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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  Highly Recommend- - 2016 Hyundai Sonata
  By Alvaro M. - September 9 - 7:48 pm

  Purchased a 2016 sonata se- Did my research on other cars- including an Altima, Accord, Camry and Mazda6. And oh boy, my head was spinning and hard to make a decision, specially since I am tall, 6ft 2in. And finding a vehicle that would be comfortable is quite a struggle for me. Until I looked into the Sonata- For the money and feautures you get- I could not complain! Back up camera and Android Auto is phenomenal!!! Works 100% of the time and to top it off- The gas mileage- I drive about 60 miles a day and what I can say is it does really good- I average 32-33 mpg! The vehicle accelerates just fine- it brings me up to speed whenever I need it. We are a family of three- And really recommend to test drive the vehicle. The color I purchased mine was Red exterior color with Beige interior- Tint the windows and you got yourself a good looking car!!!

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  It has sold me on Hyundai - 2003 Hyundai Elantra
  By jefe - September 9 - 2:00 am

  I now have just over a year in and I still love the car. No complaints worth mentioning. I went with the Hyundai after 10 years in SAABs (you cant tell them apart when they pass you fast!) and while it is not a SAAB, its not $30,000 either. I will certainly buy Hyundai again.

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  I love this car - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By Allison - September 8 - 2:02 pm

  I previously owned a Chevy Cavalier. It was a cute, comfy, cheap car, but everything in the world went wrong with it and it was only three years old when I bought it. My 2009 Hyundai Sonata was purchased in 2013. I owned it for three years before it was wrecked in an accident. In those three years I never had to do anything other than oil change, wiper blade change, and new tires--all normal stuff. It ran perfectly and gave me no real trouble. Although it is a little too wide near the sideview mirror level, it is extremely spacious. I could sleep comfortably in the trunk or backseat if needed. It is super reliable. The one time the check engine light came on it turned out my gas cap was off. I love this car. It broke my heart when it was wrecked. But, even in that, it was a good car. A car clipped me while speeding. He was coming down the hill at a good speed and did not even brake. He smacked into the front/side of the car, and the car jerked but did not spin. The front was all smashed, but the damage was only about a foot in, and everything moved about a foot to the left from the side swipe. The rest of the car was fine. I could still drive it the few blocks home. The insurer just considered it a "total loss" because the cost of repairing it exceeded the retail value of the car. That is the main drawback. I dont know why, since it is a very good car, but it has very poor resale value (about $7,000 at just 7 years old). I owe more than the car is worth. I would highly recommend this car to anyone--but would recommend bargaining down to the Kelley Blue Book value, which is much less than what most dealers sell it for, to make sure you dont end up with a big gap to cover if the car goes kaput. Or, at least factor in the cost of gap insurance, which is really important if you get this car.

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  Bought my second Sonata - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By bogambo - September 7 - 10:13 pm

  I just traded a 2007 Sonata Limited for a 2009 Sonata Limited. The 2007 was a great car but this is a fantastic upgrade.

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  Im officially brand loyal! - 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Tom - September 7 - 11:06 am

  This is my third Hyundai and must tell you that they continue to exceed my expectations. I purchased a used 2003 Santa Fe on the recommendation of my good friend who works for BMW. I was looking for a commuter car to take me from my North New Jersey home to my NYC office each day. 150,000 miles later and very little maintenance I decided to purchase another Santa Fe. I love the evolution of this vehicle. It looks great, handles great and is fun to drive. At the end of the day, you cant beat the warranty and I must say their service has been excellent. Maintenance a very reasonable as well!

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  the new toyota - 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By cool warranty - September 7 - 10:00 am

  We have had our santa fe for about 3 1/2 months now and we love it. We took it on a road trip from southern cali all the way up north to napa valley.The ride was great, smooth, quiet, and fun. Despite some reviews ive read saying its underpowered i do not believe so with the 3.5 liter engine. Its no sports car but it does have get up and go. We researched almost all the suvs out there (ford tribute, rav4, nissan xtera, jeep, montero, the hondas, mountaineer and kia) and for price, features, warranty and safety the santa fe was our winner.The price, safety, and warranty lead us to the santa fe. (check out the warranty and research it online.)

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  Awesome Car for the Money! - 2006 Hyundai Azera
  By Julie S. - September 6 - 8:13 pm

  After reading other reviews, I wanted to say you can get a navigation system for this car - check with your dealership. Mine quoted about $2500 including installation. This car replaces my Tiburon which I loved, but this is way more practical for everyday driving as a RE Broker. I upgraded to the Ultimate pkg so this has everything you could ever want in a car! I shopped for a while and for the money you wont find a better deal with the warranty to back it up! It is comfortable for all of our family, and with 2 teenage boys whos legs go on forever, it was hard to find a vacation vehicle they could be comfortable in for hours of sitting while driving. I love this car!

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  Best Value in Town - 2006 Hyundai Azera
  By Jeff - September 6 - 4:20 pm

  The Hyundai Azera not only has its competition (Avalon, Ford 500, Montego, etc.) beat, but ES330, Caddy CTS, Infinity G35. Ive never seen a car with so many safety, convenience, and performance features for such a low price. Add the warranty and you have the bargain of the year.

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  Best new car Ive bought! - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By Chris - September 5 - 6:30 pm

  I tend to hold on to my vehicles for a while so this is only the third new vehicle Ive bought. I have to say that its a pleasant surprise to see Hyundai has stepped up to the plate with a car that challenges and beats Honda and Toyota in my opinion. Im very happy with everything from the roomy interior with great stereo, to the stunning exterior styling. Gauges are fairly easy to read and the controls are easy to adapt to. Everything is where it should be. Ive never really been a fan of cars due to my height, Im 61", and have had problems with anything other than trucks. This car is very comfortable for me. Entry and exit are easy and cause no issues. Highly recommend this car!

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  one nice car - 2007 Hyundai Tiburon
  By susan78 - September 5 - 1:00 pm

  This car is fantastic! It is so fun to drive and as far as reliabilty, mine is too new to know, however with the great warrenty Hyundai provides, if I do have any problems, they will fix it for a very long time. The car is affordable, so stylish and just plain awesome. The seats are so comfy and everything is well within reach and simple to access. Stero system is great and sounds fantastic. I would recommend this car to anyone.