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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  ECO Sorta - 2017 Hyundai Sonata
  By CECIL HUTCHINS - December 9 - 12:28 am

  Expect an ECO to have mid-level trim. Very few options available. That was OK by me. I didnt even buy it for the extra gas mileage. I chose this model because for some reason (Ill tell you more in a minute) it was the quickest Sonata of all the trim models. If you check the specs youll see a few clever things Hyundai did. Smaller diameter ECO tires (still pretty sticky), wider front track, reduced weight, a 7-speed auto transmission, and best of all a twin-scroll turbocharger on its 1.4L 4-cyl engine. All these combine to make it torquey and quick to get power to the road. Hot-rod? No. But definitely a satisfying driving experience from a mid-size car. Its a little hard to control your accelerator precisely at low speeds but put it in Sport Mode and find a twisty road to be reminded what driving fun is.

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  FANTASTIC car!! - 2016 Hyundai Veloster
  By Jill - December 8 - 4:41 am

  I was shopping for another Mazda. I had a Mazda Protege for 15 years and she was a wonderful car! The orange Veloster caught my eye! I have had so so many complements on it. Driving it is so fun and it has a lot of get up and go! I had a hard time letting my Mazda go but it took a special car like the Veloster to finally get a new one. I have not driven it in the snow so I do not know how it handles. I do not know much about cars but I would not trade my Veloster for the world!!

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  Great Van - 2008 Hyundai Entourage
  By joekar2 - December 7 - 2:59 pm

  Purchased new in July 09 as a dealership car with 10,000 miles. Just finished 10 week 9,500 mile trip, and could not be happier with this van. Plenty of room, comfortable, handled great (including mountain roads. More accessories than I even needed. Gas mileage was very good, 21.4 overall. City has been about 17.1 and highway has varied between 20.5 to 24.5. Only issue was with AC. Clicking on and off, but was fixed under warranty in another state than I purchased car in. My second Hyundai, and have been very pleased with warranty and performance. Is the top of the line.........NO! But price for what you get is superior to anything out there. Not to mention the warranty.

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  Im Luvin it! - 2008 Hyundai Tiburon
  By TibGirl15 - December 6 - 9:16 pm

  My 2208 Hyundai Tiburon GS is my first BRAND NEW car ever & was DEFINITELY worth the wait. Everything about this car is awesome...and you cant beat Hyundais warranty either. I was looking for a cute *sportsy* car that was good on gas AND insurance...this fit the bill. The 4 cyl. has more than enough power to get you moving when you want it! And it took me awhile to get used to all the head turning looks that this vehicle gets while youre driving.

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  OK, Ill go first - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By Houdsie - December 6 - 4:36 pm

  I upgraded from an 02 Elantra GT due to a growing family. My first thought of the redesign was the style falls more to Honda or Toyota, but I like it better than the 05s. Ive always driven standards and I was happy that I could get a midsize 5 spd that wasnt stripped of safety or comfort features. The 5 spd shifts smooth and with authority. Theres plenty of pep under the hood. The ride is quiet and smooth, but almost too soft. But thats compared to the GT. The interior is large enough for 3 car seats and nicely appointed. Compared with my Moms 03 Camry, I prefer the Sonata dash layout. All in all, a great value for a family hauler. It feels more luxurious than any other Hyundai.

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  Great Price - 2010 Hyundai Elantra
  By Ken U - December 5 - 10:14 pm

  I know you wont believe me, but my local dealer advertised my Elantra GlS, list price 17745 with ipod cable and mats for 10600. The week before they were 11900 and I was ready to buy for that price. I own a 2008 Hyundai santa fe so I the low price included tha loyalty discount. I bought the car for my daughter so safety and reliability were very important. For a 2010 cost you can not buy a used Elantra for less then this new one.

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  Great Car - 2009 Hyundai Azera
  By Bob Greene - December 5 - 11:57 am

  This may be the finest car I have ever owned. I bought fun it new during the year end closeout, and have enjoyed it since day one. The mileage I have experienced actually exceeds the EPA estimates. I am getting is in excess of 30mpg in highway driving, and the car is not yet fully broken in. It is quiet and comfortable, and is fun to drive. It has plenty of "oomph" at all speeds.

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  Nice little SUV with a BIG warranty - 2005 Hyundai TUCSON
  By Tommy - December 5 - 10:06 am

  Nice little SUV with a GREAT warranty. The 4WD doesnt get great gas mileage, bu the thing is sure footed in rain or snow. Dealerships are friendly and service is very pleasant. Its no wonder people are not treating these vehicles lightly, anymore.

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  Love ThisCar!!!! 43 MPG R U SERIOUS!? - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By iseeit - December 4 - 10:34 pm

  UM; YEAH; I have a Brand new 2011 Sonata and I also bought one for my Daughter. We both are very happy with our cars and yeah, it doesnt take a genius to know that you shouldnt drive down the road with no hands. Its people on this website that give a beautiful car like mine a bad name

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  One Happy & Satisfied 4.6 Owner !!! - 2010 Hyundai Genesis
  By Banker - December 4 - 9:27 pm

  Just a fabulous vehicle to drive and just as pleasurable to look at. With badging, it is easily confused with being in the Bentley family. The ride is precise, fit and finish is several points ahead of Lexus ES 350. Very tight and very quiet ride. A winner overall. Tremendous value for your money.