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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  Dont get the 5 spd. - 2004 Hyundai Elantra
  By Roger - September 18 - 10:32 am

  Ive had a 2004 Elantra GT hatchback for two months. Great car - fast, safe, reliable, comfortable. However, the 5 spd. is extremely clunky it feels more like a truck transmission than a car transmission. Moreover, the fog lights come on only when the headlights are on, which rather defeats the purpose of fog lights. Otherwise, terrific car.

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  Good but not a great car - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By Good not great - September 17 - 7:06 pm

  I only have 600 miles and its ok, I am disappointed in the rough and bumpy ride. Also the engine noise is more than I would expect out a new car. The styling of the exterior is good and the interior is better than some more expensive cars. The ride is stiff and bumpy, the engine noise is more than I would expect from a new car off the showroom floor. The transmission hesitates a bit. The rough road feel through the steering is annoying and tiresome. Its not a Camry or an Accord, but for a price of 25%-35% less its an ok transportation car.

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  Best car I have bought - 2005 Hyundai Elantra
  By rich - September 17 - 3:46 pm

  What can I say. The best car in price range. Hyundai has come a long way!

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  Great car. I would buy another one - 2002 Hyundai Sonata
  By Milwaukee, Wi - September 17 - 10:52 am

  We bought car with 11,000. We have 98,000 miles and only minor repairs. Runs great and gets great mpg. Rides great, shifts smooth. Not a lot of horsepower ( 4 cylinder , 140 hp) but I love the idea of 30 mpg in a mid-size car. I will run this on into the ground. No reason to sell it.

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  Limited pulls Left !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By l84work - September 17 - 9:25 am

  I wish I had done more research on the]is car before I bought it. The car constantly pulls to the left and it has been to the dealer three times for repair. The dealer acts as if they have never heard of this problem, but search the internet and it is everywhere. I am filing a Lemon Law complaint.

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  Good Buy, Looses Value. Boring. - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By ZNJ - September 17 - 6:36 am

  General: Boring, reliable, comfortable, good initial value, horrible resale value. OK if you plan to keep forever, lousy if you intend to trade or sell within 3 years.

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  I love this car! - 2008 Hyundai Elantra
  By bebe - September 16 - 5:21 pm

  We bought the car in July, Ive put almost 1000 miles on it. Have had no problems, save for the "check engine" popping on because I didnt screw on the gas cap correctly. Love it, love it, love it!

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  Replaced my 99 with a 2010 and LOVE IT! - 2010 Hyundai Sonata
  By JLR97321 - September 16 - 6:23 am

  I had a 99 Sonata GLS prior to this one. It was a VERY reliable car for 10 years and 138,000 miles so I looked at the new model. WOW, Im impressed. Even my new husband, an old school gear head, loves driving it. I wont say how fast my husband has had this car going, but the speedometer limit is not wishful thinking. The Sonata has a very roomy interior and all the comfort we love but the zippiness of the car still allows us to have fun. Have put 4500 miles on it in 3 months and not even a minor defect yet. On a recent long distance trip we got 32 mpg (and I do NOT drive slow). I average 24-25 on combined highway/city driving.

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  My Hyundai - 2016 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid
  By david - September 16 - 6:09 am

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  Cheap Parts! - 2002 Hyundai Sonata
  By Shirlene - September 15 - 8:47 pm

  We bought the car because we loved the styling and we liked the fuel economy. And while I still like both, I have been faced with costly services ever since! Most annoying is that my drivers side power window keeps malfunctioning. I soon will have replaced it twice in 1 year and 1 month! Also, I had always been pleased with the "ride" of this car locally. However, when my daughter moved to a location 7 hours away and I started driving that distance, I found it almost unbearable. Im not alone, everyone who has ridden with me at that distance is in pain. We cannot ride without pillows to prevent numbness! And that is true for people ranging in age from 35 to 70. Cute, not great!