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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  Best Hyundai yet - 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By ray witt - March 29 - 5:16 pm

  Much quieter and better ride than 2003 Sante Fe. Many more features, bigger and more comfortable seats

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  sonata fun - 2005 Hyundai Sonata
  By justine712 - March 29 - 2:44 pm

  I have really enjoyed my Hyundai Sonata. I havent had it more than 6 months but it has performed wonderfully so far. I love the comfort inside with its plush interior and roomy seats. I dont have to rub elbows with whoever is in the passengers seat. It is also large enough to store all of my Coast Guard equipment, which would overwhelm my closets. The outside is gorgeous, comparable to a Jaguar. People have assumed that my car costs a lot more than it actually does because of its overall package. I also love the shifter, going from automatic to manual in one shift is handy when I am trying to get on the parkway and no one will let me in, Long Island anyone? Great car, satisfied customer

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  The Little Car that pleases - 2003 Hyundai Accent
  By Hyundai Accent - March 29 - 11:52 am

  I purchased the Hyundai in 03. It was nice looking, and I loved that it had great fuel economy. I shopped for price, value and a car to take me into retirement without the headaches of expensive repairs. It has been almost 2 years now and I finally acknowledged to myself that I had a great deal. I wish I could have waited for 04 but time doesnt wait. My best friend bought the Sonata and we are both pleased. So much so that we are driving almost 7000 miles this Spring.

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  Sonata - 2005 Hyundai Sonata
  By G Jensen - March 29 - 11:18 am

  Looks great, fun to drive, needs more cabin space.

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  Great Little Big Car! - 2004 Hyundai Sonata
  By Collette - March 29 - 9:45 am

  I have owned my Hyundai since August 2004. My husband and I were looking for a car with enough room for our 3 boys to be able to sit comfortably in the back seat as well as great gas mileage as much as I drive. The Sonata is GREAT! I love my car! It has all the little extras that a higher-end car would have without the big price tag. It handles great, I have PLENTY of room in the trunk for groceries, sports equipment or luggage. The gas mileage is great. We take my car everywhere, especially with the price of gas. I love the CD player and console area where I can put my cell phone and charger. This is a great car!

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  Beats my Astro van - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By chacago - March 29 - 8:50 am

  Great car fun to drive. Price was right wished I would of drove the V6, but was looking at fuel economy. Wife loves the car, now Im driving her van!!!!! MPG on recent trip 33mpg at 59 MPH.

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  Really injoyable car - 2001 Hyundai Elantra
  By frank jaehnig - March 28 - 11:38 pm

  the first foreign make that I had ever bought. I was interested because of the warranty, but once I drove one I knew I had to buy it and I have not been sorry. I now have 52000 mile on it and I love just as much now as when I first purchased it. I think that any Toyota or Honda drivers should try this car before they buy their next as it is a great car for the money.

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  Hyundai Sonata is one to check out! - 2005 Hyundai Sonata
  By Kevin - March 28 - 11:05 pm

  Just purchased a 2005 powder white pearl Sonata GL, 4 cyc, auto with a power sunroof (acc Gp 3), wind deflector,& mats for $15,500 including rebates. I have 500 miles on the car and its a pleasure to drive. If you are looking for a good quality car with an outstanding warranty, and wish to spend 4-5K less than Honda or Toyota, check it out first before you test drive them. The tout is they will have a higher resale but not 4-5K more. The car could use a little more power (22 hps less than Honda), but lacks the "pop can" exterior Honda feel with more features than the basic Honda or Toyota. Ive owned all three Honda Accord, Toyota Camry,& now Hyundai Sonata. Drive it & weigh the difference

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  I love my Tucson! - 2005 Hyundai TUCSON
  By nyorker - March 28 - 10:56 pm

  I absolutely love this car! It handles great in the snow and has a really smooth ride in all kinds of weather. I love all of the safety features that come standard with this car and it rides better than comparable Hondas. You get a lot for the money. To me it seems like its worth twice what I paid. The only problem Ive had is that a sensor switch went and had to be replaced and I also need to have my radio/cd player replaced. But its under warranty, so thats OK.

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  3 Days on the road. - 2005 Hyundai Sonata
  By KurtM - March 28 - 1:55 pm

  I am looking for a new vehicle and rented a Sonata for a 3 day business trip to Florida. I drove close to 800 miles in the car and came to the conclusion I would not entertain buying one. The ride quality is an odd mix of harsh on bumps, yet floaty and vague. Handling is slow and heavy. The interior is nice looking, but not enough legroom or headroom. Dash and switch gear has high quality feel, but then you find corners cut on a plastic fuel filler door. For ride and space I would choose an Impala or Buick Regal over this car. OR for a sportier ride, the Mazda6 or Honda Accord.