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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  Great Vehicle, Great Price - 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By jimindenver - September 3 - 10:00 am

  I wanted a small-to-mid size SUV at a reasonable price. The Hyundai Santa Fe was perfect. Very comfortable ride. Nice standard features. Lots of power. Enough clearance for the kind of four-wheelin we do...more than enough to get to the trailhead. My only complaint--poor gas mileage.

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  2016 Manual Elantra...to Replace Our 2013 Elantra - 2016 Hyundai Elantra
  By litesong - September 2 - 11:43 pm

  From another reviewer: We just upgraded from a windy sea blue 2013 to a windy sea blue 2016......we love the blue....////////// Well! We replaced our 2013 Venetian Red auto Elantra with a 2016 Venetian Red manual Elantra!!! The 2016 is deeper with a bit more metal flake, but still not spectacular. As good as Hyundai cars are, their colors need to be much more like Ford colors, richer, more depth, more undertones, more.....jump. Other unadvertised improvements between the 2013 & 2016, are more precise & responsive electric steering, & major improvement in the really quiet & smooth 1.8 liter engine. Both the auto 2013 & manual 2016 obtained the same mpg, ~33mpg to 35mpg with 25%-30% city driving, 36mpg with 15% city driving, & with 100% ethanol-free gasoline & 15% city driving, 39mpg. Also with E0, long distance highway driving gave 43mpg for the auto(could be more?), & 46mpg with the manual.

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  Fantastic and Fun little car at low cost - 2016 Hyundai Elantra
  By Roy Smithson - September 2 - 11:03 pm

  Be sure to get the Option 2 package with larger, wider alloy wheels and P205/55R16 tires. These wheels and tires increase handling and stopping power immensely. Beware the Korean Kumo tires that come with it, as I had tred break lose inside on one on my 2009 Elantra SE. This can be fatal, but fortunately I caught this when it was just beginning to cause vibration due to a lump when tires were perfectly balanced. I immediate had all 4 tires changed to Michelin Premier A/S. For the 2016 Elantra I just bought, I had the dealer take car to Costco across the freeway from them to install 5 new Michelin Premier A/S for about $750. I bought a 5th wheel identical to the 4 on ground, and a tire change kit, thus ending up with a full size spare--which fit in trunk well, rather than the ridiculous air and sealer kit, which will ruin tire if used. Another cheap mfr deal: There is no auto-transmission fluid dipstick, and no key locks on door or trunk. If you lose keys, youre out of luck, as only way in is with push button on key fob. This saves them a few pennies and says to heck with my customers... just as no spare tire at all does. Only thing is, all mfrs are going this way.

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  An Impressive Car for the Price. - 2006 Hyundai Azera
  By Robert J - September 2 - 5:46 pm

  I never thought that I would own Hyundai, but on test drive, this car blew me away and sold itself. I have the Pearl Powder White with Beige interior. I have had it two weeks and now have about 400 miles. I really look forward to driving it. With all the features and quality touches, this is a great car value.

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  Battery - 2012 Hyundai Veloster
  By pengwyn - September 2 - 3:33 pm

  I have had my car for one week!!! The battery died yesterday and the car was totally dead. I have only had the car for one week. When I called the dealership they said get the car jumped and bring it in. That would be fine but I live 1 1/2 hours from the dealership ro the closes one. I think a battery should be totally charged before you buy a car or least make sure it functions properly in a brand new car. I do love the looks of the car and the power is something else. I find it odd that a car drags when you turn the corner and dont try to turn in front of somebody cause they will be unhappy with you cause it takes a few minutes to get anywhere.

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  Your Moneys Worth PLUS - 2001 Hyundai Elantra
  By RJones - September 1 - 12:26 pm

  I wanted a reliable, fuel-efficient, 4- dr sedan with a sporty look, but could not afford a Honda. I found the that the Elantra had comparable features but priced much lower. I bought the Elantra with 64K miles (& an extended warranty - just in case) and I dont regret my decision, it runs like like a dream. So far its been an excellent car - no work necessary. Its roomy enough for my 62 boyfriend to drive comfortably. I get about 26 mpg (highway & city mix.) It handles metropolitan rush hour traffic very well and it looks good doing it. I would definitely consider another Hyundai when I am looking for my next car.

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  Great Car - 2009 Hyundai Elantra Touring
  By Dayton - September 1 - 5:30 am

  This is our 3rd Hyundai Elantra and we couldnt be happier. This car is great for young families and people who need the extra cargo room but dont want a large vehicle. Recently carried two full size interior doors with ease. Also packed a crib and rocker with minimal trouble. XM radio is great and 17-inch rims turn heads. Recently had someone stop us in traffic to ask us where we got it. Great car for the money, would buy it again.

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  Its a big car - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By wayne - September 1 - 3:46 am

  Ive had the car for two weeks now. I bought it with the drivers seat-wheels package. The car has plenty of interior space, except in the back seat if you are close to six feet in height. Its really a nice car and looks a lot more expensive than it costs. Its one weakness is the reduced visibility. The high door panels and small windows could make driving in that crowded shopping center parking lot hard for some. And keep an eye on the little ones.

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  Wow! Way to go Hyundai! - 2005 Hyundai TUCSON
  By mdwilliams - September 1 - 12:56 am

  We purchased our new Tucson on 4/10/05. And all I can say is WOW! This tiny vehicle is big on the inside, and small on price. We traded in our 2003 Elantra GLS GT and we are completely satisfied. I was already used to good pick-up and power from having the GT,but I didnt think they could do better. We live in the Mts. of PA and the Elantra never really handle the inclines that well, but the Tucson rips up the road without a problem. Previous reviews about the Tucson that said the gas mileage was not good, but I disagree. Gas mileage is comparable with everyone else. At todays gas prices all gas mileage seems bad. Weve had it for 4 days now, and put on 800 miles. I love this car.

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  2008 Sonata GLS - 2008 Hyundai Sonata
  By gsmithe - August 31 - 1:36 pm

  Just purchased and love this car. Performance is decent, it is a family car after all. I opted for the gls with popular package and sunroof. I was bummed that there is no ipod jack. No biggie, I had one installed, works great too. I would recommend this car to anyone looking for a respectable mid-size family type sedan. Look no further. Rims tinted Windows and spoiler do wonders for the bland styling.