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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  Bad to the Bone - 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By backtoblack1 - November 18 - 8:20 pm

  Bought the 2.0T after an extensive search and reading reviews. Test drove the 2013 Equinox, Grand Cherokee, Highlander, RDX, Pathfinder, and Edge and Escape. All were good vehicles but the 2.0T was the most impressive - size, space, speed, gas mileage, amenities, looks and at a decent price. Out the box the 2.0T is an excellent redesign. I am getting about 24 mpg combined after about 700 miles but my goal is to get closer to or exceed the EPA estimated 27 mpg by playing more with the ECO setting. Took a road trip of about 500 miles last weekend and the 2.0T never struggled (no whining at all) when going up hills or passing vehicles going up hills at 75 -80 mph…I was thoroughly impressed.

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  Best Car I ever Had - 2007 Hyundai Sonata
  By John - November 18 - 1:48 pm

  This car is fast, Its brisk agile and very quite as also a owner of a 2002 Lexus GS300 I must say it rides just like my Lexus,It very comfortable on long distance, Now Im 6 feet tall 240lbs and I have plenty of room in this car, I also like the XM radio also. Hyundai has definitely stepped their game up probably in a few years I may buy the Luxurious Hyundai Genesis!

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  High Mileage Driver - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By Dustin - November 18 - 12:26 pm

  Ive had this car for just over a week now and Im very impressed so far. my Buying experience was excellent and i would recommend the dealer to anyone. i drive approx 30k a year so i wanted something that would be economical reliable and comfortable. In my experience so far the fuel economy has been amazing, with mostly highway driving i returned 37 mpg with a 50-50 mix i returned 30mpg. the 100k warranty really sets my mind at ease. the car is decent to drive, and while its not a "drivers car" its better sorted than a lot of cars. there is excellent room inside and the transmission seems pretty solid. the standard features are awesome. for a midsized sedan it handles pretty well.

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  3 years later! - 2009 Hyundai Elantra Touring
  By n1luf - November 18 - 7:35 am

  After 3 years of driving this car I can say it still is a joy to drive. The out side of the finish still shines. The motor is just a little loud when you give it the gas. Better yet is the mileage for me in Connecticut, 33 city...45 highway. I found using Castrol edge or Quaker state ultimate pure synthetic oils produce better mileage. Inside of the car remain about the same. Satellite radio in car works well. All the gages have work and light up. Seats and floor still in good shape. Overall car works well.

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  Such a fun car to drive - 2011 Hyundai TUCSON
  By igibbons - November 17 - 3:10 pm

  I recently traded in a 2012 Kia Sportage 6 speed manual for a 2011 Tucson that my girlfriend can drive as well. I wish I had gone with the Tucson from the get go. The steering provides relatively good feedback and it responds quickly. On twisty roads I would consider it sporty. The ride can be slightly firm but it IS an suv and that lends to the fun factor around corners. Gas mileage is low 20s but I spend most my days in city traffic and when I can let loose I push the engine. Cabin is comfortable and visibility is great when you properly adjust your mirrors. Completely happy with this new vehicle.

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  A rental drive won me over! - 2015 Hyundai Sonata
  By George Bixler - November 17 - 10:20 am

  My previous car was a 2009 Sonata Limited. It was a good value car, reliable and dependable, but it wasnt a particularly exciting car to drive. So, when the time came to look for a replacement, the 2015 Sonata was not on my list - I had driven a Mazda6, an Accord (of which I had previously owned 3), and a Legacy (still own a 2003 wagon) - all terrific cars. But when I needed to rent a car to drive to the North Carolina Outer Banks for a vacation, the rental company gave me a 2015 Sonata SE. It only took me about 5 miles to realize that this was an entirely different car from my 2009. It handled much more tightly, was tomb-quiet, seats were amazingly comfortable, highway ride was terrific, interior design and controls were where they should be - everything just "fit." When I returned from putting 1200 miles on the rental, I knew the 2015 Sonata needed to be on my list. No, it was not as sporty to drive as either the Mazda 6 or the Accord, and it didnt have the AWD of the Legacy. But it had won over not only my head, but my heart as well. To me, I get 90% of the driving quality/enjoyment of the Mazda 6, whereas the 6s taut ride gives me only 60% of the Sonatas ride quality. The Legacys AWD was also a big draw. But the Sonata was just the best overall car for me and my wife. And the deal we got from Hyundai was markedly better than the deals offered on the other models, so the deal was sealed. We are now happily driving a 2.4 Limited (power is just fine, by the way), averaging right at 30+ mpg in mixed driving, and we have every technological and safety feature (except AWD) we could want. And finally, while looks are subjective, I think the 2015 Sonata looks much more refined than the 2014 model. If you are looking for a midsize sedan, dont overlook this car. It may not exactly fit your needs, but it surely fits ours. I am nearly 65, and this will be our "retirement trip" car for the next number of years. We are very happy with our purchase!

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  Few Repairs until Engine Failure 150k - 2002 Hyundai Elantra
  By PG - November 16 - 7:08 pm

  Bought new in 2002. It had only two very minor repairs during the 150,000 miles I had the car 1)coolant thermostat (replaced myself for $30. 2)Headlight bulbs - replaced nearly 3 times...not very expensive but a little inconvenient. The car was extremely dependable on a daily basis and very fuel efficient. However, at 150k miles, the thrust bearing went out in the engine, meaning I needed a new engine. The replacement cost would have been about what the car was worth..$3000. I would highly recommend the car but would suggest calling a dealer first to see if the 02 models are known for this particular engine problem.

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  Great Value for the Money - 2005 Hyundai XG350
  By Fred B. - November 16 - 1:26 pm

  The only complaint I have is the acceleration is bit jerky if you dont ease off the gas pedal. Nice power. Im not usre how the Avalon gets 31 MPG and this gets 26 highway. They could improve that a bit. I get 20-22 average in mixed driving, depending on how much highway driving.

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  awesome - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By Melissa - November 15 - 11:30 pm

  Its an awesome car...by far the best one i owned- considing I had a daewoo!

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  Santa Fe - 2005 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By deb - November 15 - 5:50 am

  After being in a rear end collision, Our car took the brunt of the accident. My self and my daughters didnt even have stiff or sore muscles the next morning. I was sitting still at a road block, and the other car came up behind me doing at least 25-30miles per hour when she hit us. Our car had over 8 thousand dollars in damages, but its passengers were safe and sound. I would buy another Santa Fe in the future without a second thought. It has been an excellent car since we got it. thank you