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:

• 

  Great Buy! - 2005 Hyundai Elantra
  By sean - November 18 - 2:45 am

  Excellent car, highly recommend to everyone. Only complaint about the car is it only gets 27 MPG on the highway regardless how you drive it. Will buy Hyundai vehicles from now on!

• 

  Mid Life Crisis - 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe
  By SloRideBob - November 17 - 10:30 am

  So far (2800 miles) I have had nothing but great fun with this car. It certainly is a head turner. When the turbo kicks in I get shoved back into my seat, which is great and the bolsters do a good job of keeping me centered in the seat. Cornering is fun and very stable. Speeds approaching 100 (or so Ive heard......ahem, cough, cough) the front end gets really light). The sound system is pretty good, without being very loud on the high end. I love the ipod hookup and the XM radio. The shift pattern of the 6 speed manual is VERY tight and takes some getting used to. Overall my gas mileage is not too bad as long as I try (grin) to stay out of the turbo. I dont regret this purchase.

• 

  My New 2008 Sonata - 2008 Hyundai Sonata
  By Bill - November 17 - 9:30 am

  After extensive research,I decided to buy a 2008 Sonata. When comparing it to the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry, I decided that the Sonata offered more bang for the buck. While not as stylish as the Accord and Camry, it doesnt have the aura that car thiefs relish. I selected the Limited with the 3.3L V6. The acceleration is good and the CVT is flawless. Ride is firm when necessary and feels cushy on the highway. Road noise is average, but cabin comfort is fantastic. The fit and finish are superb and the Infinity sound system with the rear window mounted subwooofer is impressive. Its my first Hyundai and I have to say that the history of driver and magazine reviews were accurate.

• 

  Silky Smooth Santa Fe! - 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Jack - November 14 - 3:46 pm

  We recently purchased a 2007 Santa Fe Limited to replace our Toyota Camry and my wife absolutely love it. We had spent almost ten months of research test driving almost everything from Accord, Camry, Sonata, Highlander, Rav4, CR- V, Explorer, Escape, etc. The ride is silky smooth and is very quiet. Quality touches abound throughout and we are also impressed by how well it absorbs road imperfections and the comfortable leather seats. My wife really enjoys all the saftey features that come standard and the oodles of storage space that this SUV has. So far average fuel economy is 22 mpg. This vehicle is miles ahead of the Rav4. Well done Hyundai.

• 

  Great Bargain - 2003 Hyundai Sonata
  By Wilson - November 14 - 10:00 am

  After shopping around I decided that the V6 Sonata was by far the best buy for the money. Yes, in terms of reliability, this purchase might be a roll the dice. Im hoping the Hyundai of today is like the Toyota of the late 60s - up and coming. This auto was purchase as a commuter car, however it rides well on the highway with a surprisingly quiet ride.

• 

  Fun To Drive - 2007 Hyundai Tiburon
  By David Norman - November 13 - 8:56 pm

  Bought the Limited model V6 runs great even though the 4 seemed OK .. moves well in traffic ... compares well with the Eclipse, 350Z and other similar cars...I get lots of looks...many think it is some other kind of car costing 6 to 15,000 dollars more ... LOL ... this car is fun to drive and worth the money.

• 

  Very attractive - 2016 Hyundai Elantra
  By sebrena - November 12 - 5:46 pm

  My only two complaints is that the electric steering is hard to adjust to. Feels stiff. The road noise and ride could improve more.

• 

  Wife loves the car - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By bucs180 - November 11 - 10:43 pm

  After 13 years of driving Dodge Intrepids and the loaners due to service the Sonata LX is a more practicle car to own. My son is 18 and he and I share driving an Explorer Sports trac while my wife drives the car. Well, the v6 is very quick and my son has pushed the speedometer further than the law allows. We owned Hondas and Toyotas in the past, now we members of the Hyundai family. My wife has an eye towards the Azera. Very happy with our car. Its now been a month since we took delivery and couldnt be more pleased.

• 

  veracruz se awd - 2007 Hyundai Veracruz
  By jaxquest - November 11 - 6:36 pm

  I purchased the se awd with entertainment package,i waiied for it to come out and wasnt dissapointed. Our only problem was getting it for the price we want to spend.We are very happy with it except for a couple of minor problems,vehicle dont auto lock doors when vehicle engaged,but not much else to complain about.We love the car,and has lots of toys

• 

  No Regrets - 2005 Hyundai Sonata
  By MARGY - November 11 - 4:08 pm

  I did a lot of research before I bought this car. I hadnt even thought of looking at a Hyundai until I read about the warranty, roadside assistance & all the favorable reviews & about what a great value it is for the money. Finally I went to a dealership to "rule out" this vehicle & instead wound up falling in love with it & buying it. No regrets!