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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  Great SUV with one major problem - 2005 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Carrie - May 3 - 4:16 am

  This is my first SUV which I bought used and absolutely love. It runs great, is comfortable and gets pretty good gas mileage. Ive had it for 2 years now and have just now run into a snag. My Crank sensor went out on me without any warning. I was driving to work and everything was fine and all of a sudden it started jerking, all my warning lights came on and then it just died on me. I had to have it towed to the dealership & unfortunately my warranty ran out 6 weeks ago so now Im looking at around $500. Other then this it has been a great first SUV & I would definitely purchase another one.

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  Great car! - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By Edwin Lebish - May 3 - 1:43 am

  Love this car! It drives, feels great and handles well. Many people ask me what kind of car it is. Havent had anyone that didnt like the looks. Seems to be real quiet and smooth on most roads. As expected, the 17 inch tires ride a little rough on rough roads. Brakes are the best and power versus torque is good, especially at speeds over 60. The 5 speed will downshift when going up hills simply because of high gearing the company uses for better mileage due to EPA requirements. The stability control works well and the headlights and visibility are great! After driving the competition, this Sonata is the clear winner, especially when price is a factor as it is for me since I am retired.

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  A Winner Indeed! - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By Dion - May 2 - 6:56 pm

  The 2006 Hyundai Sonata GLS V6 is the first new car Ive purchased since 1993 and its a pleasing alternative to perennial family sedan favorites like the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. Fit and finish of the interior materials are superb and the exterior design is simple yet fluid. The controls are well thought-out and easy to use (I hate referring to the owners manual to learn how to use knobs and dials). In addition, the drivers seat offers a commanding view of traffic while the overall impression of the Sonata is that of a much larger, smoother sedan. By the way, I did test drive the Ford Fusion and found that, while competent, American auto manufacturers have been leap-frogged again

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  poor fuel performance - 2007 Hyundai Azera
  By mathew7 - May 2 - 11:08 am

  This is an excellent car as a whole . Great radio . Rides smoothly and has excellent pickup. Automatic climate controls work nicely. I have had this car since Nov 07 and have driven 4700 miles since then.

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  Hyundai I never seen before - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By Kevin - May 2 - 9:03 am

  This 235 horse Sonata is better than I expected. It is faster, smoother, and I guess bigger. The road handles great especially in the highway. At 70-80 mph, the road noise was exceptionally reduced. Compared to my old Accord, Sonata is much better in quality, price, warranty, features, power, room, comfort, almost every detail in Sonata beats Accord. It is too bad there is no manual for V6s. There is a shiftronic, but whats the difference with automatic if it shifts by itself in the redline? You have to test drive this amazing machine before you go anywhere else, you just might be in a surprise...

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  great all around - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By jay - May 2 - 3:23 am

  people have been saying great things about the sonata and im one of them. shopped accord, camry, g6, altima and narrowed down to sonata and accord. got the sonata cuz of better styling, warranty, roominess, and price. but after driving it, i think i still wouldve got it even if it was more expensive, and the warranty was the same. the car is roomy, quiet, fast, and looks great. especially in black, it looks to be in the same class as an audi a4 or acura tl.

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  A big improvement for Hyundai but just needs a few refinements - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By oldsroyale - May 1 - 11:08 pm

  The fuel economy is good for a car with 275HP and the 22/33 MPG is accurate. The dual scroll turbo is almost lag-free. The 6sp is smooth and responsive and the paddles are fun. The electric steering is NOT refined. The car wanders and likes to follow the road camber. Handling is solid but the stock 18” tires are mediocre, and they are NOT suitable for snow. I needed winter tires. The seats are too hard and can get uncomfortable. The NAV unit is OK but frustrating at times. The voice recognition is OK, but inputting a destination by voice is hard. The disappointing Dimension system sounds muffled and tinny for AM/FM and XM and OK with USB or iphone. iPhone/USB media integration good

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  Great little car... - 2004 Hyundai Elantra
  By glassfern53 - May 1 - 7:11 pm

  This Elantra was my second Hyundai (and, Ill probably buy another). Never had a single problem with this car. The gas mileage is ok (24 mpg city and up to 30 mpg highway). Im a fanatic about maintenance, but, great quality at a good price. Thanks Hyundai for this baby!

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  MY 06*** Love my car - 2006 Hyundai Elantra
  By Tracey - May 1 - 10:45 am

  I bought my 2006 Elantra New May 06. It now has 21000 miles on it and it has been very good to me, I have had no problems with it at all since i bought it. Reliability is a 10++++ plus i bought the extended 10yr 100k bumper to bumper and i have to say that i feel 100% safe w/free roadside assistance with a push of a button on the phone.

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  My Elantra - 2006 Hyundai Elantra
  By pfk981 - May 1 - 6:41 am

  I purchased my Elantra GT in feb 2006. I now have 50,000 miles. This has been a great car. No major problems. The only real complaint I have is the stock rear brakes are very soft brake pads. I always noticed that my rear wheels had more brake dust than my front (not normal). After they started making noise (35K) I replaced them with better pads and all is good. I enjoy driving it to and from work everyday. I would definitely purchase another one.