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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  Awesomeness - 2005 Hyundai Tiburon
  By KK - June 4 - 12:46 am

  This is my second Hyundai. My first car was a 1995 Accent and I totaled it in an accident. I wanted another two door and initially went to test drive an eclipse. The dealer wanted me to test drive this car and I fell in love. The ride is so smooth, it handles so well except in rain or snow when driving around curves you have to really slow down or youll hydroplane and swerve a lot. I get a lot of compliments on this car and most people dont believe its a Hyundai. It runs so well. Ive had a few probs like needing a new starter after I rear ended someone, and new transmission wires bc they were loose, but the dealer was great!

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  Best sports coupe for the buck - 2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe
  By jmac57 - June 3 - 4:24 pm

  This is my third coupe (have owned a 2009, 2011 and now the 2013) and I must say this car is the best yet. Great power,very good built quality and comfortable. All the best things in the g37 for thousands less and with a great warranty to boot.I find the stereo to be fine (300 plus watts more then enough for me), the navigation works great as does the Bluetooth. If your looking fort a sports coupe that will leave some bucks in your bank account,then it is a no brainer.

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  Got much more car for less! - 2007 Hyundai Elantra
  By Roentgen - June 2 - 10:43 am

  Our family has always been a "Toyota-only" consumer when it comes to automobiles, so when my relatives found out we were even considering the Elantra, they thought we were were crazy. But having done my research, the Elantra would give us all the features we looked for in a car without having to break the bank- and we have not been disappointed! More room than the Corolla or Civic, enough for two car seats in the back. You gotta love the standard safety features, sweet warranty, and the dashboard blue lights that add a nice touch. The gas mileage has been great and altogether, it has been a great car for me to commute to work and lug around the kids. Even the relatives love it!

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  Very good try at a ReDesign - 2007 Hyundai Elantra
  By newtohyundai - June 2 - 2:40 am

  Overall, I like my first Hyundai. I had some initial problems that were scary. The transmission had several episodes of rough shifting/jerking. The Owners Manual said the transmission has a learning curve. My last 5 Hondas never gave me shift shock while learning my driving habits. The mileage avgs have been 29city and 33hwy after 1800 miles. The car is quiet and comfortable. Now my biggest issue is the Speedometer. It was reading high by 9%. Hyundai changed the Instrument Cluster, which brought the error within their specs. It still reads high by 8% and Hyundais DPSM will not allow any more work on this problem. Everyone, think about your odometer running you out of warranty early.

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  Nice value for money - 2016 Hyundai Sonata
  By Makarand amondikar - June 1 - 11:08 pm

  SONATA IS good car to buy and use the features.are.great and technology is most latest for the same range of cars . I found more.sporty and powerfully than accord smooth and silent operations. Overall great value for money.

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  Overall, its nice - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By areacode704 - June 1 - 3:53 pm

  But Im concerned. The suspension is too tight--I feel every little bump in the road. And what is obviously something that is going to have to be addressed by Hyundai is the fact the car pulls dramatically to the left at speeds higher than 40 mph. I took it to the dealership shortly after I bought it to get it looked at. I was told that the steering is electronic and that it was due to the crown of the road that the car pulls to the left. Then I got home and did a google search for "Hyundai Sonata pulls to the left" and WOW! Many are having this problem and Hyundai pretends the issue doesnt exist. Im going to give it a chance and go back to the dealership armed with new knowledge.

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  Great Deal for the Price - 2004 Hyundai Sonata
  By LindaC - June 1 - 2:00 am

  I am very happy with my Sonata, I have owned it for exactly 2 years now. This car is not only stylish on the outside, but the inside is very elegant. My friends and even strangers all comment on the sleek new look. This car is reliable and very hardy, but the 5 year/60,000 mile warrenty really makes me feel at ease I will have no major problems with this car.

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  Why goToyota and Honda? - 2007 Hyundai Sonata
  By Dave Martin - May 30 - 9:23 pm

  The fit and finish of this vehicle is every bit as good as its Japanese competitors. Hyundai makes great vehicles at an affordable price. This car is reliable, fun to drive, and an amazing bargain. The 4-cylinder is a nice engine with good horsepower. Safety and standard features are the best in the business!

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  To replace a totalled 1998 Altima.... - 2009 Hyundai Sonata
  By Jazzel - May 30 - 3:36 pm

  I was renting a Sonata GLS that was thru the insurance for 30 days as my car was totaled. I was impressed with the car and since I test drove a 2009 Sonata GLS for a month, I talked myself into buying a Sonata Limited 2009 w/o Nav. I paid $4375 below factory invoice that includes the 3000 rebate. Driving experience- suspension could be better, but no biggie. Everyone talks in the reviews of great MPG (30-34) on highways. I have not seen much written about city MPG. Mine is around 19-20 MPG in City driving which is not that impressive. Hope it improves as the car just finished the break in period. On freeway it is 30- 32 and as soon as I get off the ramp it drops to 20-21 in just 10 miles.

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  2000 Tiburon - 2000 Hyundai Tiburon
  By shelby68 - May 30 - 10:00 am

  Issues with black paint vs. bugs. I have had black cars in the past and they did not have the issues with the bug "stains" on the car.