Friday 6th January 2012

SOTW: Hyundai Coupe V6

Not one for the badge snobs, but a fine budget coupe nonetheless

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Hyundai, it has to be said, does not have a long or fine tradition of producing sporty cars. In fact, its first attempt with the S Coupe barely 20 years ago was universally considered to be, well, a bit pony (excuse the pun).

But Hyundai has persisted with the coupe theme, and now produces the more-than-not-bad rear-drive Genesis (though we don't get it in Blighty) and has just put the intriguing Veloster hatchback-slash-coupe thingummy on the market.

But between the S Coupe and now, Hyundai's coupe offering was the imaginatively badged 'Coupe'. And unlike the original S it's actually managed to garner a fairly faithful following of enthusiasts, albeit in America, where it is called the 'Tiburon'.

Looking at today's SOTW it's easy to see why it finds fans, too, especially in the US, where badge snobbery isn't (always) so pervasive. It's sleek, has a whiff of Ferrari Daytona about its nose (squint, blink and repeatedly hit yourself about the face and you might just see it), is well appointed inside and comes with the option of a lazy-but-leggy 2.7-litre V6 (167hp or so, for stat fans).

This particular car (spotted by PHer and shed-hunter extraordinaire only1ian - cheers for the find) might not be the rosiest example around, but it's done a meagre 65K miles, and is a true youngster in Shed terms, being less than 10 years old.

And provided you can see past that badge, and the fact that this particular example's bodywork and wheels are a bit scuffed-up in places, the less badge-sensitive among us could be enjoying South Korea's finest performance motoring for the price of a cheap holiday.

Advert is reproduced below

Hyundai Coupe, 12 Months MOT, 52 Reg,2.7 V6 ALPINE USB Stereo, Leather (2002)
65,000 miles £1,000

Hyundai Coupe, 52 Reg, 2.7 V6

MOT - Until January 2013 (12 Months)
TAX - End December 2011

ALPINE USB Stereo, Leather Seats
2002 (52 Reg) Hyundai Coupe, 64,000 miles, Manual, 2.7L, Metallic Silver, Petrol, 3 Doors, Cruise Control, Remote Central Locking, Air Conditioning, Alloy Wheels, Alarm, Immobiliser, ALPINE MP3/USB/iPod Upgrade Stereo, Sports Seats, Sunroof, Electric Windows, Electric Mirrors, 6 Speed, Partial Service History, Fog Lights, Insurance Group 14P. Brand new rear discs and pads

For sale I have my Wife's Hyundai Coupe 2.7 V6. I bought this car for her last summer to use for travel to work. This car has been a real surprise to me as it's been extremely reliable and very good fun to drive. I'm now selling as we have purchased a diesel car for her to use due to increased business mileage.

The Good Points: The car is mechanically sound and drives really nicely, plus the V6 engine is extremely smooth and pulls nicely; the interior is in really good condition and I'm including the ALPINE MP3/USB/iPod Stereo I purchased. All electrics work perfectly and I've replaced the boot release switch and telescopic areal so these all work now too.

The Bad Points: There are a number of scuff marks on the vehicle, most notably to the rear bumper, offside of the front bumper and to the offside wheel arch. Also the wheels could do with a refurb, I got the offside rear wheel refurbished and a new tyre fitted 2 months ago due to a seal leak, it looks as good as new! I've had a quote for the other 3x wheels to be fully refurbished for £150

Due to the points above I'm only asking for £1000

Thanks for looking

[toppstuff]

That is a lot of car for £1000. It will be quiet, smooth and good for several years.

A top barge.

[toppstuff]

Ted Rolson said:

Im a 46 year old man, have a job that requires decent transportation, have driven most of the major makes in my country, i was a VW mechanic in the 90's.
I have successfully tuned and modified cars and vans.
Just because im not scared to share my opinion you insult me.
Anything else?

He's not insulting you. It just seems that you don't know what you're talking about. I used to have a Polo in the 90's. (I'm glad you did'nt service it... )

The Hyundai is not the world's best car. But that is'nt the point. And the reason why the V6 is relatively low powered is presumably because it is in a low state of tune, or maybe tuned for torque. Whatever - it does'nt really matter. I think we can be sure that it is not because of "st internals" as you put it - because these cars can do big mileages.

There is nothing wrong with Hyundai's other than being a bit dull.

Go to the US. Go to any major city in Asia. Go to any major city in the Middle East ( a tough place for car reliability ) and you will see thousands and thousands of Hyundai's. Most of them have got mega-miles on them and they just keep on going.

I am more likely to believe that there is not much wrong with Hyundai's as millions of Asian taxi drivers swear by them, than believe your rather strange views..

The final proof that Hyundai's are basically very well made, sound but dull cars, is their warranty. How many European manufacturers warranty their cars for 7 years? And if they did, how many would go bust because of the warranty work?