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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  loving it - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By mike and deb - December 4 - 6:00 pm

  We only have 1200 miles on it so far but we are loving it. Getting better mpg already than expected...35-36 hwy. So quiet inside and runs very smooth. Biggest bang for the buck. Would recommend this car to all our friends and family.

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  the best car ever - 2005 Hyundai Tiburon
  By Danielle - December 4 - 1:10 pm

  this is by far the best vehicle I have ever owned. I would recommend this vehicle to anyone who wants the sporty car but also a reliable one

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  Its For Real - 2009 Hyundai Genesis
  By Douglas - December 4 - 10:30 am

  After reading Edmunds reviews and specs, I dug deeper into consumer ratings and overall satisfaction. I owned a Toyota Avalon and planned to go back to the Avalon. The features and amenities on the Genesis are just too many to list. The dealership owned both Toyota and Hyundai and put both cars side by side - Clearly the Genesis came out on top.

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  Love it! - 2010 Hyundai Veracruz
  By Lori Myers - December 4 - 10:00 am

  We bought our Veracruz because we wanted the 7 passenger seating but desperately wanted to get rid of the minivan. This has given us the best of both worlds. Most of the time we use it as a 5 passenger vehicle with the back seats folded down, but it is so nice to be able to load up the car with kids when we need too. The ride is very smooth and quiet. The car handles well. It is an extremely comfortable ride for 5, not as much so for 7 because of the legroom - but in my book that is to be expected. I highly recommend this vehicle and am so glad that we bought it.

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  Reliability with a CAPITAL R - 2006 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Gaurav - December 4 - 10:00 am

  Believe it or not, in 4 years I have put 160,000 on this vehicle and its rock solid. No issues whatsoever. No power loss, nothing. All Ive done is regular oil changes (synthetic) and the up-scale filters. I have changed the front rotors once. This vehicle is just a dream and should be considered by all who are in for a reliable used. Forget the Japanese, they are just too much money for nothing. They dont even look good. I guess people are noting that in a hurry now. The Santa Fe is already the largest selling import SUV in Canada. Good job Hyundai. My next vehicle would also be a Hyundai. The Veracruz or if they come up with a larger SUV then thatd be it.

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  Fun car - 2010 Hyundai Elantra Touring
  By Frank - December 4 - 10:00 am

  I bought the car for the space and did not want an SUV. The car handles very well and the brakes are excellent. The radio and other controls are simple to use without a lot of needless buttons. The ride is firm but that is what you get with a sports type handling. I drove in a snowstorm back in February and the car handled similar to a Saab I use to have, even with the low profile tires. XM radio is standard with a free 3 month subscription. I thought I did not want it but now I cannot drive without it. Car comes with excellent tires and Consumer report rates the tires well, even in snow.

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  If it were quieter it would be perfect. - 2010 Hyundai TUCSON
  By Rehabber - December 4 - 10:00 am

  Purchased 6 months ago and now have 5000 miles combined Hwy/City. The engine/trans combination of this vehicle makes it feel like a 6 cyl. Just a lot of fun to drive. Mileage has been 20 city/27 Hgwy which I can live with coming from an 04 Trailblazer. The only downside of the vehicle is the highway road noise on concrete. I had to put a 4" foam pad under the spare tire to absorb some of the noise and stuff polyfill into the rear wheel well covers. The tires are also part of the problem. An upgrade to the Michelin Primacy MVX4, which are rated far better for road noise would be an improvement.

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  great choice - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By david durot - December 4 - 10:00 am

  I have always had smaller cars for fuel efficiency. I drive 80 miles round trip to work. I am so glad I bought this car,. It gets better millage than my mini and the suzuki sx4, and the comfort is so much better. It has so much pep, i didnt expect it with the 4 cyl. The ride is true comfort and interior is awesome. The exterior is what caught my eye originally and everyone else s too. what a great value. do your self a favor and buy this car

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  good car for price - 2005 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By jill - December 4 - 7:40 am

  I enjoy driving the Santa Fe much more than the Windstar I traded in. It is easier to park, vision is better and so is fuel economy. For the money, you get a great suv. I would buy it again. Im not sure the friend who bought the Explorer the same month would. It has not caused me a minute of trouble.

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  Love It - 2008 Hyundai Elantra
  By Dawn Armstrong - December 3 - 10:13 am

  Just bought this car yesterday after test driving many other cars. IE:Civic Fit, Suzukis, Sebring. Traded my 2005 Tuscon. Needed a car with much better gas mileage. Since I am now driving 58 miles one way to my job. Went with a Hyundai because of there great warranty. I think many people under rate Hyundais. I truely love mine.