NOT BUY A HYUNDAI ELANTRA!!!!

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  Bring back the xg350 - 2005 Hyundai XG350
  By keith - December 27 - 3:36 pm

  An absolute great car for the money. Very classy, easy to drive, steering and power response great. My wife drives it most and says its the best car shes ever drove. We have 81,000 miles on it and still love it.

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  Good, inexpensive basic transportation - 2002 Hyundai Accent
  By Kathy - December 27 - 1:19 pm

  I purchased my 2002 Accent used in 2002 when it had just 5K miles on it. I use this car for getting around town -- typically short distances of 15 miles one way. I have driven it long distances but it is not a fun ride due to road noise, handling, and lack of cruise control. The car had a couple of mechanical problems around 30K miles (transmission and power windows on the driver and passenger sides) but the warranty covered all repair costs, and there have been no problems since. Id buy this car again if I needed a very expensive, basic vehicle.

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  Good not Great - 2015 Hyundai Sonata
  By dankocke - December 27 - 12:37 pm

  Purchased 2 weeks ago. Bought in Florida and drove back to Missouri. Overall this is a fine car for the money after rebates and discounts. I like cooled leather seats so I bought this instead of Toyota, Honda, etc. Its put together very well, drives great, and is super quiet. The engine sounds a bit strange but at higher speed it is unnoticeable. Car is plenty fast... much better than 2.4l. Gas mileage is ok but should be better - 28mpg on 1000k mile trip home at 75-80 mph. In town it hovers around 24-26 mpg. Overall for all the features it is a good value. Best Nav in the business. Seats are a bit hard but with good support, so be sure to check it out before you buy.

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  Great Car - 2003 Hyundai Tiburon
  By Kevin - December 27 - 6:33 am

  Bought the 2003 Tib GT as my first new car at age 35! Have loved it. Clutch replaced during week 1 of ownership - no problem since. A few minor hiccups - parking brake sticks, stuff like that. I am astonished by the level of service I have received from Hyundai!!! Never have I left feeling like I got screwed. Looking at another Hyundai now. Satisfied Hyundai owner!!!

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  The right choice - 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By fluegs - December 27 - 2:00 am

  I just traded in my 2001 Subaru Forester for a Santa Fe and couldnt be happier! There is so much more room and it drives so smoothly I know it was the right choice for me. I do miss the heated seats and the compass/outdoor temp gauge but thats all. You cant beat the value and it handles so nicely. One test drive is all it should take!