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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  2016 Sonata Hybrid Exceeds Expectations - 2016 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid
  By Paul Johnston - May 1 - 4:52 am

  We were looking for a good value all around in a family sedan. We were not interested in a pricey luxury car, which meant we looked at the Camry, Mazda 6, Accord, Altima, and Sonata. Things important to us were quiet ride, roomy, good fuel economy, good infotainment, reliability, and nice looks. I suppose the Camry would have been OK, but with so many around, we wanted something different. The Sonata Hybrid is re-designed this year (2016) with better looks and significantly improved fuel economy. It met everything on our list so we went with it. The Sonata Hybrid comes in three trim levels... basic, Limited, and Limited/Ultimate. I suppose if there is one disappointment, it is that to get the nice big infotainment screen (8") with navigation, you have to step up to the Ultimate package. We would have chosen the middle Limited package if not for this and saved about 4k. However, you get several other nice features with the Ultimate package including safety features such as front collision warning and lane departure warning. The infotainment package includes a premium sound system and Navigation system. All of these features are top notch and now that we have them, we are glad we went with the Ultimate package. Our last car we kept for 18 years, so we figured why not get all the bells and whistles and be happy with this car for a long time. Have had it now for 2 weeks and 1,000 miles (trip from Bay Area to Santa Barbara & back). We got over 42 mpg on the trip, which will probably improve as the car gets broken in. The car is a dream to drive... VERY quiet and comfortable. Controls are relatively easy to learn and everything works as advertised. It feels like luxury to us. All the ratings pointed to good reliability so no worries there. Consumer reports gives it an above average rating... better than the Altima, and Mazda 6; same rating as Accord. The hybrid system works very well and is completely up to date - battery is the new lithium-ion polymer type. Shifting between electric motor and gas engine is seamless. Six-speed transmission enhances fuel economy and is very smooth. The hybrid battery has a lifetime warranty. Hyundais BlueLink is cool, with the ability to remotely start the car from your cell phone, find your car in a parking lot, and send navigation destinations from your phone in advance. I want to respond to the reviewer who noted the car has no spare tire. This is true... however it is a trend in the car industry to save space. The reviewer failed to mention the car includes an emergency flat tire repair kit - it has a compressor and repair compound. It looks easy to use... easier than changing the tire... and is designed to give you up to 50 miles of distance to get you to a tire repair shop. We have yet to find something we dont like about this car - we will update our review if we find something. For now we give the car very high marks for being a great value for the money.

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  SHARKS EAT A LOT - 2004 Hyundai Tiburon
  By PAVLOF - May 1 - 2:00 am

  NICE CAR OK PRICE NOT SO GOOD GAS MILAGE

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  "Beats Honda hands down" - 2004 Hyundai XG350
  By paul nye - May 1 - 2:00 am

  I have owned a Jaguar and a Mercedes. I must say I went to the dealer with an attitude. My mechanic suggested I go there after my Mercedes blew up. I could not have been more surprised. It drives and handles as good as the Jag and the Mercedes.

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  Love this SUV - 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By MarcW - May 1 - 2:00 am

  Ive only had this vehicle a month but the smooth ride and comfortable seating is great. Ive had it in the snow and it holds the road very nicely with the 4WD. The only thing I dont like is that the lock/unlock buttons and the cruise on the steering wheel are not lit when the lights are on. You cant see them in the dark and this in my eyes is a safety hazard if you have to look for them. Other then that I have to say This vehicle is great to own...

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  Most reliable family sedan in NA - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By Hanson Kim - May 1 - 1:36 am

  It does every work when I need to do such as passing ahead, emergeny break, cornering at high speed.

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  Happy Hyundai Santa Fe Owner - 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By HappyHyundai - May 1 - 12:00 am

  Its been almost 7 years & I still love my Santa Fe. Still handles smoothly & gets great mileage:21-23 mpg. So glad I went w/the AWD 3.5L engine. The maintenance schedule has been easy to follow. Only used the warranty once 3 yrs ago for a sticky exhaust valve that kept triggering the check engine light. It handles snowy & twisty mountain roads just as easily as commuter miles. Has been great for home depot trips, camping & road trips, skiing, & taking the dog out for a beach day. Passengers love the roominess & comfort of the backseat plus the great storage capacity in the cargo area. Bought softer tires for a quieter ride. Curious to see how well it holds up for the next 100K miles

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  Former Passat Owner - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By Rancelot - April 30 - 7:03 pm

  Ive got pratically all the features that were in my fully loaded 02 Passat, yet several thousand dollars cheaper. The six year 60,000 mile full coverage warranty was quite a draw too. So far so good!

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  Nice CAR - 2005 Hyundai XG350
  By Ryan - April 30 - 5:50 pm

  Ive had the car for just over a week and it is a very nice car.. everyone is suprised when they find out its a hyundai...I put it on 20" rims and it looks awesome!!! I am very pleased with the car.. Great luxury car...

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  Sonata GLS - Third Review - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By Gary D. - April 30 - 4:45 am

  I bought this vehicle new in June 2011, having traded in a 2009 Sonata. At the time it represented a substantial advance on the prior line in styling, content, power, and mileage. The content for the price point was compelling. Also, I had found only a couple of competitors in the midsize segment had a comfortable drivers seat. Although I can afford to buy a new, more expensive vehicle now, Ive decided to hold onto this because it is bulletproof. There have been NO REPAIRS needed on it and no need to go to the dealer (The HYUNDAI dealers are a bit of a shifty lot). I replaced front brakes at 72,000 miles and the rear brakes yesterday at 82,000 miles. Ive had to replace a battery, tires, a headlight, and a bulb - thats it, in almost 6 years. Its a comfortable ride whether on highway or local, although a bit more wind noise than Id like. Specifiec Comments: The satellite radio is great, good sound and reception, however, the CD player is only fair. The AC and heat are adequate. The trunk is enormous. I dont use the back seat except for the dog, but it is large and comfortable. The front passenger seat position is low, but they rectified that in the 12. Plenty of power for me. To get the EPA 35 on the highway, you have to go a steady 60-65, at 70-75, I get high 20s. The Bluetooth works OK but is a bit finicky in connecting the contacts on your phone. The car feels very safe, has good power, is comfortable, inexpensive to buy and to own.

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  hyundai sonata - 2007 Hyundai Sonata
  By ken fox - April 29 - 7:53 pm

  4000 miles so far no troubles, the only concern I have with this vehicle is the fuel economy, My car has not got the mileage the sticker says it should get. But has great power for a 4 cylinder. Very fun to drive!