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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  new to hyundai - 2004 Hyundai Sonata
  By cisco123 - April 10 - 10:00 am

  a great buy for its price. No problems so far except for front and back brakes. Warranty covered pads replacement due to noise at braking.

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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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  All the Thrill of Watching Grass Grow - 2012 Hyundai TUCSON
  By ebie - April 9 - 4:15 am

  Driving this boring car is almost as much fun as watching grass grow. Hopelessly underpowered, it takes forever to get up to highway speed, and merging into highway traffic is a religious experience. The ignition often doesnt want to release the key, resulting in the epic "man vs machine" battle. The bolt holding the drivers seat in place on its track has come out on its own several times, leaving the seat at the lowest position, which is lovely if you are tall or dont mind sitting on the floor. This car has a rough buckboard ride. Driving in the rain with the standard tires is rather unnerving as the car feels as though it is slipping and sliding rather than rolling smoothly forward

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  bad value - 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By dalaska - April 9 - 2:55 am

  I own two 2011 santa fes and four 2005 santa fes..the maintenance costs for the 2011s are triple the 2005s for the first 35, 000 miles. I wish I had not purchased the 2011"s. I am really disspapointed after owning the 05"s. they went downhill...I have gone thru 4 front hub bearings, 3 lower ball joints, 2 tierod ends, 4 sway bar links, 3 power steering pumps in the 2011"s and it is still not over.

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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.

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  A follow up to an earlier review - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By Matt 8265 - April 8 - 7:53 am

  A stunning car. Period. Engineers take note of potential improvements. 1. Power seat should be std. 2. Tan interior stains VERY easily. 3. Bluetooth takes 5-7 minutes to download phone book EACH time. No cool. 4. Cant play MP4 format. 5. Oil filter cover broke first time. A swing away would work better than a clip out. 6. Some (typical) noise coming from rear suspension. Consider better shocks or more sound proofing.