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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  Hyundais are just as good as the rest! - 2004 Hyundai XG350
  By Damien - August 27 - 12:50 am

  The XG350 is my 4th Hyundai, and I love it even more than I loved all the others, and I loovveedd the others! I get compliments on how upscale it looks several times daily, and I think that it rides and feels that way as well. I dont think Hyundai gets the respect that the other car companies get even after numerous attempts to show America they have awesome products. The other three Hyundais I purchased were as reliable, dependable, and visually appealling ans any Honda, Toyota, Mazda etc. Now Hyundai even offers one of the best warranties in the business. Yet car magazines still fail to give Hyundai the same optamizime they give the other automakers.

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  Great Mid Suv - 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Jerryjj - August 27 - 12:03 am

  We bought our AWD Santa Fe Ltd. in June, 2007. We looked at Mistubishis, Hondas and Toyotas as comparison mid sized suvs. No comparison. When looking we didnt think we needed the third row seats. But, we have used them several times. They come in handy. They disappear when not used. Large, flat storage area available for Costco trips when the back seats are down. This vehicle is very quiet. Hard to hear the engine running. Many user friendly features. Very well finished, attractive interior. Amazing price for what you get. Extra long warranty means peace of mind. After six months and 5,000 miles nothing has gone wrong. Everything works fine. Highly recommend this vehicle.

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  Luxury with performance and fun. - 2009 Hyundai Genesis
  By Richard Bentley - August 26 - 8:56 pm

  Access to this red pearl beauty (might remind one of a Mercedes) is without reaching into a pocket or purse. The interior is soft and stylish (Lexus comes to mind) and adjusts to fit the driver and passenger perfectly, seats, mirrors, steering, and controls. The air conditioned seats will not be needed this winter, however, the heated seats will make cozy ride cozier. Recently on the interstate being caught up in a snarly of big rigs and car traffic, I thought I would test the 4.6 liter engine. I a few seconds the snarl was in the far rear view. I said to my wife, "I just glanced at speedometer and we are just come down from 110 mph." Fun and pride come from owning the Genesis.

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  Surprising Performance - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By phil - August 26 - 6:03 pm

  I stopped in to just take a look and walked out with the paperwork. Very impressive and different feel than what I expected from a Hyundai. Pretty decent HP at 235, decent pickup and a nice feel to the car in all situations tested. Quality inside and out with a solid feel to doors and trunk lids. Loads of safety features and airbags everywhere. I was pretty impressed with the quality and the price at $23k was just an added benefit. I chose this over the Accord V6. The cars I now lease and drive include a Saab Aero 9-5 Turbo and a Mercedes E320. It is the Saab that the Sonata is replacing. Not quite as fast as my Saab Turbo but still quite acceptable and $15,000 less!!!!!!!!

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  Good car overall but a major annoying issue for me - 2016 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Paul davis - August 26 - 5:40 pm

  In this review I want to focus just on the one big problem I have with this car which I wish I had known about before making the purchase. In general I agree with other reviewers that this is a good car overall and a good value. However buyers should know that you cannot just sit and listen to the very excellent sound system in this vehicle without running the engine! If you do you will get a loud beep sound every two minutes or so warning that you are discharging the battery. This beep tone is just as loud as the music so you cannot ignore it. So You cannot enjoy your music in this vehicle knowing you will be hearing this annoying beep every two minutes or so. The dealer just told me that thats so that you dont discharge the battery which of course is important. However why couldnt they have designed this car so that something like just listening to the radio could be done without having to run the engine? For someone like me who likes to sit in their vehicle and listen to their music on that excellent sound system this is a huge issue and unacceptable. If I had known this advance I would never hit purchased this vehicle. I am NOT looking forward to the next five years of this!

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  Just the mileage is poor - 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Monty - August 26 - 7:10 am

  I actually think that Hyundai must have determined its city mileage based on suburban driving. Living downtown, continuously stopping and starting, I am getting 15.3 regardless of the kind of fuel I use. I am also a very relaxed driver.

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  Personal experience - 2007 Hyundai Sonata
  By Al - August 26 - 3:33 am

  I am 69 years old and I found my perfect car in the Hyundai Sonata. I have been looking for a new car for 6 months. This car has it all. Quiet ride, roomy, plenty of zip getting onto freeway, good looks, good price. I have been getting between 24 & 26 MPG around town. The only option I bought was the power seat and I am glad I did.

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  Look out Honda! - 2007 Hyundai Veracruz
  By kerriandwill - August 25 - 1:53 am

  I just came home from buying the new 2007 Hyundai Veracruz. It has more power and a smoother ride than the Pilot. I went to buy a new Santa Fe, but fell in love with the Veracruz. Hyundai has packed a lot into this model, even in the base and it has the room. Second row sliding seats allow for adult size room in the 3rd row. Engine is smooth and fuel economy is great. I took a 200 mile trip and got 24.8 mpg. Everyone is looking at this car when I drive by. Look out Honda!!!

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  Goodbye SUV....lovin the van! - 2007 Hyundai Entourage
  By AZ Entrourage - August 24 - 11:54 pm

  Probably the best bang-for-your-buck vehicle on the planet, and it looks sharp, too! Paid $25K out the door for an SE trim even with over $1K upside down on the trade. SE trim is worth the extra $$ -- much "nicer" inside and out. I dont know how the rest of these people drive, but gas mileage for me averages between 20 and 23 mpg -- great considering it has the biggest engine in its class. Drives like a dream -- great visibility, power and comfort. Considering a comparably equipped Honda or Toyota was $8K, not to mention their warranties were no match, the decision on this vehicle was an easy one!

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  Swinger for seniors - 2012 Hyundai Elantra
  By papatom - August 24 - 4:24 am

  We bought our 2012 Hyundai Elantra Limited in the spring of 2012, and have driven it 70,000 miles. We are senior citizens (one still working, one retired) -- we say that because neither one of us was looking for a high-performance car with impressive off-the-line acceleration. In fact, we have never driven it out of "Eco" mode. The performance is fine by our standards. Gas mileage on our frequent highway trips is 35 to 40 mpg; this car seems to like tailwinds a lot. Our only warranty issue was that the steering wheel began to peel. The dealer replaced the steering wheel promptly; the problem has not recurred. The dealers service department has been excellent; they often suggest added preventive maintenance, but never push for it. Surprisingly, the dealer offered the best price on tires (offering a wide range of brands). We bought the Limited for the tan leather interior. The Limited came with 17-inch wheels and low-profile tires. I would have preferred 16-inch wheels with higher profile tires (which would offer a wider range of replacement options). Overall, the Elantra is as good a car as weve ever owned.