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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  super safe - 2011 Hyundai TUCSON
  By rfields1 - August 26 - 5:51 pm

  We bought this car in Sept. Wife drives it 50 miles round trip to work and back. Last weekend she spun out on ice, went into a field and hit a telephone pole. Her only injury was to her hand from the air bag. No one could believe she wasnt seriously hurt. The cop and insurance adjuster said she was lucky she was driving that vechicle. It probably saved her. The car is probably going to be totaled out. If so we are definately going to get another one.

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  Delighted with the Sonata - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By paul.pallmeyer - August 26 - 7:30 am

  We did all the research and had our minds set to purchase a 2008 Hyundai Elantra. But when we noted the small difference in price between the Elantra and the 2009 Sonata after discounts, we decided on the Sonata because of its roominess and stated difference of only one fewer mile per gallon highway. No mistake! This car is comfortable, quiet, and the most pleasurable car to drive Ive ever experienced other than something really high priced. And even then, the difference is marginal. And what a surprise to put on 507 miles of around-town driving before dumping in 14.8 gallons of gas when the pump popped. XM radio and turn-down seats for extra storage also pluses we are happy with.

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  Great Car - 2000 Hyundai Sonata
  By Cazzie - August 26 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car in January with 22,000 miles on it. I have gone to Florida and back in it and I love this car. It is smooth and comfortable (as comfortableaas one can get driving over 3,00 miles). I now have 33,000 miles on it and it performs as well as it did when I bought it. I love the styling and the engine is quiet and smooth to deliver on the 171 horsepower.

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  I like the Hyundai Accent - 2002 Hyundai Accent
  By Karen Jenkins - August 26 - 2:00 am

  My husband and I wanted our daughter who is a freshman in college to have a dependable car to drive back and forth to school. Every used car we looked at had a payment of over $200 per month and weve been burned by used cars so we checked out the Hyundai Accent for its cheap price and great warranty, plus the 5 year roadside assistance thats included. My daughters payment is $175 per month for a brand new car and I really like driving it myself. Im seriously thinking about buying a Hyundai Sonota or Tiberon next year for myself.

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  A great little SUV - 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Janet Ann - August 24 - 10:00 am

  Love this car. My 70 year old parents have had 5 Grand Marquis, since 1984. Drove my Santa Fe and have just bought their own.

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  This is a great car! - 2007 Hyundai Veracruz
  By RESBCA - August 24 - 3:36 am

  This is a great car! After trying out the competition the SUV crossover that I preferred is the Veracruz. The styling and features are comparable or better than any of the competitors irregardless of price. The deal closer is the value – this is a great car for just over $26K. I chose the base model GLS. I didn’t care for leather combinations in the Limited and really didn’t want the other add-ons. The dealer had a leather package from Katzkin that I had installed through the dealer. It matches the interior perfectly and is installed on all three sets of seats and the side panels. I am getting between 18 to 21 MPG in mixed driving. I would highly recommend the Veracruz.

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  Wowza - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By Obi_wan - August 23 - 10:00 am

  I bought the Sonata for my wife in Venetian Red. I look for excuses to drive it all the time. I found a very small imperfection in the paint. I took it to the dealership and they looked at it, agreed with me, and set me up with a free loaner while they had their body shop correct the problem. My wife receives compliments all the time from people about the car. Shes not a lead foot and is averaging 26 mpg in town driving to work and back home!

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  Even more amazed... - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By Ike - August 21 - 2:13 pm

  Following up an initial review, I now have 10,500 miles on the car after returning from a 2500+ mile trip to Ohio in December. Needless to say,we experienced a mix of terrible winter weather, including freezing rain and snow, and the anti lock brakes and stability control performed flawlessly; this car is safe, stable, stops and handles great under all conditions. I deliberately slammed the brakes on on a deserted road covered with several inches of snow over ice, and the car stopped without swerving or fishtailing at all. I never wished for more power, even on long mountain upgrades, and the mileage was 28-30 mpg overall.

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  I Love This Car - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By Mary - August 20 - 2:50 am

  I love the way this car handles! It is so easy to drive, park, and maneuver. It is peppy and has a lot of get up and go. My husband and I first test drove the 2010 Sonata SE and liked it very much. We decided to test drive a 2011 to see if there really was a difference in how the car was redesigned. There was definitely a difference - even I could tell. There was no more considering the 2010; I knew the 2011 was for me. I purchased the Limited, it has everything but the navigation system. There is nothing about this car I do not like. The sound system is super - better than anything I have ever had in a vehicle. If you are in the market for a new vehicle, consider the 2011 Hyundai

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  Best Car Ive Owned - 2012 Hyundai Sonata
  By sas11 - August 19 - 9:02 pm

  The Sonata Limited is the nicest looking car on the road in my opinion. My friend called it "sexy"! Looks sporty inside and out. Handles like a dream and is fun to drive. But the best part is all the standard equipment you get for a low base price. I priced other cars and you have to pay extra for whats standard on the Sonata Limited. It is the best car Ive ever owned!