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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  2011 Sonata SE Review - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By G35man - June 14 - 3:40 pm

  Went from a Infinity G35 to the Sonata SE. I am extremely impressed with the quality and features. I do not need the HP of the G35 anymore. This car is absolutely perfect and I would highly recommend it.

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  Checkout all my problems before you buy. - 2015 Hyundai Sonata
  By stileo - June 14 - 1:46 pm

  I got this car last week. Let me give you guys some feedbacks. Overall the car drives quite well for a 4-cylinder turbo. Noise level of engine and drive is somewhat in the mid range. My previous car was a 2012 Genesis and this 2015 Sonata is not better but doable. Cons: The car doors were not aligning correctly. Doors were a bit off from the quarter panels and rear passengers door. I was not able to open drivers side passenger the door. I have to pull the handle twice in order to open the door. Dealership had to take my car in for a day to fix these issues. I got the car on Friday and return to dealership for repairs on Monday, go figure.

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  Hyundai - 2002 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Nancy Marsh - June 14 - 12:16 pm

  we love to take long trips in my Hyundai Santa Fa

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  Best car for the money - 2013 Hyundai Genesis
  By Jimmy Wilbanks - June 14 - 11:58 am

  Okay, I have read some horrible reviews on this car on this website and I can tell you from owning it personally for two years now that some people will complain about absolutely anything for no reason. I have had zero mechanical issues and zero paint issues. The one guy says his paint is "peeling off" - hogwash, unless he poured acid on it. I bought my 2013 Genesis as a brand new car in 2014 (it was the oldest brand new car on the lot) and the paint still shines like new today. The window sticker was over $40k but I practically stole it for $28k out the door. So for those of you that paid full window sticker or something close to it, I am sorry for your misfortune, but you should have shopped more wisely. Also, the guy complained about having to go to the "lowly Hyundai mechanics" instead of going to a high-end shop - well guess what - there was no high end shop when you bought the car and there still isnt up until this day. Although Hyundai has now proclaimed that "Genesis" is going to become their high end brand, building a whole line of new "Genesis only" dealerships and repair shops will take a long time. So the guy who complained about that also said he should have just went out and spent $125k and bought a Porsche Panamera in the first place. Yeah right - I know most people probably cross-shop a near-level luxury car versus a sports car for six figures - that makes total sense! You get my picture here? So, after driving my car for two years, I got exactly what I paid for - a very well appointed, near luxury car with all of the latest (at that point) gadgets. My one real complaint about the car is that even though it is supposed to have 333 horsepower and 330 pound feet of torque, it is quite slow to respond when you put the throttle down. You can almost count one Mississippi, two Mississippi, and then it decides to kick in. This can be a bit unnerving in a passing or emergency situation, but I can only think that the car is programmed that way to save on gas mileage. Otherwise my car is great, quiet, well composed, semi-sporty, holds the road well, is smooth, and gets pretty good gas mileage for a heavier v6 car. That other guy complained of "tons and tons of wind noise" - nonsense. There is a little bit of wind noise, but overall, I hear just a little bit of road/tire noise, but nothing the stereo wont drown out even at low levels. My only other small complaint is that the drivers seat front wont go down as low as I would like. Even with the motorized seat all the way down, the area below my thighs still seems a little too high. I can tilt the back of the seat up a little bit but that is not a perfect solution. So for $28,000 (after the awesome dealer discount), I got a fully loaded near luxury car with all the luxury trimmings that gets good gas mileage and has the longest warranty in the world. As far as comparing this car to actual luxury cars such as similarly sized Mercedes E class, a BMW 5 series, or an Audi A6, good luck trying to get one of those brand new and fully loaded for under $30,000.00. You would be looking at more like $60 to $65k. Heck, even the brand new Hyundai Genesis sedans are in the mid $50s now and it is based off the same underpinnings of my car. Realistically, you cant even get an American near luxury car such as a Chrysler 300, a Buick Lacrosse, or a Ford Taurus fully loaded for less than around $40k. And their warranties are not half as long as mine. I looked at every car out there at the time, and the Genesis sedan at the price I paid was the absolute best brand new car I could find. And I dont hang my head in shame when I go to my local Hyundai dealer; in fact, they are very nice, and know me by name. So I wont be cross-shopping the Porsche Panamera any time soon unless I win the lottery, and I dont think that anybody shopping for a car in the $30k range is going to be looking at anything even close to that either. So just take some of these reviews with a grain of salt. Additionally, if you are in the market for a certified used car, you could probably pick one of these up for half of what they cost new and still get that factory certified Hyundai warranty. Overall, I am highly satisfied with my Genesis. In fact, this is my fourth Hyundai and my other three were very reliable as well. Update October 2017. I still own my car. The paint still looks good. It still drives and rides comfortably and nothing has broken since new. The stereo/nav is a little slow to respond sometimes. It will show the Genesis logo on the screen until it wakes up. A little frustrating at times but its not often and doesnt last. My only real complaint is still the sluggish throttle response. It has 333 horsepower but you have to wait for the computer to figure out when to use it. I took it on an overnight trip recently with 3 male adults and a car full of stuff. We still managed about 29 mpg on the highway which seems pretty good. Overall satisfied and car still under warranty.

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  Nice Ride - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By Smooth and Easy - June 14 - 11:06 am

  Own an elantra which I just gave to my son after 4 years with no problems, so I thought Id try the larger Sonata. Just turn 2000 miles. Compared my car to co-workers CTS and BMW 325. The sonata fell a little short on handling but for big bucks less, it was the winner. Very smooth ride and pleasing power...no problem moving in and out of traffic. A six-speed transmission would be smoother but the 5-speed is not jerky and the shift timing is good. Car is not for a sports driver in terms of cornering at higher speeds, but the handling is more like a luxury car, which is fine. I have enjoyed it so far with no regrets.

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  A damn good car to buy - 1999 Hyundai Sonata
  By Jayakumar - June 14 - 2:00 am

  I had an overall very pleasant experience with this car (GLS V6 DOHC). Other than the normal wear and tear associated with a 60+ K car, the car never gave me any other problem. I drive it everyday 12 miles to and fro from work. Not a single serious problem so far. The suspensions are still more comfortable than some new cars I have ridden and the driver seat is just great to drive long distances. I have gone on long drives to other states too. never failed me so far. I love this car.

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  Satisfied with a Hundaii - 2003 Hyundai XG350
  By ras5749 - June 13 - 10:00 am

  The XG350L is a very nice automobile to drive. It is loaded with features usually found in high end cars. The automatic transmission is smooth and it has an alternate manual shift that you can use if you want. The wide bucket seats in the front are very comfortable and the seats are heated and adjusted electronically. The back seat allows for three people to sit comfortably with extra legroom for all. The headlight system is automatic or manual. The vehicle drives extremely well and the 6 cylinder engine is more than sufficient for this midsized car The automatic ventilation system is wonderful.

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  Test Drive and Buy - 2003 Hyundai Elantra
  By Bman99 - June 13 - 10:00 am

  I purchased this car after having an American made pick up truck. After getting used to the much smaller size, I quickly realized just how fun this car is to drive! The GT has great pick up and an extremely comfortable interior. The functionality of the controls is superb and the quality has been great. I would highly recommend this vehicle to anyone looking for an economical alternative to the American made vehicles. Test drive the car and be prepared to buy!

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  AWESOME CAR!!! - 2003 Hyundai Elantra
  By ElantraGTguy - June 13 - 10:00 am

  This vehicle definately 100% has the most bang for the buck! Ok here are the very few negative things. Some may not consider this a bad thing, but the dash gagues are indigo and for easy manufacturing reasons almost every other lighted button or dial in this car is that standard pale green from the radio to the air conditioner controls to the door locks/windows. The paint on this car is very very easily scratched or chipped so be careful. This car is really an amazing car for the price. Do your research and take this one for a spin, I think youll like!

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  A Long Look - 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By Libbo1 - June 13 - 7:33 am

  This is my Wifes car, She was looking for fun to drive yet large enough for 4.. We look at the Santa Fe, Rav4, Murano, X-Terra, Nitro, Sportage, and the CR-V... We learned that a 4 banger was out after the Rav4(there 6 is really nice though) but the CR-V was a nice feel and had get up and go.. The Murano cost is way overboard for what options you can get.. The Sportage and the X-Terra was sporty but was to much like a truck ride.. The Santa Fe was perfect for her and me... Classy look, Fun to drive and afforable.. Wounderful Warranty