Rock-solid reliability

Quality at a great price

Soichiro Honda’s dream to build a fast, efficient motorcycle took him nearly 20 years and several failed attempts to achieve — until he began to trust his instincts and stop racing around at dangerous speeds.

Honda’s ability to mass-produce extremely well-engineered, highly efficient and innovative vehicles has paid off on a global scale and shows no signs of slowing down.

The company is aggressively developing a new fleet of vehicles that relies on alternative energy sources, including natural gas, ethanol, and fuel cell batteries.

As a sponsor of the Copenhagen climate talks, Honda continues to champion and increase the impressive gas mileage of its vehicles. Honda’s intrinsic belief that efficiency and profitability can be achieved in one package makes this global car company a pioneer in the new realm of environmentally friendly profit.

One of its most notable cars is the Insight hybrid, an affordable and advanced vehicle — and proof that green technology can be brought to the masses.

Honda also continues its reputation for reliability with cars like the rocksolid Accord, one of the world’s most popular vehicles. The Civic, available in sedan and hatchback models, and CR-V crossover continue to be hot sellers thanks to the value and reputation they bring to the table.

AT A GLANCE

TECHNOLOGY: Hybrid cars, advanced infotainment systems and new safety features are setting Hyundai cars apart. HISTORY: The Hyundai Motor Company has been around — albeit under a slightly different name — since 1947. It didn’t start producing cars until 1968. FAMOUS MODELS: Sonata, Elantra, Genesis. KNOWN FOR: Feature-packed, reasonably priced cars.

After decades of struggling with a reputation for producing cheap economy cars, Hyundai has turned a corner and is now viewed positively by the vast majority of consumers. Since its humble beginnings in South Korea in 1947, to its gradual introduction into the world of automobile manufacturing beginning in 1968, Hyundai has rolled with the punches and has emerged on the other side a clear winner.

The 1970s saw Hyundai begin its true ascent into worldwide automobile manufacturing dominance. The Pony, which became its flagship car, was marketed successfully in Latin America and then in Europe. In 1982, the Pony was redesigned and then unveiled in Canada the following year. Just one year after that, the subcompact Excel became the first Hyundai vehicle sold in the U.S. Production exploded, and Hyundai was on its way.

In order to remain relevant in the coveted American marketplace, Hyundai began producing trucks in 1987. Soon thereafter, the company unveiled what would become its most successful model: the Sonata. The Sonata was the first car produced exclusively for the North American market, and it proved to be a turning point for Hyundai.

Today, Hyundai has been ranked among the top companies on the J.D. Power Initial Quality Survey and is a respected brand among consumers. It’s proof that highquality cars can also be affordable.