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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  Good Buy For The Money - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By gdg - July 31 - 1:56 am

  Good quality for the money. Many standard options that are extra on others of the same class both domestic and foreign. Cannot beat the warranty!

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  Steering problems - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By Martin - July 30 - 7:46 am

  After less than 1000 miles the car started pulling to the left on any road or highway which isnt perfectly level. Speed doesnt matter-at low speeds the steering wheel make a 45 degree turn to the left, on highway I can merge into the left lane by just letting go of it. Took it to the dealership 4 times, alignment is ok, rotated the tires but still no difference. Dealership checked with Hyundai if this is a known problem and said it isnt (?). Of course, they say they cant do much more than that. Never had this problem with my 2 chevys and 08 Santa Fe on the exact same roads. Obviously, this car has suspension and steer design flaws. At least mine is a smooth and quiet ride on any kind of street.

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  My Sonata - 2002 Hyundai Sonata
  By Ashley Spiriti - July 29 - 1:36 am

  My husband and I bought our Sonata wanting to trade up from our Cavalier since we were expecting a baby. We havent had too many problems but it seems when we do, they are VERY expensive to fix and never covered under the warranty. Weve been steadily replacing rotors since we bought the things (which can only be bought at the dealership, go figure). I love the exterior!! No major failures as of yet but lots of recalls. The interior has had a lot of little probs. The arm rest on the drivers door ripped with just my husbands elbow resting on it. The silver chips off the inner door handles and leaves razor-sharp edges. WATCH OUT!! We had to sand them. Overall, its a good car.

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  I LOVE This Car!!!!! - 2001 Hyundai Elantra
  By Lynda P - July 28 - 5:13 pm

  This car may be a 4 cylinder but it has get-up-n-go when you need it. Its a classy lil car. My aunt has a Mercedes and she says my Hyundai rides just as smooth....how about that!!! Hyundais will always be in MY future plans!!!

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  sweet ride - 2004 Hyundai XG350
  By mxrdrvr - July 28 - 10:00 am

  This is my third hyundai I have bought and I would highly recommend the XG350L. When I saw the new design of the 04,I was sold, it is a big improvment over the last years models. I have people stop me to ask me what kind of car I have, they are quite impressed by the looks of the car. Honest to God, both my girlfriend and I have been followed at different times in this car by people wanting to know what it is. The proformance is top of the line, and the manual shift option provides an easy way to pass traffic or enter traffic coming onto the intersate. The four disc brakes makes this a safe car in my opinion. Fun Bling mobile.

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  If You Can Pay Less Than $300 A Month - 2004 Hyundai Elantra
  By galeval - July 28 - 10:00 am

  What I really like about this care is that you dont need a lot of space for parking. One of my main goals in purchasing this car is the monthly payment. I dont what to pay a car note that was more than my student loans. My car note is less than $300 a month (for 5 years), even with the features I pay extra for like automatic pop-up sunroof with sunshade.

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  5 year review - 2005 Hyundai TUCSON
  By Red - July 27 - 8:36 pm

  Battery will go dead at infrequent random times. I installed a new battery, but same problem. Dealer has no idea how to fix it. The trans-axle began to leak oil and make a burning smell. The dealer repaired it alright. Front tires are already worn out at 38k miles. The door remote control function is intermittent. I find myself shifting in manual mode most of the time, to obtain the most power and gas mileage. Also, the warranty may appear good at first, but the required maintenance schedules should be reviewed before buying. Would I buy this vehicle again? I dont think so. Mostly because of the battery issue.

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  Great Car! - 2005 Hyundai Sonata
  By Ginny - July 27 - 6:55 pm

  Interior quite nice. Placements of all dashboard knobs ( for radio, heater, etc. )are conveniently located for easy access. Cruise control, fog light switch, and trunk and gas door openers, are conveniently located on steering wheel and on inside door near power window levers. Seats are comfortable. Sliding moon roof is very smooth operation. Good sized trunk. The outside is in a class all its own - looks like a very expensive car. Great pickup, smooth ride and easy handling. Is a pleasure to drive. Only drawback is that in town gas mileage is not higher.

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  A wonderful car - 2010 Hyundai Sonata
  By Steve D. - July 27 - 5:50 pm

  I just purchased my V6 Limited, Black on Black, and am very impressed by this car. I traded an 06 Accord V6 EX-L, arguably the benchmark for the class. The Sonata has a more sophisticated look inside and out than the Honda, and a more refined ride. The Accord was very athletic in its suspension tuning, but was also harsh at times. The Sonata is lighter on its feet, more like a dancer than an athlete. The interior is outstanding. Refined elegance is how I would describe it. The designers clearly sweated the details inside and out. The Sonata is tuned towards a luxury feel and look, and for me provided a better balance of style, ride and comfort.

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  I love this car! - 2007 Hyundai Sonata
  By Megs82 - July 27 - 5:23 pm

  I bought the car about a month ago and am in love. Its a fantastic value for your money and its a fun car to drive. Great safety features, great sound system, very comfortable ride. Gas mileage isnt quite what I hoped, but its not bad at all. I highly recommend this car to anyone whos safety and budget conscious but also wants a car you feel great in.