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:

• 

  So far so good ! - 2007 Hyundai Sonata
  By SM - April 8 - 12:53 am

  Researched for several weeks including viewing Edmunds ratings and reviews. I ended up purchasing a program 07 with 14000 miles. It rides and handles like our 01 Honda Accord SE, the 3.3 V6 is virtually silent and smooth with an average 24 combined MPG. Fit and finish are very good with one minor dash rattle which we will have looked at during the first service. Agree the front seats need a little work comfort wise. The stereo sounds good.

• 

  Our 10th hyundai - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By nj2pa2nc - April 7 - 11:16 pm

  Traded in our 05 Hyundai Elantra gt for a 2011 Venetian red 6mt sonata. Loving it after 2 weeks.

• 

  V6 Sonata ROCKS! - 2007 Hyundai Sonata
  By Central Illinois - April 7 - 8:56 pm

  I have owned my 07 Sonata for 3 months and I am loving every minute of it! It has excellent acceleration, nimble handling, smooth ride, great looks, quiet and roomy. I upgraded from a 2000 Elantra and wow what a difference! Hyundai has really improved their product line. It is very nice looking also. I have the 17 inch alloys and sunroof which really makes a difference on the appearance. If this car didnt have 4 doors I would swear it was a sports car!

• 

  Good for a first car... - 2002 Hyundai Elantra
  By westerized - April 7 - 7:16 pm

  I got this car in 2006 and it had 54000 miles on it. The first problem I ran into was at about 62000 miles when an engine seal blew, which was probably because i was doing burnouts using the e-brake. Then at 73000 miles i had to replace the brake pads, which is apparently a common problem with the elantras from what Ive been reading. It is important to note that I coast a lot instead of slamming on the brakes so 20000 miles without new brakes was probably due to my driving style. At 74000 miles the head gasket blew and caused the oil to leak into my radiator and now my engine is toasted. The entire time i drove the car it always drifted to the right, even after i got the axle changed @ 7000

• 

  Wont start - 2007 Hyundai Entourage
  By stranded in FL - April 7 - 3:40 pm

  For the first year it was great! Soon after the automatic doors would pop open a few seconds after they were closed. Then one day it would not start. It has power but will not crank. It has been in the shop 5 times for not starting and it always starts with the doors acting funny. I also have the squeaks and rattles and the engine has an odd sound when the air is running. The gas mileage is not as great as claimed. I would not care about those things if I just had a vehicle I can get in and know it will not leave me stranded waiting on a tow truck and wasting an entire day. I have started the lemon law process. I hope Hyundai does the right thing and gives me the van I thought I was purchasing.

• 

  Lovin It! - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By Lon Thompson - April 7 - 2:20 pm

  I did a lot of research, and test driving this time around. And I am so glad , that I chose the Hyundai Sonata. It has so much to offer, and is a great value. It really is a fun car to drive! Plenty of power, and comfort. I got the LX model, with heated leather seats, too many options to name, that you wont find with the competition, very luxurious, and comfortable. It will go head to head with the competition, any day.(Honda Accord),(Toyota Camry). If you dont believe me, just go test drive one today. It certainly isnt the Hyundai of 10 years ago, in fact, it feels like a much more expensive luxury/performance sedan. Best warranty on the market to boot!

• 

  BangForBuck - 2007 Hyundai Elantra
  By Solid - April 7 - 11:40 am

  I got limited and I enjoy this little car. I got heated black leather seats and fog lights. Live in NYC so I get about 23 mpgs but thats 95% city driving. The interior attracted me to this car very underrated.

• 

  I finally switched from Ford - 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Mark - April 7 - 10:33 am

  Most of my friends say it must be a cold day in hell...I took the plunge and switched from Ford. I am so happy that I did. This vehicle is awesome and exceeds my expectations. I have owned this for 1 month and I cant believe the difference from an American car. Outstanding ride, comfort, and quiet solid vehicle.

• 

  Just another review... - 2000 Hyundai Sonata
  By Tom - April 6 - 4:06 pm

  I am happy with my purchase decision. It has been a good car for the money paid. It has provided a good value.

• 

  I liked it - 2001 Hyundai Elantra
  By Brenda - April 6 - 12:54 pm

  I had this car for about a year. I bought it with electrical problems and had it fixed at a repair shop instead of the dealer. That saved me about $400. I had to do regular maintenance after that and averaged about 34 mpg. The reason I do not have it now is because I was involved in an accident. The car rolled 3 times and my son and I were virtually unharmed. This car gets my vote!