A790
05-07-2006, 01:21 PM
Ooh, what have we here?
The first words to come from my mouth, and it certainly didn't end there...
I was at work two years ago hanging eavestrough. The 2004 model year cars had just come out. I found it easy to point them out and name what they were, who made them and how powerful they were. When this car drove by I was beside myself. I didn't know who made it, how much power it had, or what it even was for that matter.
I would soon find myself oogling at pictures of this vehicle on the internet thinking to myself "is that really a Hyundai?"
Really a Hyundai...
It was, in fact, the Hyundai Tiburon GT that I had laid my eyes upon. Oh, what a sight for sore eyes. It had so many things that I, as a young male driver, sought after and desired: a sexy, sleek body; a V6 engine that had strong promises; a host of standard features that I'd never had before; and lastly, a price point that made me take a second look.
A fully loaded Tiburon (the Tuscani 6spd) comes at a price of $28,000 CDN. A bit of haggling and you could probably swing it for $26,000 without much struggle. The base model came at a mere $22,000, with power everything and an AM/FM/CD player to boot (but only a weak 2.0L 4 banger with 140HP).
Driving Impressions...
Now, let me say that I have not driven a billion different cars of every type and make. I don't care if this car has a stickier transmission than that car; the fact of the matter being that if I enjoy driving the car, and that I enjoy the vehicle in its entirety, then I am a happy guy. The Tiburon handled well, it drove well, accelerated well and stopped well.
Let's just say that his car does everything well.
The 6 speed transmission was easy enough to shift and the clutch felt precise and more than satisfied my driving habits. Taking off was easy, responsive and quick. One thing I noticed about this car is that it is not a fast car, but a quick one. It was never slow, but never seemed to have the insane rush of speed that most tuners long for.
For a sport compact I felt that it certainly led the bunch that I had driven (RSX Premium, Focus ZX3, Ion2 and Acura Integra).
Overall, it was a very enjoyable drive.
The car handles well enough, though it does come off nose heavy. Understeer is prevailant under hard acceleration when coming out of a corner, but it's managable (no where near the SRT-4, for example). A set of lowering springs should really tighten up it's ride and get rid of the body roll.
Inside...
The interior of the Tiburon is one of its brightest areas. Everything is furnished in good quality materials and certainly looks as sharp as the exterior. Unlike some others, I quite enjoy the black interior.
All the dials, gauges, and instruments were easy to read. Mind you, I don't wear glasses or contacts. All the moving guages and dials certainly created quite the show for my passengers who were constantly going "what is that, is that a boost gauge?" No, it certainly wasn't a boost gauge. Though, this car is certainly the kind of car that would love a turbo.
The car is definitely a 2 by 2, and the rear seats are much more practical than comparable sport coupes. The rear passengers should have decent room, but watch their heads when closing the hatch. I wouldn't want to see anyone knocked unconscious.
I would also like to note that unlike some newer cars, the Tiburon’s radio can be removed and replaced with ease (take that Mazda3).
And so...
This car is very solid for a Korean entry. This car has changed my opinion on Hyundai/Kia and that perhaps they can offer a sport coupe with very respectable acceleration and handling, while remaining price concious and competitive.
Exterior: 4/5
Interior: 4/5
Roominess: 3/5
Drivability: 4/5
Overall: 4/5
Overall in segment: 4/5
Buyers looking at the Tiburon GT 6 speed should also look at the Honda Civic Si or the Chevrolet Cobalt SS Supercharged.
The first words to come from my mouth, and it certainly didn't end there...
I was at work two years ago hanging eavestrough. The 2004 model year cars had just come out. I found it easy to point them out and name what they were, who made them and how powerful they were. When this car drove by I was beside myself. I didn't know who made it, how much power it had, or what it even was for that matter.
I would soon find myself oogling at pictures of this vehicle on the internet thinking to myself "is that really a Hyundai?"
Really a Hyundai...
It was, in fact, the Hyundai Tiburon GT that I had laid my eyes upon. Oh, what a sight for sore eyes. It had so many things that I, as a young male driver, sought after and desired: a sexy, sleek body; a V6 engine that had strong promises; a host of standard features that I'd never had before; and lastly, a price point that made me take a second look.
A fully loaded Tiburon (the Tuscani 6spd) comes at a price of $28,000 CDN. A bit of haggling and you could probably swing it for $26,000 without much struggle. The base model came at a mere $22,000, with power everything and an AM/FM/CD player to boot (but only a weak 2.0L 4 banger with 140HP).
Driving Impressions...
Now, let me say that I have not driven a billion different cars of every type and make. I don't care if this car has a stickier transmission than that car; the fact of the matter being that if I enjoy driving the car, and that I enjoy the vehicle in its entirety, then I am a happy guy. The Tiburon handled well, it drove well, accelerated well and stopped well.
Let's just say that his car does everything well.
The 6 speed transmission was easy enough to shift and the clutch felt precise and more than satisfied my driving habits. Taking off was easy, responsive and quick. One thing I noticed about this car is that it is not a fast car, but a quick one. It was never slow, but never seemed to have the insane rush of speed that most tuners long for.
For a sport compact I felt that it certainly led the bunch that I had driven (RSX Premium, Focus ZX3, Ion2 and Acura Integra).
Overall, it was a very enjoyable drive.
The car handles well enough, though it does come off nose heavy. Understeer is prevailant under hard acceleration when coming out of a corner, but it's managable (no where near the SRT-4, for example). A set of lowering springs should really tighten up it's ride and get rid of the body roll.
Inside...
The interior of the Tiburon is one of its brightest areas. Everything is furnished in good quality materials and certainly looks as sharp as the exterior. Unlike some others, I quite enjoy the black interior.
All the dials, gauges, and instruments were easy to read. Mind you, I don't wear glasses or contacts. All the moving guages and dials certainly created quite the show for my passengers who were constantly going "what is that, is that a boost gauge?" No, it certainly wasn't a boost gauge. Though, this car is certainly the kind of car that would love a turbo.
The car is definitely a 2 by 2, and the rear seats are much more practical than comparable sport coupes. The rear passengers should have decent room, but watch their heads when closing the hatch. I wouldn't want to see anyone knocked unconscious.
I would also like to note that unlike some newer cars, the Tiburon’s radio can be removed and replaced with ease (take that Mazda3).
And so...
This car is very solid for a Korean entry. This car has changed my opinion on Hyundai/Kia and that perhaps they can offer a sport coupe with very respectable acceleration and handling, while remaining price concious and competitive.
Exterior: 4/5
Interior: 4/5
Roominess: 3/5
Drivability: 4/5
Overall: 4/5
Overall in segment: 4/5
Buyers looking at the Tiburon GT 6 speed should also look at the Honda Civic Si or the Chevrolet Cobalt SS Supercharged.