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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  best bang for the $$$ in the entry-lux - 2006 Hyundai Azera
  By JCM - March 7 - 10:33 pm

  An Avalon w/ a Camrys price tag. I got may Azera Limited brand new for under $23K. Cant beat that! Not a MB, Jag, or BMW but feels and look luxurious. Individuality (uniqueness) , Not many of them on the road........... Definitely not a Bellybutton (everyone has one) like the Camcords.

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  Glad I did - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By Dean Fowler - March 7 - 9:10 pm

  Hyundai makes your purchase a part of the family kind of experience. My wife is the primary driver and she likes the sporty feel and the power. She moved from an SUV and is enjoying the difference in handling.

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  Best car buy - - -Bar None - 2005 Hyundai XG350
  By Nicholas - March 7 - 11:50 am

  We keep a car at least ten years so depreciation is not a consideration. Our lastcar was a Lincoln Towncar. Well not have another. The XG350L came with EVERYTHING! (Except sat. navigation & rear mud flaps.Any comparable brand would have cost 8 to10K more. Great warranty!

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  11k++ miles and still good - 2002 Hyundai Sonata
  By Blip22 - March 7 - 2:00 am

  Ive had my SF for the past 7 months, and its still drives so well. No problems at all. I live in Pittsburgh, PA, where its hilly and snowy during winter, and we tested it out. We have the GLS FWD with ABS and Traction Control, and these two were enough to get us out of the snowy roads in our apartment complex. The horses are just enough for the FWD. This is one of the best decisions I made in my life.

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  excellant value - 2006 Hyundai Azera
  By zachary - March 7 - 12:40 am

  In the past I have only driven large luxury cars. Driving this car is pleassurable. It is smooth, fast and easy to manueverI was a litle disappointed in the gas milage.

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  Hyundai Sonata ECO- The Fastest Sonata of them All - 2016 Hyundai Sonata
  By oldeczecho - March 6 - 2:05 am

  Prior to purchasing my ECO I saw a review about this car on line. I called two dealers and they had no idea what I was talking about when I said I wanted to read test a Sonata ECO. The third dealership I called said they thought they had an ECO on the back lot. It was a 2015 ECO and it was quite dirty, as it had not been moved or driven in many weeks. Anyway, we took it on a road test and my wife and i were impressed with the spaciousness of the interior and the trunk...huge. The car rode smoothly and handled well for a huge sedan and the brakes felt very good as well. The salesman explained the three modes of the 7 speed dual clutch automatic transmission, similar to the type found on Porsches and Ferraris...Normal, ECO,and SPORT. Normal and ECO modes made the Sonata drive like any other midsize 4 cylinder car, but the transmission super quick shifts made the car seem quicker. Then I selected SPORT mode...and holy crap! this car flew off the line, actually spinning the front tires when the turbo kicked in at 1500 rpm. I have seen road tests from Car and Driver where the ECO hits 0 to 60 in 6.5 seconds and does 92 mph in the quarter mile. Needless to say, I ordered the 2016 ECO and I have not been disappointed. My previous car was a 2003 Toyota Corolla. This Sonata is literally twice as big on the inside and the trunk is 50% bigger. Front seat legroom is amazing...I can fully extend both legs while driving. And the electric seat offers many adjustments. Gas mileage around town is 3-4 miles per gallon more in the Sonata compared to the Corolla. A recent trip upstate with 4 full size adults in the car gave 34.5 miles per gallon. Buy a 2016 ECO before Hyundai does something stupid and decreases its performance, because it is much faster that Hyundais 2.0 turbo that has 75 more horsepower and costs many thousands of dollars more than the ECO. And, my ECO is still not yet broken in, with only 3700 miles on the odometer.

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  Great Car at a Great Price! - 2006 Hyundai TUCSON
  By Kathy - March 5 - 6:00 pm

  I test drove many cars --- the Honda CRV, the new RAV4, the Ford Escape, the Nissan Murano, but this car had everything for a much better price. Great exterior design and interior features. Love the Hyundai attitude... they want you to be happy.... nationwide roadside assistance and the dealer/salesfolks are very pleasant and positive about their vehicle and making you happy.

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  Best Value for $ - 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By trever - March 5 - 12:30 pm

  Owned me Santa FE Limited V6 AWD for 7 months now and love it more than when I bought it. Gets great reviews from all that see or ride in it. Its smooth quiet ride amazes me. Everything about it is smooth and quiet. Gas mileage at 20.5 for a V6 AWD is excellant as far as Im concerned. One trip thru upstate New York got me 24mpg with cruise at 74. Yes leather seats could be a bit longer, softer, and lower, but with every car out there no matter the price there has to be trade offs. Quality and workmanship appear at this time to be above average, especially compared to my Ford Escape traded in. Did compare the Santa Fe to Nisson Murano, Mazada CX7 & CX9, Ford Edge Sel Plus.

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  Excellent car! - 2008 Hyundai Elantra
  By Sunny - March 5 - 6:08 am

  This my 4th Hyundai Elantra. I bought 4 new Elantras so far. The only reason I bought a new Elantra was scratches on body here and there. This never disappointed me. Overall aspects of this cars performance is just excellent!

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  VERMONT SANTA FE - 2002 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By ZIPPODUDE - March 5 - 2:00 am

  OVERALL A GREAT VEHICLE! FUN TO DRIVE, HANDLES WELL. LEATHER SEATS ARE VERY COMFY. SEAT HEATER IS A PLUS. I PUT 4 STUDDED TIRES ON MINE AND IT CAN GO ANYWHERE MY OLD MONTERO WOULD. THE TRACTION CONTROL IS ONE OF THE BEST FEATURES. IT COMPARES WITH THE AUDI. THE ONLY COMPAINTS I HAVE IS THE GAS MILEAGE IS DISAPPOINTING, THE CUP HOLDERS ARE NOT WELL POSITIONED, AND THE SPEAKERS BUZZ AT HIGHER VOLUME. I HAVE 30,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE WITH OUT A PROBLEM. ACCELERATION IS GOOD OFF THE LINE BUT LAGS A LITTLE AROUND 35 MPH,THEN TAKES OFF AGAIN. THE TRANSMISSION SEEMS LITTLE ROUGH AT TIMES. OVERALL I AM EXTREMELY PLEASED WITH THE VEHICLE.