Test Drive: 2011 Hyundai Sonata Y20 [Korean-Spec]

By Walter Foreman
October 5, 2009 Hyundai’s on a roll. It wasn’t too long ago that the only things its cars generated were pollution and repair bills. Today, however, Hyundai cars are generating awards, increased sales, and most importantly, opinions. Read the comments section of any post on anything Hyundai, and people will have something to say. Many have good [...]

Test Drive: 2011 Hyundai Sonata Y20 [Korean-Spec]

Posted in Car Reviews | Hyundai | 85 comments

Review: 2010 Hyundai Elantra Touring

By FreedMike
August 27, 2009

In a very short time, Hyundai has made an amazing transformation from basket case to the automotive equivalent of a “nice girl” – dependable, easy to live with, and undemanding. But can Hyundai get its nice girls to do tequila shots and dance on tables from time to time? The conventional wisdom was that the much-heralded Genesis sedan and coupe would be the Hyundais that bucked the trend, but they were variations on the same old Hyundai theme. As it turns out, the rebel Hyundai is an unlikely one - the Elantra Touring, a five door hatchback version of the Elantra sedan. Unlike the sedan, which has all the excitement of C-SPAN, the European-developed Touring has the same eager, quick-to-corner, drive-me-until-I-cry-uncle feel that you normally find in a Mazda 3, with the interior space of a midsize sedan and hatchback practicality tossed in as part of the deal.

Review: 2010 Hyundai Elantra Touring

rating summary and performance review: 2010 Hyundai Elantra Touring

Posted in Car Reviews | Hyundai | 69 comments

2009 Hyundai Sonata SE

By Michael Karesh
March 11, 2009

Quick: name a Hyundai sports sedan. Can’t do it, can you? If there’s ever been one, I’m not aware of it. No, the late unlamented Hyundai Elantra GT doesn’t count. Even with a red “GT” on the rump, the suspension tuning decidedly prioritized ride quality over handling. Perhaps “GT” means “standard leather” in Korean? But let’s not count Hyundai out just yet; there’s no Sonata GT in the lineup at the moment. Meanwhile, for 2009, the Korean manufacturer has quietly dipped a toe into the sport sedan pool by adding a “sport suspension” to the Sonata SE. This site has deemed the Sonata—in GLS form—“a great car for people who don’t care all that much about cars.” Do firmer springs and dampers transform the midsize sedan into “a great car for people who do care about cars?”

2009 Hyundai Sonata SE

2009 Hyundai Sonata SE

Posted in Car Reviews | Hyundai | 41 comments

Review: 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe 3.8 (Grand Touring)

By Mike Solowiow
March 9, 2009

In comparison to the Genesis sedan, the Genesis Coupe has appeared on dealer lots like a Stealth bomber sliding into Whiteman. Either Hyundai thinks their new two-door makes such a strong impression it doesn't need a huge marketing campaign to jump-start the public imagination, or they blew their wad with the sedan. Whatever Hyundai's intentions, the Genesis Coupe speaks for itself, surpassing its current competitors in the pony car market. (2010 Ford Mustang test to follow.) If you're looking for a rear-wheel drive, high powered sporty car at recession friendly pricing, exodus forms on the right.

Review: 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe 3.8 (Grand Touring)

rating summary and performance review: 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe 3.8 (Grand Touring)

Posted in Car Reviews | Hyundai | 111 comments

Review: 2009 Hyundai Sonata GLS

By Michael Martineck
January 28, 2009

The Hyundai Sonata is a great car for people who don't care all that much about cars. That's not a slam. I have a friend who considers his car a device for moving bicycles around. Another buddy would drive a large teapot if it promised a cheap commute. These are bright, successful guys for whom "driving dynamics" are as valuable as GPS on a squirrel (hunters excluded). These motorists deserve a decent ride. Once again, Hyundai's stepped up to the pump with an automobile that's so generic you expect to find it in the paper towel section of your local supermarket.

Review: 2009 Hyundai Sonata GLS

rating summary and performance review: 2009 Hyundai Sonata GLS

Posted in Car Reviews | Hyundai | 76 comments

Comparo: Lexus RX350 vs. Hyundai Veracruz

By Sajeev Mehta
December 1, 2008 A note to TTAC’s Best and Brightest: if this comparo sounds oddly familiar, that’s because something stinks. But it’s not the husky, malodorous adhesives wafting from the pleather-wrapped Hyundai Veracuz. Nor is it the you-gotta-be-kidding me popularity of a premium-priced Toyota Camry sitting on stilts. The funk comes from mentioning both in the same breath. But I swear on the effeminate grille of a B9 Tribeca that I’ve never read a certain Motor Trend review elucidating this very notion. Fair enough?

Comparo: Lexus RX350 vs. Hyundai Veracruz

Posted in Car Reviews | Hyundai | Lexus | 32 comments

Comparo: 2009 Hyundai Elantra vs. 2009 Kia Spectra

By Anthony Erickson
November 19, 2008 In the last ten years or so, Hyundai decided it’d be fun to build things that resemble cars that people want to buy. In the process, the Korean automaker acquired struggling brother Kia. As you'd expect, the company offers the now-essential model in any current car range: the budget-priced, fuel-efficient compact car. In fact, American buyers hunting in that market segment can choose between Hyundai's Hyundai Elantra and the Kia Spectra. Is it a distinction without a difference, in the not-so-grand tradition of General Motors? Let's have a look to each model’s respective brochures...

Comparo: 2009 Hyundai Elantra vs. 2009 Kia Spectra

Posted in Car Reviews | Hyundai | Kia | 30 comments

2009 Hyundai Genesis 4.6 Review

By Sajeev Mehta
August 27, 2008

One of the cornerstones of TTAC's existence is reminding the auto industry that "those who don't learn from the mistakes of the past are destined to repeat them."  As a corollary we can say that learning from history's successes forms part of the recipe for a flat-out victory in today's highly segmented, price sensitive market.  We have seen almost two decades since the boring sheetmetal of the Lexus LS400 hit our shores, forever changing the way we think about luxury cars. Fast forwarding along that school of thought brings us to the new, V8-powered, Hyundai Genesis 4.6.

2009 Hyundai Genesis 4.6 Review

2009 Hyundai Genesis 4.6 rating summary and performance review

Posted in Car Reviews | Hyundai | 153 comments

Review: 2009 Hyundai Genesis 3.8 V6

By Justin Berkowitz
July 18, 2008

In 2002, my friend Patrick threw a glass ashtray at me in a bar in Boston. “Berzerkowitz!” he barked, celebrating the successful hit right in the middle of my forehead. That’s how he said hi. The next morning, once he sobered up, and my face still hurt like a sonofabitch, we went for a ride in the car he rented for the weekend. “It’s the most generic car I have ever driven,” Pat told me from the driver’s seat of a Hyundai XG350L.

Review: 2009 Hyundai Genesis 3.8 V6

rating summary and performance review: 2009 Hyundai Genesis 3.8 V6

Posted in Car Reviews | Hyundai | 86 comments

Hyundai Elantra Review

By Justin Berkowitz
November 28, 2007

Look in Hyundai’s high school yearbook and you’ll see “most improved.” Almost every model the Korean automaker has sent stateside has been a quantum leap forward from its predecessor. The Elantra's roots stretch back to the Excel, which excelled at falling apart. The Elantra name survived; the model went from crap, to cheap, to "say that's not bad." Now we've got the fourth generation Elantra. Does the all-new iteration follow the Sonata and Santa Fe in Hyundai's relentless march from cars you buy because they're dirt cheap to cars you buy because why the Hell should I pay more?

Hyundai Elantra Review

Hyundai Elantra rating summary and performance review

Posted in Car Reviews | Hyundai | 76 comments