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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  Florida trip - 2005 Hyundai TUCSON
  By Larry Hoskinson - September 2 - 6:36 pm

  We purchased and drove our Tuson 1400 miles before we drove from Des Moines to Tampa. Driving to Tampa at an average speed of 65 to 70mph we got anywhere from 22 to 24 mpg, I hope to get at least 26 as it gets broke in. We are extremely pleased with the amount of interior space and with the quiality of the workmanship. The six cyl seems to have all the power we will need, I dont believe the engine is as quiet as a Highlander but then look at the difference in price and the warranty.

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  Excellent First Step - Room for imprvmnt - 2009 Hyundai Genesis
  By JP - September 2 - 9:46 am

  I see many criticizing the handling of this car. Personally, I think it is close to perfect. I find most luxury cars too soft with the handling and this car corners flat with predictable handling while not losing a luxury feel. It does have a tendency to porpoise a bit and there is room for improvement there. The thought given to this car and what is important to the driver is exceptional. I love most of the interior except the seats and headroom. I am 6 5" and I feel the seat needs to be lowered or have some padding removed. The seats should also be bigger offering some lateral support. Overall this is a winner for Hyundai and if they listen to consumers it can only get better.

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  A lot of bang for the buck - 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By houston_buyer - September 2 - 2:10 am

  The Santa Fe is just the right size for me, not too small like the CRV or RAV4 but still small enough to be fun to drive. I bought the Limited with navigation, and the IPOD integration, blue tooth, and nav system, and satellite radio and backup camera all work wonderfully. The 6 cylinder has great pick-up. Ive been averaging 21 MPG with mostly city driving. Taking some 6 footers out to lunch, they found the back seat roomy and comfortable. The cargo room is very spacious. The paint job is top-notch. Fit and finish inside and outside are outstanding. The dash controls are wonderfully laid out. The leather seats up front with the power seat is very comfortable.

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  What a bargain - 2002 Hyundai Sonata
  By upscalegirl - September 2 - 2:00 am

  I shopped Toyota, Chevrolet, and Mazda before settling on the Hyundai Sonata. It turns out to have been an excellent choice, despite having to pay list price. The value is there in this import. Reliability has been excellent, highway mileage 28/29, and comfort is better than expected even for my rather large husband. Even with the moonroof there is plenty of headroom. No mechanical problems to date, dealer service has been excellent, and the styling draws admiring looks. The warranty, style, and price sold us.

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  A big change from an Altima - 2011 Hyundai Sonata
  By CharlieBrown - September 1 - 5:23 pm

  Bought this car last month and so far it has not disappointed me in the least. The ride is comfortable, but not as soft as the Altima but that is why it is sport tuned. Took it ont he highway and was doing close to 85 without knowing it-very good ride. i am filling up tomorrow to check the mileage since this was mainly parkway driving,no lights, etc. My Altima got 31mpghighway wiht the 2.5L four so we will see.

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  2nd new 2016 limited ultimate in 9 months!! - 2016 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid
  By Dale - September 1 - 5:17 pm

  We originally purchased the car for my wife to drive. It quickly became her favorite car ever with the features she loved. Vented seats, blind spot warning, automatic high beams to name a few. The mileage was fantastic performing way over the estimates, 47 mpg combined. Of course, you had to drive for mileage but that isnt a problem. We pick up our new one next week since our first one was totaled by a person of questionable intelligence cutting 3 lanes of traffic on a busy road. My wife was bruised and sore, but she walked away from the wreck. The car did its job in keeping her from further harm. I am a rather large person and am able to get into and out of the car quite easily (no tow truck or crane needed). The seats are comfortable front and rear with plenty of head and leg room. My personal vehicle is an F-150 crew cab but I dont protest taking the car on longer trips, especially at the gas pumps! We enjoyed the car so much her replacement is a twin except in color.

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  Great SUV! - 2002 Hyundai Santa Fe
  By RandR - September 1 - 10:00 am

  This is a terrific value. Roomy, powerful, and well-thought-out.

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  Tiburon - 2004 Hyundai Tiburon
  By AmandaLeighLee - September 1 - 10:00 am

  It is a very nice vehicle and fun to drive. Has a smooth ride and great performance. Great soundsystem also!

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  Bang for the Buck - 2004 Hyundai Tiburon
  By jimailer - September 1 - 10:00 am

  LOOKs that just will not stop. Just a great little car to drive. BUT the dealers are few and and getting to be less and less. I think its the super warranty that comes with the car. I have found that it could loose a little weight, Driver head room is limited and the V6 gets about 22mpg. If you push hard you can get it for less than MSRP. All in All Id buy another one.

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  Elantra Hatchback 2004 - 2004 Hyundai Elantra
  By geogorsuch - September 1 - 10:00 am

  I bought my Hyundai 4dr GT Hatchback because I needed a small car for my small garage and I wanted better gas mileage than with my van.The automobile is a jewel. It is solid, classy, and top quality in every aspect, inside and out. It provides excellent handling and performance and gets 26.5 miles to the gallon day in and day out. It has a five year warrenty and I bought it for something like $13,500 after rebates. How can you beat it?