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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  33 mpg hwy - 26 city, reliable, roomy - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By MiMo - April 15 - 11:56 pm

  I have now tested the car for about 10,000 miles and Im really happy with my sonata. The mileage is awesome: 2 adults, one kid, one trunk full of heavy stuff and I managed to get 33 mpg on highway, between Sacramento and Los Angeles. Same combination between San Diego and Phoenix with a/c on and I got 33.3 mpg. Two adults, 2 hours of stop-and-go in la traffic (rush hour) and a/c on and I got 32.8 mpg. No mechanical problems so far, between 30k-40k miles. XM satellite radio is a must on long trips. I really miss the steering wheel controls for radio/mp3/XM and electrical controls for drivers seat. Other than that plenty of room for a 6 driver and 6.2 behind the driver. No kidding, that good.

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  smart buy - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By tom - April 15 - 11:10 pm

  A pleasure to drive on long trips,comfortable for my size 63" 240 lbs..People are amazed that it it a Hyundai!

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  Hyundai Sonata GOT IT! - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By sgruberk - April 15 - 4:43 pm

  I cannot say enough good things about this car! I have traded my Mercedes E- class due to poor traction in snow despite with new tires(rear wheel drive). I have researched and test drove Accord and Mazda, but Sonata was far better car. I was hesitant with purchase due to resale value and design. But resale value is up par with Japanese competitors and its design is turning peoples head. I have never had that with Mercedes. The car is solid, I often catch myself driving at 80mph, thinking about 50 mph. It has everything including pinch protection and LED ambient light and this is base GLS model. I think Hyundai will over take Honda and others in 4-5 years, like Samsung and LG vs SONY.

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  Fantastic Car Warranty and Price - 2000 Hyundai Accent
  By drdud - April 15 - 2:00 am

  after driving and breaking in my Hyundai ,I find it to be a great little car fro the mrs or car pool . For average size people 6 ft or so there is plenty of room front and rear ,I drive 65 plus to work with 3 or 4 people in the car with out problems , I do recommend after a 3,000 mile break in use CD-2 Engine treatment seems to add 20 HP. I also installed a K&N air cleaner ,now the 75 MPH and above are Yours. Am-Fm cassette is Good ,fold down back seat is nice ~Car rides good. Im a very Happy Camper with my Hyundai so Far .

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  The Tiburon Rocks - 2005 Hyundai Tiburon
  By Richard T. Siciliano - April 14 - 7:20 pm

  It looks good when I get there, and I get there as fast as I wish. What more can you say about a car? Its sporty, cool, and certainly affordable enough, not to mention fairly reasonable (about 24 mpg average) economically. I recommend it highly.

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  Impressed by this car! - 2007 Hyundai Sonata
  By krobert917 - April 14 - 6:46 pm

  I researched more than 10 cars over the last 8 months comparing gas mileage, saftey features, reliablity, price, and looks. The 2007 Hyundai Sonato won hands down over the other makes & models. There is simply more car for your dollar. It is safe, gets very good gas mileage for the V-6 and its size in SW Pa. (24 miles/gal+), it looks, feels, and drives like a luxury sedan! I am impressed thus far with the feel of the car - it is also fun to drive! And there is lots and lots of room in this car.

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  Still loving the Car after 1 year and 13,000 miles - 2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid
  By r_l_r - April 14 - 12:00 pm

  It has been the best car that I have ever owned (of 11 cars/minivans). My wife and I enjoy it so much that we bought a 2012 Sonata Hybrid with the leather package so that we can both drive a Sonata hybrid. Safety - This is the highest importance. The car has excellent crash safety ratings. More important is that it handles/maneuvers extremely well. It has a large amount of power to get you out of danger fast: passing, merging into traffic or accelerating rapidly from a stop to avoid a distracted driver who is barreling into an intersection. Shifing at low speed is smooth after initial computer update. MPG - 42+ overall Comfort - spaceous interior I could not be happier with this car.

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  Red Tib - 2003 Hyundai Tiburon
  By Fred - April 13 - 1:23 am

  This has been a great car -52K. After driving a VWGTI and Tibs I couldnt justify the extra 8Gs for the VW. I still get compliments on it. This is an unusual model: 5sp, low spoiler, and cloth upholstery. My sunroof is after market and has been perfect. The only problems have been two O2 sensors and a passenger power window failure. All were fixed quickly at no cost. Hyundai Roadside service has been flawless. Called two times.

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  Hyundai should be at the top of the list - 2009 Hyundai Genesis
  By Lonny - April 11 - 5:00 am

  Like many others here, I too cant believe I even looked at Hyundai, let alone getting one! I began researching this car early in the year. I was coming to lease end on a 2006 M45 Sport and wanted something much less expensive, uses regular fuel and gets better gas mileage. I liked the handling dynamics of the M45 and was worried that I took a big step backwards in handling. Not so! I have found myself taking the same turns and curves in the Hyundai that I did with the M45 - at the same speeds - and the Hyundai is just as "planted" as was the M45. Obviously the M was quicker, but I enjoy everything about the Hyundai better.

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  Great - 2004 Hyundai Tiburon
  By Curtis Addison - April 11 - 2:00 am

  It has been a great car so far and i intend to keep it a long time.