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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  Better Than 2008 SF - 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Crucian - June 30 - 4:23 pm

  This replaced our 08 due to a defective engine. Interior is more upscale now, and seats look much nicer but they need to be firmer for taking turns. The 3.5l V-6 is ridiculously powerful for the FWD model. Torque steer is actually dangerous during full throttle operation in 1st gear. Grab the wheel with both hands or youll be in the ditch! Its great once you get used to it, though. Left foot placement is a bit awkward for the driver. I wish the sunroof didnt require the only and very expensive upgrade package. I dont need a nav system. I live on an island so Im not going to get lost. 3rd row seating is also gone. Overall very satisfied and great build quality so far.

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  Ownership after 4 months - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By Donald - June 30 - 5:46 am

  I was initially impressed with this car, especially the price which was $16,000 cash, automatic, and nothing else. I was in route to the Honda dealer but I passed by Hyundai and asked for a test drive. I should have kept going. The mileage is greatly overrated, at least in my view. I have not achieved better than 18-19 MPG. It dos not shift very well and remains in lower gears too long. The ride quality is equally overstated. I feel every bump and pothole. It is a smooth ride only on well maintained roads. Otherwise the ride is very harsh. The build quality is not the greatest. I have noticed rattles and noises even on minor bumps. As I said, I should have kept going.

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  Great SUV - 2001 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By ralphredwolf - June 29 - 11:06 pm

  After 97000 Miles this has probably been the best vehicle I have ever owned. I happen to drive cars and trucks for a living and this is one of the best out there. Normally after this much mileage a vehicle has some play in the front end but not this SUV. It is just as tight as the day I first drove it, unbelieveable. If only the USA could make a great SUV like this GM & Ford would never have problems. Buy one,you will not be disappointed.

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  Great Car - 2003 Hyundai Accent
  By Roxanne - June 29 - 7:28 pm

  I love this car. Its dependable, it gets great gas mileage. For a little car it has some pick up and go, more so than I thought it would. My only complaint is the small tires. My next car will be a Hyundai

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  Great car with good economy - 1998 Hyundai Accent
  By Petr Bastar - June 29 - 6:42 pm

  Bought it new, runs great, never a breakdown. Still gets 30+ MPG and has no mechanical problems. The manual trasmission is great, only wish it was synchronized, sometimes hard to get into reverse. Love the rack and pinnion steering as I have a great feel for the road conditions and traction that way. A Hyundai customer for life now.

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  honest review - 2001 Hyundai Elantra
  By danny - June 29 - 4:11 pm

  Ive had my elantra for 4 years now. Ive had few problems. I do have all the scheduled maintenance done by the dealership though. The braking is not as good as I would like it to be. Also the car depreciated much faster and more dramatically than I expected.Ive had problems with the power windows and mirrors too. By far though...for the money... this has been an excellent car. I get a lot of positive feedback as the car performs like similar cars in its class. It has a nice ride. Ive had problems with the power locks. At times it is easy to tell that the car was made on the cheap. My recomendation would be to buy one that is a year old , as they depreciate unbelievably the first year.

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  Couldnt Get Better Than This! - 2001 Hyundai Accent
  By Beth - June 29 - 1:42 pm

  I bought this car with the intention of only having it for a few years, until I could afford something better. Well, five years later, this car has only had one minor problem: the recirculation/fresh air knob popped off. THATS IT! Of course, I take care of it... get regular oil changes, get tune-ups, etc. Overall, I am VERY satisfied with my purchase. Especially since I only paid $8,000 for it brand new. Perfect car for young people who cannot afford much, but want a reliable car.

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  Would buy again in a heartbeat! - 2005 Hyundai Elantra
  By Patrick - June 28 - 10:10 am

  I have owned this vehicle for 2 1/2 months, and it is one of the best decisions I could have made. For the price this vehicle cannot be beat. My wife likes to drive it.

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  DO NOT BUT THE SONATA HYBRID - 2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid
  By rdb53 - June 27 - 11:56 pm

  Do not buy the Sonata Hybrid for its gas mileage. The vehicle will achieve the advertised highway mileage but the city mileage performance is erratic and the idea that it can achieve 35mpg in city driving is absurd. All the dealership can do is plug in their computer and look for error codes. When no error codes show up they tell you the car is performing as designed even if the mpg is only 26. Also do not waste your time contacting Hyundai Motors America customer service. The only response you receive from them is a referral back to the dealership and a list of the reasons that you may be at fault for the low mpg because of poor driving habits. They are a waste of their companys resources.

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  Six Month Ownership Update - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By David - June 27 - 4:00 pm

  I wrote my first review the night I got my car home. Of course everyone loves a new car the day they buy it. Go read any Edmunds review and if often starts like this "Just got the car today, I LOVE it!!!" Im here to tell you that six months later and its still a joy to drive every day. It has been absolutely flawless in build quality and reliability. And just like another reviewer said, the car handles much better than "professional" reviews would lead you to believe. Powerful brakes that stop the car right now, a smooth, powerful V6 engine, and a suspension system that does a fantastic job of providing a velvety ride while also being sporty enough to have fun around the corners.