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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  A Shockingly Luxurious Vehicle - 2016 Hyundai Azera
  By Gregory Dearth - April 11 - 4:52 am

  You get a lot for your money buying Hyundai. The Azera is an excellent example. The competition cannot come close to the size, speed, comfort or amenities of the Azera at the price or even at a higher price. One thing to note is that the Infinity sound system is pretty good but lacks a bit on the high end, thoughyou can make up for that using the equalizer. The functions of the stereo are quite common sense and well laid out withactual buttons for many functions. The competition seem to rely far too much on the touchscreen. I dont find that I have to use the touchscreen at all for most actions as real buttons handle most common tasks from running the climate control to changing the volume. A lot of perks also exist, such as the automatic headlights. Not only do you never have to turn your headlights on manually, but even the brights are automatic. If a car is approaching head-on the brights deactivate rather quickly and reactivate once the car has passed. The timing of this feature is absolutely perfect. You COULD also manually control the lights and bypass the automatic functions, but the computer and sensors handle this so well that you wont mind relinquishing those tasks. All of the tech is bypassable including the smooth and responsive automatic transmission. The option exists to use the stick shifter to change gears manually in a small mini gate to the left of the main automatic selection gate. This can really make the large sedan feel sporty, rocketing from zero to sixty in a respectable time under 7 seconds. Of course, one also has an economy mode. I was able to squeak out 32 mpg highway and 28 mpg in-town while still driving a bit aggressively and fast. It will hold 80 mph at 2000 rpm, so you have plenty of room to achieve higher speeds. At 80, the fastest I went, the sedan feels remarkably connected to the pavement while also somehow feeling a bit light. It is like flying nore than driving given the smooth suspension. But cornering ath higher speeds was nonetheless snappy and the body did not noticeably roll. The wet road handling is OK, though the wide tires feel uneasy in heavy rain and the wheel wells really fill up with an alarming effect if you hit a large puddle. Still, the car never hydroplanes, the braking and suspension instead compensating well for the excess power that might otherwise be problematic in unfavorable elements. It does indeed have that Asian import look (many are US built), but the exterior style is well executed and modern. Not a boring car to look at. Rather the playful fins sculpted into the rear harken back to the 1957 Chevy while the aggressive hood and fascia definately remind you that this vehicle exemplifies the future. Somehow the sculpted wavy lines all work together to make for a sporty yet elegant body. Vastly prettier tha an Audi or BMW, and more exotic than a Mercedes or Cadillac, the exterior will make the owner quite happy and satisfied. You dont seem to get used to looking at this car. It sticks out in a parking lot, unapologetically shaming more expensive luxury sedans for being so boring.

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  Great Car, Great Value - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By dudpete - April 10 - 3:26 pm

  Have had my new Sonata for 1 month and put 2,500 miles on it. Am very satisfied with this car. This is my third Sonata, so was already sold on Hyundais reliability and excellent warranty. My experiences have been exceptional as has many others relayed here. My only complaint was with the tires. I felt that they sacrificed a little smoothness and ride quality in order to get superior gas mileage. I ended up trading my tires in on a set of General Altimax HP 225/60-16s. These tires were very highly rated on Tire Rack and I feel were well worth the extra $350 I paid out the door. Also, my speedometer is now correct, it was about 1 mph too fast before.

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  All luxury - 2005 Hyundai XG350
  By Cathy - April 10 - 1:13 pm

  I love this car! It rides so smooth and who can beat your warranty. Great price for the luxury you get.

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  Great Car - 2004 Hyundai Sonata
  By Wild Bill 47 - April 10 - 10:00 am

  Just bought this car, and love it. This is the second Hyundai I bought, first was a 95 Accent which has been phenomenally reliable. Incredibly comfortable and very smooth ride. Must get the sunroof. No better value for the money you will spend.

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  Worth every Penny spent on this Car. - 2016 Hyundai Sonata
  By Satya - April 9 - 8:23 pm

  I bought a 2016 Sonata SE base model which comes with Fabric seats and 7" screen and 16" alloy wheels default. Car is So Good. Seat feels little elevated compared to other sedans on roads and can feel that thrill. Fuel economy is Fantastic. I drive local and freeway and get a combined economy of 30 MPG which is great for car of this size and for long freeway drive it would actually go up to 36 MPG. Steering feels so good and comfortable, Controls mounted on steering are easy to play around. Shifter operating is so smooth. Apple carplay helps my phone displayed virtually on the screen and it is easy to operate around. Getting In & Out of car is easy, If you would like to go for a bigger sedan I would recommend Sonata. They have best in the Industry warranty. I personally enjoy the vehicle in each drive.

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  Marion Miller - 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By K.Miller - April 9 - 5:33 pm

  This is a handy little car to run errands, yet big enough to handle 5 people. Easy to park. Has a snappy engine for quick take off.

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  the lx 4x4 - 2005 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By greg tesoriero - April 9 - 1:16 am

  A fun suv to drive with a very stylish look. Fuel economy is not bad. The one drawback is that the buttons on the steering wheel for the criuse control are NOT lighted for night time driving. Could have installed a oil pressure gauge on dash instead of a lite. Overall very nice...

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  MY FAVORITE WORK OF ART - 2012 Hyundai Veloster
  By mjsykes - April 8 - 10:40 pm

  During my new car search, I read many reviews/articles comparing the most efficient gas sippers. The Veloster was not mentioned. Why? Perhaps the Veloster is so beautiful and fun that it seems more natural to compare it to sports cars. But the Veloster is not a sports car; it is the coolest economy car you can buy! The Veloster offers generous features and quality for your money. However, it is the cars sexy and innovative design that sets it apart. The Veloster is BEAUTIFUL! Strangers frequently approach me with compliments about my cars appearance, wanting to know more about it. I enjoy looking at my car as much as driving it. Like a work of art, the Veloster lifts my spirit.

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  NIIIICE! - 2007 Hyundai Veracruz
  By Jon-e - April 8 - 4:06 pm

  First Hyundai, after owning 3 Volvos, including an XC70, and an Eddie Bauer Explorer. Surprisingly, the Veracruz is the safest and most refined of the bunch. The features list and build quality are outstanding, and the warranty cant be beaten!

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  love my new toy - 2005 Hyundai TUCSON
  By kate - April 8 - 11:50 am

  after looking at all the suvs, i decided to go with the tucson ( i looked for 30 plus days). it is safe, fun to drive and alot of people either slow down or ask what it is i have. my six foot 2 son in law can sit in the back with head room to spare and has leg room. it rides like a car and i love to sit up high. i can finally see. only regret? it does not lock when put in reverse, you have to manually (button) lock the doors. really not a hardship. i would (and have) recommended this vehicle to friends and family. i am totally smitten.