Hyundai Reviews & Ratings

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 continued »

2009 Hyundai Sonata SE

Posted in Car Reviews | Hyundai | 40 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) continued »

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

Posted in Car Reviews | Hyundai | 108 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 continued »

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 continued »

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 continued »

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 continued »

2009 Hyundai Genesis 4.6 rating summary and performance review

Posted in Car Reviews | Hyundai | 149 comments

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.

2009 Hyundai Genesis 3.8 V6 continued »

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 continued »

Hyundai Elantra rating summary and performance review

Posted in Car Reviews | Hyundai | 76 comments

Hyundai Santa Fe Review

By Justin Berkowitz
February 12, 2007

Back before gas prices scared SUV owners sensible, most CUV’s were “cute utes.” As the SUV exodus gathered pace, several abandoned truck makers figured SUV refugees were a bit half-assed not fully committed to downsizing. They built CUV’s that are only slightly smaller than their SUV’s, only without the towing capacity, off-road ability and, most importantly, extreme thirst. Never one to miss a trick, the transplants have been growing their CUV’s to nibble away at the same market. Case in point: the Hyundai Santa Fe.

Hyundai Santa Fe Review continued »

Posted in Car Reviews | Hyundai | 45 comments

Hyundai Accent Review

By admin
January 15, 2007

The Yugo and Excel are automotive nameplates synonymous with pistonhead schadenfreude. Yet both models sold well (at least initially). Their success proves two things: 1) you can flog just about anything if the price is low enough and 2) building a car for the lowest possible price does nothing to elevate the automotive arts. While the Yugo has gone to the place where forgettable cars are eventually forgotten (save by those who endured them), Hyundai’s successor to the Excel, the Accent, still strives for, um, sales. After twenty years of evolution, is the Accent still a contender for a Forbes’ best product?

Hyundai Accent Review continued »

Posted in Car Reviews | Hyundai | 87 comments