2005 Hyundai Tiburon Reviews

Graham Smith road tests and reviews the used Hyundai Tiburon 2002-2010.

Hyundai Tiburon coupe arrived in Australia in March 2002 to somewhat mixed reviews. The biggest stumbling block to sales was the unusual styling.A minor facelift in February 2005 didn’t make a lot of difference to the overly Asian shape, but a major reshape in February 2007 was a winner. Though it retained the same overall silhouette the ’07 Tiburon looked so much better that it could have been an all-new design.At the start but Tiburon’s price was somewhat optimistic for a South Korean company that still sat low in the image stakes. Prices were slashed and sales lifted to a reasonable level, so there are quite a few on the used-car scene.Coupes have made a comeback in Australia in the last couple of years. Hyundai’s own Veloster with its striking shape and interesting door layout grabbed a lot of attention, but the biggest publicity came from the Subaru BRZ and Toyota 86 twins.Prices of Tiburons may increase due to this renewed interest in coupes, no promises though...The South Koreans have a similar attitude to Australians in their likes of good chassis dynamics and driving pleasure. So the Tiburon has a nicely neutral feel and gives good feedback through the steering.It’s not going to rival the big name Europeans but is a lot better than you might expect, particularly if you invest in a good set of sporting tyres.Interior room is pretty good in the front seats of the Tiburon coupe, chiefly because front-wheel drive through a transverse engine takes up less space.The rear seat is about average for this class, meaning it’s much better suited to kids than adults. Access to the rear seats of the Hyundai Tiburon requires a degree of flexibility, but we have seen worse.When launched in Australia the Tiburon came with a choice between a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine producing a somewhat lacklustre 102 kW, and a 2.7-litre V6 with a healthier, though still not outstanding, 127 kW. The latter output dropped marginally to 123 kW with the introduction of the 2007 model because the old-design engine had to be modified to meet new emission regulations.The four-cylinder engine was withdrawn from the Australian lineup midway through 2004. At the same time the price of the V6 was drastically reduced, to the extent that the V6 was then cheaper than the four-cylinder had been at the time of its 2002 introduction.Transmission is by a five-speed manual with the four-cylinder engine, and a six-speed manual beside the V6. A four-speed automatic transmission is available with both engines, its relative lack of ratios is partly counterbalanced by it having sequential-manual modes that let a keen driver make their own decision about which gear the Tiburon needs.Build quality has improved markedly in Hyundai cars in the last few years. Tiburon is one of the older generation models but isn’t too bad in the quality stakes. Our ‘what to look for’ section will give you some advice on areas of possible concern.A good amateur mechanic can do a fair bit of work on this car as the design is relatively simple. As always, it's sensible to leave the safety related items to the experts.There seems to be some confusion among insurance companies as to what class the Tiburon falls into, so it's worth shopping around for a good deal. As always, make sure you’re comparing apples with apples.WHAT TO LOOK FORCheck the remote locking is working correctly on Tiburons made before 2005. Electric windows that are reluctant to work aren’t unknown in early models. Look for power steering hoses that are swollen and/or leaking oil. While bodies are generally good, interiors can be of variable build quality. Check for untidy edges between plastic panels, minor controls that don’t fit neatly and controls that are stiff or sloppy in operation.Listen and feel for hesitation from the engine when it’s suddenly asked to work hard. Make sure the manual gearbox has reasonably slick changes and that there's no grinding or jamming during fast downshifts. Check for uneven tyre wear, especially at the front wheels. This can be an indication of harsh driving.CAR BUYING TIPHaving finance on standby before walking into a used-car yard puts you in a stronger bargaining position.

Behind the scenes the Korean giant is accelerating hard for a re-entry into the World Rally Championship and is talking up its future driven direction.Under development for the WRC is an all-new Theta engine hatch, codenamed RC, and the company is recruiting top talent for its new rally headquarters at the design and technical centre in Russelheim, Germany.There are also bold plans to transform its current generation Tiburon coupe into a rear-wheel-drive performance two-door with a large capacity V6.The HCD-8 concept car will reportedly form the basis of the new coupe expected to come into production in the next couple of years.Currently the Tiburon represents a time when Hyundai was taking its first tangible steps into image and quality.This front-wheel-drive coupe is arguably sportier than Toyota's long-serving four-cylinder Celica and is definitely the best priced two-door V6 on the market which starts well south of $40,000.Upgraded this year with tidier front and rear treatments the Tiburon also gained facelifts in the cabin.There are black leather side bolsters with red stitching and red cloth centre panels woven over with black mesh-effect netting.While most of the upgrades amount to nips and tucks here and there, they further strengthen the value-for-money edge in this V6 coupe.It may not be the most desirable badge to have in terms of sports cars but nothing, absolutely nothing, competes with its price point.At $32,990 for the six-speed manual, the Tiburon represents exceptional value for money.Stunning value especially if you do your homework and find out the Tiburon was $41,888 when it was launched more than three years ago.It is fun and functional and delivers an engaging drive.The close-ratio six-speed box works well with the 2.7-litre V6 which is borrowed from the Santa Fe offroader.There is not a ripping amount of power immediately but there is a good dose of torque. It delivers the power quite smoothly and offers a sound ride on the highway although it deteriorates on choppy surfaces.On cornering, the Tiburon sometimes misbehaves without too much throttle application, the tyres up front scrabbling for adhesion.The 17-inch rubber chirps without much provocation.Steering is a little on the heavy side and there is a degree of understeer in this front-wheel-drive coupe.Perhaps one of the most refreshing points about the Tiburon is the comment from a passerby after they were told it was a Hyundai on questioning what make of car it is."Gee it doesn't look like a Hyundai. It actually looks quite nice," came the reply.So the challenge for the next generation of Hyundai coupes is to keep a competitive price and maintain inroads in quality and driveability.For the moment the Tiburon, Spanish for shark, is quite a tidy package and well and truly undercuts the $40,000-plus head-banging machines.

Tiburon is Spanish for shark so the link is easy to make especially now there are prominent "gills" in the 'guards aft of the front wheels and a "gaping maw" front air intake.Not that it really needed spicing up but Hyundai initially over-priced the car driving potential buyers away. That was fixed with a massive reduction in the order of 10 grand to a new point at $32,990, $1500 more for the four speed auto.The one to get is the six speed manual that features a Japanese-manufactured, slick shifting, close-ratio gearbox.It makes a good car even better by capturing the potential of the 127kW, 2.7-litre V6 engine.It's the same power plant used in umpteen other Hyundai's and sings sweetly and smoothly. Overall performance is impressive, not roll back your eyeball stuff but purposeful and the engine loves to rev.Fanging it sees an increase in fuel consumption to a still good 11.5 litres/100km.There's a pair of widely spaced exhaust outlets that contribute to the aural pleasure when driving the car as does the audio system that is blessed with impressive high and low frequency response and clarity.The interior features leather/cloth upholstery and a neat and modern looking instrument panel with a swag of circular dials. It's a pleasing touch in an era of generic digital readouts and is topped off by a leather sports steering wheel.Driving the Tib' is enhanced by a wide range of equipment. Rear seat head and legroom is cramped but the seats are wide and well padded.The boot is adequate but the spare is a space saver. The Tiburon has ABS, twin airbags, electric sunroof and 17in alloys as standard meaning there is nothing to spend.Performance is good with strong sprints off the mark and good zip right through to the redline at about 7000rpm.Handling is impressive, stable, predictable, flat with ultimate understeer when pushed too hard. The large tyres and firmish suspension grip well wet or dry and the steering is responsive.While there is a definite sporty edge to the suspension, it doesn't compromise the comfy ride.