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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  WOW! - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By Cliff - May 18 - 9:43 am

  I brought a beautiful new 1999 Cadillac DeVille, color Shale/ beige int. traded it for a new 2005 Chrysler 300 base. silver/grey boring plastic everywhere Int. rear wheel drive and found out too late, that the base models were lacking major safety features like anti- lock brakes etc. wanted out. I had a vision of my Caddy in a Sonata. Camel/butterscotch leather int. with wood grain, lacking nothing in options including Navagtion completely loaded! I was upside down in my Chrysler trade by $9,000 because of over mileage at 63,000. The nine thousand was incorporated in my new payments. The deal $32,000 after rebates. No regrets!!! WOW! this (Lexus) car is way under priced! GET ONE!

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  01 elantra - 2002 Hyundai Elantra
  By cowboy heald - May 17 - 6:56 pm

  outstanding car no problems at all.

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  A very dependable SUV - 2006 Hyundai TUCSON
  By bobomack - May 17 - 3:40 pm

  I bought my Tuscan used with 62000 miles, no problems on it. I also got a car fax on the history of this vehicle. The previous owner only had a brake caliper replaced. I drive quite a bit, this vehicle has never let me down. It now has 87000 miles and purrs like a kitten. I haul a good bit in the cargo area with the back seats folded down, plenty of power. I read some complaints about milage and engine power, this one is a power wagon which runs great. Perhaps its the 6 cylinder vs the 4 banger, but I love this vehicle and would by another Hyundai hands down, but not until this one dies. Plenty of leg room, very dependable!!

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  160,000 miles and going strong - 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By A. Non - May 16 - 7:40 pm

  This is the first car I have owned since brand new that has even come close to having over 150,000 miles on it and still runs. To date, other than preventative maintenance and normal wear and tear, Ive had the following problems: At 40k miles, a torn CV joint boot (warranty repair); At 60k miles the timing belt required replacement per scheduled maintenance ($600 @ dealership, including water pump and belt tensioner as precautionary replacements); At 130k miles replaced the timing belt, water pump and tensioner again a little late to schedule ($300 by family mechanic); At 152,000 miles the switch for the cruise control broke ($30 / 15 minute repair by myself); At 155,000 miles the alternator war replaced (2 hours, $275 parts/labor at a local shop). When you think about it, the alternator was really wear and tear as they do not last forever. And thats it. 160k miles and about $300 worth of repairs, $30 if you exclude the alternator. I maintain it religiously and take care of little things before they become big things. Weve gotten our moneys worth from this vehicle and then some. We dont off-road it or mistreat it, but it is not pampered by any means.

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  Big Bang for Your Buck - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By 4n6dad - May 16 - 2:56 am

  Love the design, features, and drive of this years Sonata!! We traded a 99 Acura 3.2 TL loaded and got a better vehicle at a $10K savings! Cant get over the handling and looks of our new Hyundai. Looking ahead to many wonderfully comfortable trips.

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  What a deal!! - 2006 Hyundai Sonata
  By jan - May 16 - 1:10 am

  This was a best buy for comfort,gadgets,style,price and especially the 24MPG/city and 29.7MPG/highway fuel consumption I consistently get on regular grade gas. A little more play in the steering than I like but still handles very well. The shiftronic shifting makes driving safe on slick roads and fun on dry roads. Its performance is everything Hyundai promises.I like fast!! I am not crazy about the sound system but the rest of the car makes up for it. I would buy it again. Way to go Hyundai!

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  Lovin it - 2010 Hyundai Sonata
  By Jim - May 15 - 10:00 am

  Purchased for the mpg and it has not disappointed. Quiet, comfortable on my 80 round trip everyday. A bigger fuel tank and much better mileage than my old Buick. A little buzzy at 75+ mph but I shouldnt be driving that fast anyway.

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  Great For Mkt Segment Comparison - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By hancydan - May 15 - 10:00 am

  Sonata GLS 6A is over 7 months old now with over 15,000 miles. Never had below 30 mpg per tank, mid to high 30s on long trips. There are intermittent creaks & vibrations. Dont expect a perfect car, never knew one exist. Otherwise, there will be only 1 car, 1 model. Dislike rear view on new cars, cant see out when backing. Installed Gentex auto dimming mirror w rear camera to correct shortcoming. Most new cars are like that now, sadly. 11.3 compression GDI engine is louder before warmed up. When go for mpg, you have to give up something, OK to me. Not so noticeable when warmed up, but still louder than conventional engines if you open hood to listen. Factory insulation helped. :-)

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  Have your cake and eat all you want - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By Greg Begley - May 15 - 10:00 am

  I am amazed at the power of the 2.o engine. I have owned nothing but v-8 mustangs for the last twenty years with my last one being a 2000 gt. Once you are going, this car accelerates just as hard as my last mustang (and gets ten miles per gallon better mileage). Cornering is a little scary. I dont have much feel for the road in this car. It is quite responsive and agile for a car this size. Without diving it more it is just hard to tell where its limits are. Me and my kids love the heated front and rear seats. If the seats were any more comfortable they would probably be illegal for auto use. People would be falling asleep.

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  A very good car and a great value - 2005 Hyundai Elantra
  By dclurker - May 15 - 4:56 am

  Owning this car makes you feel smug because you spent about $3,000 less than someone buying a comparably equipped Civic or Corolla. My Elantra has everything (including ABS/Traction Control) except a sunroof, and I paid less than $15,000 out-the-door. The car is well-built and fun to drive. If youre in the market for a compact, give the Elantra a test drive; youll be glad you did.