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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  So far Great - 2005 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By laustin - June 3 - 4:53 pm

  I bought this car after nothing but problems with a Jeep Grand Cherokee Larado. I did research on the sante fe and bought it for the warranty. Great room in back for beach chairs, moving furniture, etc. Good cup holders. Good seats. Only thing I dont like is the engine doesnt seem to have alot of "umpf" but then again I dont need to go more than 70 mph. Have 60k miles now. hope this lasts a very long time for me!

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  Tucson V-6 MPG must be improved - 2006 Hyundai TUCSON
  By Scout - June 2 - 8:10 am

  The Tucson V-6 has a lot going for it. Easy to drive, responds well, comfortable ride and leads in having the best warranty. For a small SUV it is one of the few that has a design that works for taller people. Too bad they didnt do their homework on providing better mpg. If great mpg is an objective, the Tucson is not for you. You will be disappointed. Consumers look to smaller SUVs to provide great gas mileage. Hyundai failed to respond to consumers. If Hyundai could provide an engine that gets great mpg this SUV would go to the top of its class.

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  Great Value - 2007 Hyundai Entourage
  By HC - June 2 - 3:00 am

  Only had it for a short time and have had no problems. The Limited Edition is the way to go. Nice acceleration, nice brakes, firm drive, and excellent value. Seriously considered Honda until I came accross this car. Nice features only available on top of the line Honda. Able to program remote to automatically adjust the seat, side view mirror, and brake/gas pedal but not as useful since we typically use one remote between the two of us. No navigational system offered but nice external, portable ones available on the market.

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  First SUV - 2006 Hyundai TUCSON
  By Larry Hoskinson - May 31 - 3:46 pm

  First I would say that I am a car nut, I try to get the best buy for the money. I bought my Tuson after looking at all the models in my price field. Beings this vehicle was new this year I had doubts about it as I would with any new model. A few weeks after purchase the wife and I took a trip to Fla. and back a total of over 3000 miles. I am one who likes to check and keep track of the mileage and during this trip we averaged just a little less then 24mpg. Since the Fla. trip we have ventured to Colo. and another trip to Niagara Falls and the mileage has picked up a bit. So far the best has been 26.2. With the vehicle itself it has been perfect as has been the dealership.

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  What a Deal! - 2002 Hyundai XG350
  By Greenescape - May 29 - 10:00 am

  Went to the dealer to look at Elantras and Sonatas. XG was a program car return. Wife fell in love with it and nothing else would do. Paid less than the loaded Sonata I had wanted and got much more car. Definitely compares favorably to brother-in-laws Maxima GLE. Very nice!!!

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  Is Camry & Accord worth an extra $4-8K?? - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By Paul - May 24 - 7:26 pm

  I took the "Hyundai Challenge" and became a believer. I first drove an Accord and a Camry and after driving the Sonata there was no way to justify spending an extra $4 to 8K for a car in this class. The Sonata is a great car, smooth ride, solid feel, and looks great. I went with the LX with the moonroof and 6 CD player package. Comes with leather, heated seats, V6, shiftable automatic, and loads of safety features. Taking advantage of the rebate I got the car for $21K. Did all the negotiating for the car thru email and was extremely pleased with the experience and the dealership. I am hoping Hyundai will now live up to Honda and Toyotas quality and durability - time will tell!

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  Another solid performer in its class - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By SevenBizzos - May 24 - 1:27 am

  After owning an Elantra for 125k miles with no issues (until it met a guardrail), we moved up in class and picked up the Sonata Limited V6. So far, its been an excellent choice. Our MPG has ranged from 33 on a highway trip with 100% fuel, to 23 that was mostly suburban traffic with E10 winter blend. I think thats a fair number considering the engine displacement and size of the vehicle.

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  Pay for what you get - 2015 Hyundai Sonata
  By Enmerisier@yahoo.com - May 19 - 4:02 am

  This vehicle was my 1st brand new vehicle. Ive had it about 5 months and Im okay with it, but wish it was a Honda. The Dimension speakers cant handle any bass and the speakers rattle which is terrible. Also, the 5 inch screen isnt capable of that new Andriod auto feature. The 5 inch screen is also very dated and not modern at all. If I could repurchase, Id select an upgraded model since Im very tech savvy. Otherwise, the car gets great gas mileage, has a very sporty exterior and is backed with a grear warranty

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  Fun while it lasted - 2006 Hyundai TUCSON
  By jmom - May 18 - 9:50 am

  I loved my Tucson,disappionte in milage, but fun to drive. Great amount of room for luggage for a week trip with a family of 5 (2 teenage boys and husband all 6+). Last week was t- boned and rolled, landing of the roof. I walked away without a scratch, a few bumps. Side air bags went off. The 5-star crash rating seems to be deserved. Will probably buy another one.

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  Look for starter problems. - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By rebekahb1 - May 13 - 5:44 pm

  We just replaced the starter in our 75K mile 2011 Hyundai Sonata. We were told that the starter is a very common problem for this car, and sure enough, what presented as a possible battery problem that was difficult/impossible to jump turned out to be a starter. This is the first and only mechanical problem we have had with the car. Other than that, it is loud on the road and seats are uncomfy for me at 54", but it has been a great car. Just be prepared to shell out $500-700 for the starter.