Sold the Mx5 S Ltd - looking at Hyundai Coupe SE 2.0

[trace1967]

Hi guys, after 6 years of ownership and getting married this year, I sold the Eunos S Ltd. To be honest I want something different but still sporty looking, not a big engine and reliable enough and cheap parts like the mx5.

My husband is keeping his S Special Mx5 and we are currently doing the cambelt, sprucing the car up. We have a SHED which is the Citroen Picasso 1.6 for work use.

I am currently unemployed and when I get a new admin job the money from the mx5 and extra savings will go to my four seater car.

I looked at celicas first of all and Im not bothered about mileage at all as my experience with the mx5 showed me.

I now like the Hyundai Coupe SE 2.0 in blue or silver. I like the leather seats, and they are more practical than the mx5 but not too Euroboxy. Twin exhaust stainless steel if possible and clean and easy interior. Im looking from 2002 age onwards around ten years old. As we have one mx5 already im not looking to bling up the Hyundai. Just like my previous car I always like to keep the engine clean and the body and interior tidy and look after it.

Has anyone owned a Hyundai? the tax will be more than the mx5, but I also have my private plate retained to go on the car. After having leather seats I really don't like fabric seats, I found leather easy to care for. Im looking for slightly better mpg than the mx5 too, but the important factor is more seats for taking out my husband and daughter all in one car as before we had to take two mx5's to pick my daughter up.

Any ideas or thoughts to help me?
Thanks

[VladD]

Hyundai Coupe is front wheel drive, so it could be a big let down after the MX5. They're not renowed for being very special and are a bit slow too from what I understand. I think you'd be sick of it very quickly. If you have to go FWD, then a Toyota Celica would be a better bet, or you could even search out a Honda Integra Type-R (The DC2 is supposed to be one of the best handling FWD cars ever made).

Personally I'd go for a BMW 3 series or Lexus IS for 4 seats. Or maybe a classic Impreza if you can put up with the image. That AWD will be handy (and fun) with winter coming.

[PATTERNPART]

I'd take Celica over Hyundai I think. Hyundai has a reputation for being a bit of a sheep in wolf's clothing. A friend of mine recently bought the 190bhp Celica for under £2,500 after a bit of hunting and seems very pleased with it. Lots of room inside. Bit tricky to reverse park due to rear vision. Cruises at high speed. But she says it isn't as much fun to drive as my NA Eunos. I agree.

[johnnyboy101]

I had a Hyundai Coupe 2.0SE for 3 years and now have a mx5 1.8 sport. I hold the coupe in high regard and believe it is an underrated car, it doesn't do any one thing brilliantly but it is as a package where it shines.

It has decent interior (besides the comedy leather), handles well with good steering feedback especially around centre, sounds surprisingly good for a four pot better than the mx5 - however is rather slow and doesn't love revs in the same way. It looks fabulous for what it is and most people believe it is a far more expensive/exotic car than it is. It is also very practical and better on fuel than the mx5.

It really depends on what you want from a car, the mx5 is in a totally different league to the Coupe dynamically and is much quicker but as a cheap all rounder the coupe is hard to beat. The Celica is also supposed to be a good car possibly striking a bit of a middle ground between the dynamics of the mx5 and comfort/practicality of the coupe, so I would consider this more closely. However in an Evo mag test between the Hyundai Coupe 2.7, Celica T Sport and Astra coupe the hyundai came out on top because of it's all round ability - take what you will from that.

[Rickyy]

I found the Coupe rather disappointing, not very quick, vague steering and feels like you are sitting miles away from the end of the bonnet.

I'd rather a 318Ci or a Celica if you want to stick to four pots.

[steviegunn]

I've owned 2 MX-5s (a 200+ bhp Turbo MK1 and a 1.8 SV-T MK2.5) and am currently on my 2nd Hyundai Coupe (first a facelift, now an SIII) very different cars but both enjoyable in their own ways, one thing they do share is bullet proof reliability, fuel consumption pretty similar between the 1.8 MX-5 and the 2.0 Coupe (Coupe maybe a bit better overall), the Coupe is very practical with a good size boot though really a 2+2 as adults will be cramped in the back for any length of time. Corners pretty flat but the ride is a bit harsh and crashy over our poor British roads.

I'd say the ideal Coupe replacement for an MX-5 is probably the Ford Puma (had one between my MK2.5 and the first Hyundai) but they are mostly rusted away at the rear.

Test drove a Celica (runout GT model) before buying my second Coupe, quite a bit faster but felt a bit frantic (maybe I'm getting old) compared to the more GT orientated Coupe, ultimately the hassle free ownership of the Hyundai swung it (the previous one cost me pennies to service, mot and insure, only replaced it to get a new style one which had 1 owner, 20k miles, fsh and cost me £4.5k).

Best to drive both and make your own mind up, if you find a rot free Puma get that instead (some even have leather).

Pic of my current Coupe (good looking car)

Edited by steviegunn on Tuesday 1st October 22:21

[puffnut]

They are very nice cars for the money (plus I think they look better than the Celicas). Only gripe I have on mine is MPG.
Oh and considering its a coupe my Audi A3 1.9tdi was faster.

but they have masses of room, just look!

[dragonheart]

I had a 2.7, never again. Painfully slow, huge appetite for fuel, ate clutches and the interior quality was Fisher price. Avoid at all cost. Celica or E36/46 is a much better bet and would also see some sort of return come sale time.

[Deanomx5]

I own a 53 plate MX5 1.8 but did have a 2002 2.0SE in dark blue, I quite liked it, interior was a nice place to be, quite nippy,handling was good enough. Boot was huge !! Buy the best/newest you can afford I believe my old one has started rusting and developed an oil leak and the exhaust manifolds are prone to cracking, I replaced mine with a Non genuine item and the engine light wouldnt go off... CAT is part of it.

[Flip Martian]

I had a 1998 2.0 Coupe (the old curvy one) which I loved. When that went I test drove the then new 2.0 Coupe (ie the modern one) and it was rubbish by comparison. Dull, no urgency, flat - left me completely cold. Hugely disappointed as I think they look great.

My MX5 Mk3 is better in every dept (apart from practicality).