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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  Love it! - 2013 Hyundai Sonata
  By judiqueflyer - May 8 - 2:22 pm

  I love my 2013 Sonata. Great value for the money.

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  Great car with a great price - 2007 Hyundai Sonata
  By cableguy06 - May 8 - 1:13 pm

  For the money, you just cant beat this car. Have had it for 2.5 months with close to 8K miles. V6, leather, Infinity Sound, Power Roof, etc all for under $21K. Honda and Toyota couldnt touch this with a 10 pole! The ride, accelleration and ergonomics are great. I am imprssed with the fit and finish of the car as well. Would do it all over again!

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  Hyundia Family - 2004 Hyundai XG350
  By Choey - May 8 - 10:00 am

  Over the last 5 years our family has owned 7 Hyundias. I put around 35000 per year on my car so they dont last long. I just traded in my 2001 XG 300 with approx 75000 miles on it, the car was great. My new XG 350L has all the refinement you would expect a car dealer to do over earlier years. Hyundia I think has a great idea when it comes to the XG family of cars "dont fix it if its not broke"

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  Great Car - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By Fred - May 8 - 7:13 am

  Just finished a round trip to Indiana from Florida. Great ride and 35.8 MPG, all anyone could ask from this car. Car received many looks from other drivers.

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  After a month, I still love this car - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By Dave L - May 7 - 9:13 pm

  I have had this car a month and still love it. I test drove the Ford Fusion, Nissan Altima, Toyota Camry, and Honda Accord (all 2010 models) in addition to the Sonata Limited that I purchased. I liked the Accord and Sonata best, and could have purchased the Accord XLE for about $23,800. The Sonata and Accord have much different drives. Ultimately, I paid $25,300 for the 2011 Sonata, because I liked the styling both inside and out more than on the Accord. Plus the Sonata Limited had a few more bells and whistles than the Accord. Several people have stopped me to ask about the car. I really think that Hyundai is becoming the Toyota and Honda of 20-30 years ago.

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  Great Car! - 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Rachel - May 7 - 10:53 am

  We bought our Santa Fe because we needed more room for a new baby. We like the built-in storage in the back and the fold down rear seats. Wish it had more storage space for toys, diaper bag, etc. but overall a great car! The only time its been back to the dealership has been for oil changes. I would highly recommend this vehicle to anyone because it has a lot of standard features you cant get from similar SUVs unless you pay a lot more.

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  Great Car for the Price - 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By JosieStl - May 6 - 9:16 pm

  Bought the Santa Fe in May just before my wedding, and it has been such a great car! Cargo room is huge without having a giant vehicle, its very comfortable, drives like a car, and feels very safe on the highway. Get great gas mileage, even with mostly city miles. Road trips get over 300 miles per tank. Compared to other SUVs with the same features and safety, it was so much more affordable. Id buy it again!

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  Just AWSOME! - 2008 Hyundai Veracruz
  By iplanet - May 6 - 11:20 am

  Ater I purchased this car, I drive this car every night after my wife and son go to bed ~ :) I can not hear any noise from out side ~ it is like my computer room with playing Sara Brightman / Andrea Bocheli "Time to say goodbye" ~ Just AWSOME!

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  WOW! You Must See and Drive! - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By nf1502004 - May 6 - 6:26 am

  I cant put this in words, but the 2006 Hyundai Sonata LX V6, has more cabin room then Toyota Camry or Honda Accord, has more horespower and tork, and more standard features for less money, as well as Americas Best Warranty! How could you go wrong, you cant it is a no brainer! Check it out for yourself. I wont ever regret this purchase and will not hesitate to buy another one for myself and my family members!!!

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  One Hell Of A Car - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By Ronnie Harrison - May 5 - 7:13 pm

  I first saw the 2006 Hyundai on a T.V. Commercial. The body styling impressed me th most. It looked a lot better than the Accord & Camrys. The exhaust system isnt dangling underneath it as the Accord. Its not cheaply put together and it has nothing that takes away from its physique such as a cheap radio antenna protruding off the front end. Dollar for dollar, the 2006 Sonata leaps ahead of the competition. Hats off to the designers, Ive got nothing but compliments and that warranty is unmatched. Losing my Chevy Tahoe for the Sonata has been worth it!