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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  Disappointed-do not understand the rave - 2007 Hyundai Sonata
  By num2thum - November 11 - 5:13 pm

  I certainly do not understand the expert car reviews. The Hyundai Sonata is sluggish: the auto tranny is sluggish and jerks in acceleration, interior is weak and has no personality, and the windshield cleaner devices are like eyes looking back on me. Why did they put these ON TOP of the hood? Bad bad design. The only good thing I can say about it is that it is great on gas. I would really loathe driving it everyday. Thanks to Edmunds for rating something so well and now I am stuck with a car for 4 years that I do not enjoy. Do they build cars cheap so car reviewers can get kick backs?

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  First Hyundai - 2007 Hyundai Sonata
  By ash - November 11 - 6:36 am

  This is the first Hyundai I have ever owned. I love the torque, the style, the color, the interior controls, the ride and the way it is so quiet and comfortable on a long drive. I do wish my feet contained less lead though, so I could get better mileage! I was hoping for 25+ but I average around 18. Took a four hour trip and hit the 25 mark but sure would like to get that all the time. I guess Ill have to drill some holes in my lead foot!

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  Great Car - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By GB - November 10 - 9:33 pm

  Test Drove Camry, Altima, Accord. The Sonata was by far the best of the bunch

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  2011 Pearl White GLS - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By sbbluewater - November 10 - 7:33 pm

  Just traded in my old 1998 Honda Accord EX for the new 2011 Sonata GLS with the Navigation and upgraded stereo package. All I can say is what a great car so far! I have not driven a 4 cylinder in over 30 years and this car has plenty of pep and rides really nice. Pretty quiet compared to my old Accord, but still hear some road noise. For a large family sedan it rides and handles very nice. Still on my first tank of gas but the trip computer is showing my average at right around 30 mpg with mixed city and hi-way driving. Very comfortable car so far. Hope the quality holds up. The car looks nice and is a very, very good value even at retail sticker price.

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  More Bang for the buck - 2009 Hyundai Elantra Touring
  By Paul E - November 9 - 9:03 pm

  After trying out the Matrix, Dodge Caliber, and Mazda 3, the Touring came out on top. The list of standard features is impressive for a vehicle in this price range. Features like 4 wheel disc brakes with ABS, Electronic Stability Control, power windows, key less entry, heated rear view mirrors, to name a few. It even comes with Nitrogen filled tires and nice mags. The ride is smooth and the feel is solid and quiet, again exceeding what one would expect in the price range. The interior is nicely laid out, the fit and finish is excellent, and you gotta love the blue lighting. The interior room for the size car is impressive. A real value for the dollar. Hyundai hit a home run with this car

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  Cushy and Capable - 2002 Hyundai XG350
  By Derberg - November 9 - 9:53 am

  We looked at a bunch of new cars at a show in January 04 and came away most impressed with the XG350. It had distinctive styling and a bunch of fancy features, yet was reasonably priced. Wed have bought new but found a used 02 for about $5K less, so we took it and have been very pleased ever since. It now has 44K miles. The car is fast, comfortable and reliable. I wish it cornered better, but we like the cushy ride. Weve had all servicing and repairs done at the dealer and its been excellent. Problems have been few and minor and the dealer fixed everything under the extended warranty we bought. Depreciation is disappointing, but most cars lose value fast. We really like this car!

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  Why I like the Sonata. - 2004 Hyundai Sonata
  By Tiffany T - November 8 - 9:55 pm

  I bought my car at an excellent price. The rebate was good and this car has tons of features that are standard that other cars dont have. Youll have to pay extra for things like the CD player, side airbags, fold down rear seat, etc. The warranty is better than the other cars Ive looked into. There is a lot of trunk space, great for putting strollers in. The owners manual is cute they give you a little pen and notebook with the Hyundai symbol on it. Great for storing papers. I really enjoy my car. I didnt feel like I was taken advantage of after I bought this car and I really feel like I got a good deal on it. The price was well worth it.

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  Pleasantly Surprised! - 2000 Hyundai Elantra
  By tony p - November 8 - 12:30 pm

  When I was shopping for a car I was looking for a 2nd hand beater. Something simple to get me back & forth to work. I wanted something inexpensive and after much looking I found the Elantra at a local stealership. Wow! Where do I begin? Dollar for dollar you cannot beat what this lil car has to offer. First of all these cars only come in one trim that means you get EVERYTHING! Power windows, locks, AC, am/fm radio, etc... Even the powerplant is not dissapointing. The 2.0L DOHC provides plenty of zip for this car. The fit and finish is very good. Hyundai has definitely learned from their mistakes and done a complete 180. I highly recommend this car!

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  I hate blue - 2007 Hyundai Veracruz
  By Saturceptor - November 8 - 5:43 am

  By the title youve surmised its blue in color. Buying at carmax you dont get a color choice. But color aside our 07 Vera is one great ride more standard features than any vehicle Ive ever owned. We have a big family 2 kids who are going to be monsters and 2 dogs who are monsters. My only concern is the light Grey interior not good for boys, very supportive seats, good lumbar support, great exterior views, no blind spots, headlights a different story projector lowbeams have a sharp cutoff of light very good. The highbeams shine into lowflying aircraft. Adjustment Ill have to call on NASA for that. Screrws, gears, plastic not enough time. Or patience well about run out of characters.........

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  So nice had to do it twice! - 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport
  By Sharon Nowlin - November 7 - 9:47 pm

  Owned a 2014 Santa Dr Sport Turbo. On Nov 4 2017 we were broadsided, rolled 3 1/2 x, and 125 ft. Im alive to write this review because the safety, quality and care built into the Santa Dr absolutely save our lives. On Dec 4 2017, went and bought a 2018 Santa Dr Sport 2.0 Turbo Ultimate; same identical vehicle down to the colors.