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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  2 hot 2 be stoped! - 2004 Hyundai Sonata
  By J.A. Howard - March 26 - 3:09 pm

  I love my Sonota. After trading in my 01 Toyota Echo, I had to get used to having power everything. Powerful 2.7 L V-6. Recived X-Type luxury for thousands less. I love my Sonota, however I have had to get my antenna replaced twice.

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  Surprised! - 2007 Hyundai Sonata
  By DoubleT - March 25 - 2:26 pm

  Bought the car for the value, but was surprised at the overall quality of everything. My wife and I both commented the car is very much like our Infiniti I30, handling, ride and all. I30 in 1996 cost us about $10,000 more than what we are paying for the 2007 Sonata. Have only 450 miles on it so far, but hope the reliability is as good as I30. Potential buyer should expect that this car has a firmer and stiffer ride than a boat-like ride of the Camrys. On a rough road, it does give a lot of dull thud sound (not thumps as some people describe in various forums). I hear this types of thuds in almost every car. It is just a matter of degrees, depending on the suspension design.

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  Expectations Met - 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By iSpec - March 25 - 4:53 am

  We just recently added a Santa Fe to our family fleet with our Honda Pilot. We are very pleased and our expectations are met completely. The interior of the Santa Fe is far better than the plasticky Pilot. We are receiving 21 mpg in mixed driving

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  Great value for the money - 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Denny Wanlass - March 23 - 11:16 am

  This is a great car. It looks nice, rides nice, and has great features. The only thing I would say is that the navigation system seems a bit pointless with Carplay/Android Auto and you cant get some of the more advanced features without spending thousands on navigation. Other than that, I am happy with the vehicle. The seats are comfortable, power is nice, ride is smooth for a SUV crossover. I have no complaints. There is very little room for cargo if the back seats are up but that is to be expected.

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  Outstanding! - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By L. Gehr - March 22 - 2:36 pm

  I never thought I would ever consider buying a foreign vehicle but, with the new Cash for Clunkers stimulus package, my wife and I decided to take a look at the 2009 Sonata GLS. All I could say was... Wow! It won us over immediately. With its over-all sleek design, great handling and large interior comfort; we looked at each other and knew it was the car for both of us. The price was right (well within our budget range) and the the total feel was unmatched in other cars I have owned. This car has added new excitement to our lives. Two thumbs-up here. My wife chose the Camel Pearl color (her favorite) and I purchased the Powdered White Pearl.

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  good - 2004 Hyundai XG350
  By sciguy - March 21 - 10:00 am

  good car, great value

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  Ode To My Tucson - 2005 Hyundai TUCSON
  By PinkAC19 - March 20 - 4:13 am

  I purchased my vehicle 2 weeks ago, I love it very much. Its roomy, but not huge. It only takes up one parking space and i can reverse easily and see out all of the windows clearly. The controls are great I feel like i am sitting a BMW truck.

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  Love this Vehicle - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By WJones - March 19 - 10:33 pm

  Just completed an 800 mile trip. Very comfortable ride. Some tire noise. Would like to see little more suspension. Good fuel economy. Would like to see factory tinted windows be more darken.

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  Awesome small SUV - 2006 Hyundai TUCSON
  By Erin from Waterbury - March 19 - 10:06 pm

  I really love this vehicle. I have owned most different types of cars by many different manufacturers and I also had a small Hyundai when they first came out. This is by far the best one yet. I stay in the $20,000 and less category so this vehicle is compared to others in that group. I didnt realize how much I would brag about my car. I even test drove the larger Santa Fe, prior to committing to the Tucson. It had more cargo room, but less driver/passenger space. I am impressed with the styling and performance. I honestly can not say enough great things about this vehicle! The price is great, the performance is very good and you will love the safety rating!

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  4 months driving and still happy - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By 4 months still happy - March 19 - 10:00 am

  I have had my 2011 Sonata for 4 months now. Previously I had a 2003 Infiniti G35 which I loved but was totaled in wreck.I never thought I would own a mid level car again but hey times change. Who wants to have a $600 plus car payment anymore? Thought I would miss the performance of my G35 but found the Sonata to be quite adequate. I live in Atlanta and use my tiptonic shifter to race from stop light to stop light. Got to have some fun! Overall still happy.