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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  Spunky Little Thing - 2017 Hyundai Elantra
  By K. P. - August 17 - 7:42 pm

  Leased this car 7 months ago and I absolutely love it! Great value for a great price. I have the SE, so it doesnt come with all of the bells and whistles (i.e. bluetooth, back up camera, etc.), but that doesnt matter at all. Both the front and back are extremely spacious, and I can tell you that both the front and back seats are incredibly comfortable. All of the controls and devices are within reach, and the lighting (both naturally and artificially) in the car is sufficient. The stereo system is crisp, clear, and easy to navigate. As far as performance goes, this car does surprisingly well. The engine is powerful yet soft--it isnt noisy from the outside nor the inside, which helps with hearing the radio, fellow passengers, and emergency vehicles. Steering is sharp and takes little effort, and the turning radius is above average. The car handles bumps very well, and the braking system is superb. As far as acceleration, the 17 Elantra SE starts out normally but quickly picks up speed as you move into second gear in regular mode (my SE is an automatic). In addition to regular, the SE also has an eco mode (for saving gas) and a sport mode (especially useful for 0-60 highway merges), which, again, plays into the great value-great price mantra. The outside lighting is perfect--the headlights provide great visibility and the taillights are both easy to see and are really sporty looking (look up some pictures). I recently drove my Elantra SE in the snow, and I must say that this may have been the thing that impressed me the most. The car cuts through the snow like a knife; the tire grip is better than some snow-ready SUVs Ive driven. Obviously, its not going to cut through 6+ inches of snow, but for accumulations less than this, blow-over snow, ice patches, and small snow/ice piles, the Elantra SE passes with flying colors in my book. There are only two "cons" that I might see with the car: 1. it sits pretty low to the ground, so its sometimes a little hard to get into if youre a tall person and 2. it tends to get blown around more than the average car during a windy day on the road--but you can control the car just fine. Seriously though, if youre looking for a compact car with great value, comfort, and safety, youd be unwise not to consider the 17 Elantra.

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  got a mechanic???? - 2004 Hyundai Accent
  By JennFarrug - August 17 - 2:00 am

  Keep taking it in for transmission problems, will shift hard into gear and out of gear, now accelerator sticking. Dealer cant find problem till it shows up on their computer. Hasnt shown up yet, but still major problems. They ever hear of driving it or looking under the hood? How about a old fashioned mechanic who actually looks for the problem instead of relying on a computer to tell them whats wrong?

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  Real Head Turner! - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By Kajun Girl - August 16 - 5:46 pm

  I just bought my Sonata SE yesterday. After test driving more than 20 vehicles, this was the most comfortable and easy to handle, plus the price was AWESOME and the features were unmatched! I have gotten so many compliments on the sporty style of it too, plus is has so much cabin space! Its a real head turner on the road!

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  A Hyundai Hooner - 2015 Hyundai Sonata
  By Kris C. - August 16 - 1:20 pm

  After having many cars spanning many years (Im a car junkie), I can say that I enjoy this Sonata. PROS: The design is great. The ride is comfortable. The steering is smooth and effortless. The engine is quiet and moderately powerful. The HVAC performs flawlessly. It feels as though there is a stop-neutral feature (I personally like this, but one has to remember to give the pc a second to engage before throttling). The engine idles smoothly and the transmission shifts perfectly (despite the fact that it has an electronic throttle module (and likely a TCM elsewhere) placed right at the front of the engine for all of the radiant radiator heat to blow on it, will see how that device holds up over time). Tire and rim sizes are perfect (that doesnt always happen). The interior visibility is good with the exception of the rear window (I use blind spot mirrors so I dont look back there nor do I turn my head to look out windows when lane changing, it isnt necessary). When braking, I really enjoy that the transmission gears down, finally creeping up to a stop, I have had to only put forth minimal effort when braking. CONS: I have only had the car a very short time so my input is biased (I love this new car) and questionable and any rating regarding reliability isnt valid. I cant say enough how much I hate plastic components bolted onto a hot metal engine, that said, I dislike the plastic intake manifold. The Electronic Throttle Module is located at the front of the engine, uncovered, unprotected from radiant heat and water/particles from the grill (I had a Volvo and plenty of Fords with that darned ETM... There is body roll when cornering, but that is to be expected with most mid-class mid-size sedans.

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  Great Vehicle - 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By John - August 16 - 9:26 am

  Shopped hard, drove the 2010 Equinox and Rav-4, wanted to buy American but the Santa Fe won out with the overall value. The best warranty -- $4500 Cash For Clunkers -- $2000 Cash Back -- Under Invoice Pricing from USAA. Priced it against same vehicle previously owned at auction = about the same price. Great ride, fit and finish, quiet, sacrifice a little on the gas mileage and electronics do dads but overall this is a great vehicle. I am going to try the synethetic oil and K&N filter suggested by another review to see if we can get the same 26 MPG. Dealer experience was excellent, helpful with no pressure or gotchas at the end. Looks and feels like a Lexus!

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  Great mid-size SUV to own - 2005 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Queenandsadie - August 16 - 7:23 am

  The fact that the vehicle has plenty of room, good stereo system, sun roof and window are a plus. Good turning radius! Plenty of cargo room if back seats are dropped down. The VERY BEST WARRANTY I have seen. Universal Nissan staff are quick to respond and go out of their way to be of service. I am very pleased with this purchase.

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  Still digging this car! - 2002 Hyundai Elantra
  By Jasperblu - August 16 - 2:00 am

  Bought my silver GT in Fall 2001 & have really enjoyed it for the past 3 years (current miles = 29K). I really like the body style (similar to a Saab 93) and for the price I got a LOT more car than I would have in a Honda, Toyota or VW. There are some ongoing & annoying “defects” (e.g. windshield washers are always getting clogged, gas tank door latch must be pulled several times to open, a lack of lighting in the rear seating area). But again, for the money I got a reliable, fun little car that I love and that I’m sure Ill continue to enjoy driving for many years to come.

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  average SUV for the money - 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By geologist26 - August 15 - 7:43 pm

  2012 sante fe GLS AWD V6. the vehicle is just average on everything. it does nothing really "great." hyundai needs to try a little harder on build quality, exterior and interior design. doors and suspension feel tinny. engine is just ok. its not fun to drive BUT, for the money it is a decent small suv.

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  happiness - 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By burnsie - August 14 - 10:00 am

  I love my Sante Fe. I have had only one minor problem with the air conditioning system with a switch that occasionally turns off the fan, but the dealership replaced the switch and the car is great. I love it. It is dependable, fun to drive and looks good. I think it is a good value for the price.

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  Love this car! - 2002 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Kath - August 14 - 9:46 am

  I have 165000 miles and love it as the day I bought it! Changed the timing belt every 60000 miles and all Ive changed is the alternator at 130000. Regular oil changes, tires wear well (yeah! Goodrich Long Trails). Goes through 2 ft snow without difficulty handles great with shiftronic! The price is now too high and auto has changed so cant afford another! Sob! Its still going strong so not to worry yet. Great car! Well built,I feel very safe driving it in any weather.