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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  The Sonata is a Winner!!! - 2007 Hyundai Sonata
  By Ron - January 2 - 6:53 pm

  It drives flawlessly and stops on a dime. It is quiet and fun to drive. I wish I bought it sooner. The car looks great. Gas mileage has been great for the break in period. I have gotten 26 miles per gallon on first tankful- combining city and highway mileage. Thats great for breaking in engine. This car is heads above the competition. A winner. I made a great choice purchasing the car. The warrantee is the best also.

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  Unbelieveable - 2006 Hyundai Azera
  By Richard - January 2 - 4:16 pm

  Wow!! If you failed to note the nameplate on the decklid, you might mistake the sumptuous interior for a Lexus or the Cadillac DTS - except that unlike the DTS the Azera uses better materials, has a 5 spd auto, instead of the antique 4 spd, and has folding rear seats ( a must have for us ). The 24 valve V6 outguns the DTS v8, too - in acceleration and top end and gets better MPG on reg. gas. Ride is buttersmooth, it handles well, and is whisper quiet. The Azera would ba a bargain at up to $10K more, and the warranty seals the deal. It gets 29-30 MPG at a steady 70MPH ( 22-23 in mixed driving ) in a Michigan December. This car is absolutely awesome!!!!

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  Fun - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By beth goetz - January 2 - 2:53 pm

  The car is very quiet. Great pick up....looks good. A very enjoyable car.

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  My Hyundai Rocks - 2002 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Mac10 - January 2 - 11:33 am

  Hyundai is not what they used to be. They are reliable! My first was a 1995 Accent; my husband drove the car until June, 2008. When Big Red finished, she had 159,000 miles! That type of reliable made me a loyal Hyundai customer! I bought my Santa Fe in 2002. I call her Lucille, and she still looks as good when I drove her off the lot! I wouldnt trade my Hyundai in for anything else! We just bought a 2008 Sonata!

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  Best Car Ive Owned in Years - 2001 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By SVC - January 1 - 11:40 pm

  In 155000 miles I have replaced the drivers side sun visor, the rear hatch locking mechanism and the drivers side seat heater. Thats the end of the list. Our Santa Fe consistently gets 24 MPG highway while delivering a comfortable ride and good handling. This car has been very well maintained so it still looks great and runs great. Probably the most "bang for the buck" that I have ever gotten in an automobile. I expect to get at least another 100k miles on this car.

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  First New Car - 2003 Hyundai Elantra
  By Gary - January 1 - 10:13 pm

  I bought my Elantra new and for a great price. It has been a great reliable car for my family. I have had only a few minor problems. The CD player went out a few months after buying but was replaced under warranty. Also, I have a few blown head lights. I have taken our car on a few long trips and hand no problems and great fuel mileage. As long as you keep the oil changed, you should have little to no problems with this car.

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  In Love! - 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By coconut - January 1 - 4:53 pm

  This is my first new car in 23 years so I researched models and price for months. Had been a loyal Toyota owner (until this year) and also wanted my first SUV. Thanks to Edmunds and Truecar.com, I honed in on the Santa Fe, then used the internet to contact sev. dealers and start negotiating. Local dealer agreed to sell the only fully loaded, 2010 Ltd that he had on the lot (theyre hard to find) for a negotiated price of $27,600 and I drove off the lot completely in love with this car. Entire purchasing process was seamless and painless. As a woman, I cant stress enough the importance of using Edmunds and TrueCar to educate oneself and gain negotiating confidence and power.

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  WOW~~ - 2008 Hyundai Sonata
  By JK - December 31 - 2:56 pm

  The Sonata Limited is loaded with features. You name it, it has it. Except for Navigation. But other than that, it has all the options Id ask for and for the price that I cant imagine with any other manufacturer. I have about 6000 miles now and enjoying it everyday.

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  Wow! - 2003 Hyundai Tiburon
  By AllOhio - December 31 - 10:00 am

  More fun for the money than anything else out there!

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  great change - 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By les atkinson - December 31 - 1:33 am

  i had a 2005 santa fe and traded it in on the new 2007 limited 4x4 and wow! what a change i abosolutly love it.what a refreshing new look inside and out.