Hyundai Motor Company was founded in 1967 in Seoul, South Korea. Nowadays, they have a part in the production of Kia
, Genesis
, and Hyundai
cars. From the very beginning, Hyundai produced classics, from the Hyundai Pony to the Elantra
. Ultimately, it was help from American muscle superstar Ford
that propelled Hyundai into victory, 20 years after Chung Ju-Yung founded the Hyundai Engineering and Construction Company in 1947. Ford released the Cortina in cooperation with Hyundai in ‘68, eventually going on to create the first vehicle officially made in South Korea—the Hyundai Pony. We make a bit of a game here at Jerry
out of counting down our favorite old cars. This time around, we’re counting down some of the most classic cars ever to come out of South Korea. We’ll count down the best Hyundais of all time, and then we’ll help you find cheap car insurance
for your Hyundai! 
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While Hyundai isn’t the oldest car company—it entered the scene 2 years after the inception of the Ford Mustang—it’s since come to operate the biggest integrated automobile manufacturing facility in the world.
Hyundai’s best cars ought to be classified as the ones that made the biggest impact on history, rather than which ones could win on the track—but that doesn’t mean we won’t talk about the fast ones.
10. Hyundai Genesis (2008-2016): A darn good luxury-ish car
The Genesis debuted with the first domestic V8 engine offered by Hyundai. 0-to-60 times for the Genesis were reported as less than 6 seconds by multiple testers in 2010. It wasn’t a very exciting design—it really was just a BMW 5 Series copy, but it was significantly cheaper, appealing to folks who wanted to go fast without needing luxury.
This affordable speed would remain a staple of Hyundai’s designs from here on out, and Genesis would go on to be its own separate manufacturer, functioning as Hyundai’s luxury car division.
9. Hyundai Tucson (2004-present): Canada’s favorite South Korean SUV crossover
Named after Tucson, Arizona
, the Hyundai Tucson
is an SUV Crossover built on the Elantra platform, a twin sibling of the Kia Sportage
. The Tucson was recognized for outstanding safety ratings from the NHTSA in 2009, and it has since been a common favorite for families who like to go off the beaten path.
A version of the Tucson built as a fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) was introduced in 2005. The Hyundai Tucson was named “Best New Crossover” by Canadian Car of the Year and one of the most reliable vehicles of 2009 by Consumer Reports, based on their reliability survey that year.
8. Hyundai Accent (1994-present): The budget-friendly subcompact
“Accent
” stands for “Advanced Compact Car of Epoch-making New Technology,” so you’d probably expect it to be pretty groundbreaking right? Well, if you consider an updated version of the Hyundai Excel groundbreaking then you’d sure be right! The Accent has established itself as a great car for folks who want elevated driving experience on a budget, but it’s hard to say whether or not it really succeeded in making any epochs.
7. Hyundai Stellar (1988-1995): When South Korea grew out of the Cortina
Designed by Italian legend Giorgetto Giugiaro, the Hyundai Stellar was the answer to Hyundai’s desires to stop producing Ford Cortinas altogether and leave the nest, so to speak.
Unfortunately, the Hyundai Stellar didn’t meet American emissions standards and was never sold in the U.S.
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4.7/5 rating on the App Store | Trusted by 5+ million customers and 7 million cars4.7/5 app rating | Trusted by 5M+ drivers 6. Hyundai Veloster (2012-present): Hyundai’s funnest car
Just over a decade old, the Veloster
only barely fits on this list, but it has to be recognized as the funnest Hyundai there is to drive, based on a hatchback coupé style that fits into the sport compact category. The Hyundai Tiburon had been essentially a colossal failure from a financial perspective, but the Veloster proved that Hyundai could make a fun sports car.
5. Hyundai Grandeur (1986-2019): Hyundai’s top-of-the-line classic
Hyundai’s flagship executive car was based on the Ford Granada, which had been produced in Hyundai’s factory. The Grandeur was Hyundai’s first attempt at luxury, and would go on to define what became of the entire Genesis offshoot.
The credit is owed in part to the Mitsubishi Debonair, which Hyundai produced in South Korea—the company at this point specialized in making other manufacturers’ cars for the South Korean Market.
In the 1988 Seoul Olympics, Hyundai was an official sponsor, and they gave all the press to the Grandeur, making it quite popular. It ultimately died out in the Great Sedan Apocalypse of 2019, as luxury SUVs would continue to establish their dominance over the postmodern auto industry.
4. Hyundai Santa Fe (2000-2020): An SUV for the new millennium
Hyundai was aware of the rising market for affordable and efficient SUVs, and the Santa Fe proved to be one of the major players in the development of the class as a whole over the course of the 2000s.
The Santa Fe would just keep getting better, topping reliability rating charts while remaining incredibly affordable. In 2019, rebranding struck and it was replaced by the Palisade
. 3. Hyundai Elantra (1990-present): Hyundai’s flagship compact sedan
Like many of Hyundai’s best cars, the Elantra
would succeed in bringing middling-or-better performance at considerably lower prices than Ford. Another thing that Hyundai often got right that they definitely got right with the Elantra was their ability to keep improving their designs. The Elantra UD would win North American Car of the Year in 2012 in Detroit, beating the Ford Focus.
2. Hyundai Sonata (1985-present): The Stellar’s luxury facelift
The Stellar was stellar enough, but it never was more than a Mitsubishi with a Ford exterior, nor were the first Sonatas. But just like the Elantra, Hyundai kept refining, always keeping price point in mind, always striving to compete with the best.
By 1989, the second-generation Sonata
would reach the United States, the followup to the also-new Excel. At this point, it wasn’t quite great, still playing catch-up to American competitors. By 1994, the Sonata placed third, behind the Honda Accord
and Dodge Intrepid
, in Car and Driver’s six-car comparison test—but it posted the fastest zero-to-60-mph time of the whole group. The Hyundai Sonata made it into the new millennium with its best sales year arriving in 2005—the company sold 130,365 units.
They’d be selling nearly 200,000/year by 2010. The Sonata topped that number every year since.
1. Hyundai Pony (1975-1990): The first South Korean car
The Hyundai Pony was the first car designed and produced in South Korea, and it defined all of the great things that would go on to be staple traits of the company. It was fun to drive, reliable, fast, and cheap. It was South Korea’s Mustang, so it should be no surprise that it tops this list.
Unfortunately, the Hyundai Pony was never available in the United States due to emissions laws. However, it was available in Canada. Road and Track tested it in 1985 and mentioned that it didn’t quite measure up to the Honda Civic, but was “better than the Eastern European turnips
.” But Canada absolutely loved the Pony. It was $5900 CAD, undercutting all the other offshore manufacturers in the Canadian market.
The Pony would go on to be known as the ugly cheap car, a muscle car that arrived to the North American Muscle scene far too late.
These were the beginnings. While companies like Chevrolet and Ford got to make all their mistakes in the early years, Hyundai was handed a hammer and told to start building. What they built at the start may have been no more than adequate by the world’s standards, but it was the beginning of the history of a company that would someday be one of the most successful car manufacturers in the world.
The Pony wasn’t very fast, and it wasn’t very cool, but it’s a testament to how quickly Hyundai caught up.
How to find affordable car insurance for your Hyundai
You’re unlikely to need to spend much money if you’ve still got an old Sonata that you need to insure, but even if you’re driving one of the modern updates of these Korean classics, Jerry
has you covered with top notch savings on the insurance coverage you need. If you’re savvy enough to buy a Hyundai, you’re definitely savvy enough to try out the easy way there is to shop for car insurance.
Jerry finds you custom quotes from over 50 top insurers listed for you to choose from, and it only takes about 45 seconds.
You’re sure to find great savings with Jerry. In fact, our average users save more than $800 per year!
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