Picked up a new car wednesday...

[The HACK]

Originally Posted by chickdr

I will be interested to hear how you like it after a year or so. Everything I have read says Hyundai has the quality part taken care of, but still has a way to go dynamically. The Genesis Coupe looks great and on paper (like a 370z competitor) but all the reviews say it isn't. I wonder what kind of aftermarket support the Veloster will get(if any)?

The company I used to work for was developing some aftermarket parts for the Genesis Coupe when it first came out, so we had one to drive for like 3 days and I took it out for some "shake-down" time extensively.

So the thing about Hyundai is that despite all their efforts and intentions, the underlying principle for the company is that it's an economic offering first, luxury second, and sporty LAST. That doesn't mean the cars aren't sporty. It just means when a compromise needs to be made, it's compromised in favor of ECONOMY. Now, whether that be economy in the cost of parts or economy in fuel efficiency, remains to be argued by the bean counters.

I've had the luxury of putting multiple cars up on the lift since, again, the company I used to work for has 2 lifts in the back. What I will share is this. The Genesis Coupe uses a front steering knuckle designed for a FRON WHEEL DRIVE CAR. The obvious compromise made here, is that they compromised for economy rather than for sporty intentions. The end result is the steering feel on the Genesis Coupe is a little on the numb and vague side. What they did to combat that, is to artificially reduce the steering assist electronically to make the steering feel heavier (sound familiar?). The end result? Car feels sporty, but isn't really sporty because the suspension geometry up front is mostly about COMPROMISES. So without the ability to know exactly what is going on upfront, you'll have to mostly GUESS what is going on up front. Again, the end result is, if you drive it like an idiot, it's going to push and plow like no one's business.

In truth, it's got ALL the sporty intentions of sports cars costing anywhere from 50%-200% more, and can easily "hang" with any of them. But because of all the compromises made, it just doesn't "feel" quite right. It's like the difference between a supermodel and a stripper. A supermodel looks hot right out of bed, and put some work and make-up on her she'd look down-right phenomenal. A stripper, with layers and layers of caked on make-up, can look super hot, and with the right bolt-on parts can make a man jizz in his pants...But strip (no pun intended) away the make-up and you start to see all the little flaws.

But from 6' away, they both look hot going out to dinner with you. Especially if the lights are dimmed.

To me, the BMW will always be the second tier "super" model (the first tier being, of course, the Porsches and Ferraris of the world), but the Hyundai is like the stripper dancing her way through medical school at UCLA. It's an intelligent choice. She's hot enough, and will rock your world in bed, and you can have intelligent conversations outside of bed. But she's no ScarJo or Adriana Lima. You still turn your head when you see them walking by despite the scornful look from your Hyundai.

[chickdr]

I completely agree with you Hack. I read this all the time on Miata.net concerning the Boxster. The consensus is the P-car isn't worth twice the cost of the MX-5. After owning a Boxster myself- I disagree, but this is purely subjective. The steering feel is so much better on a Boxster(as you said - BMW is second to Porsche in this regard) and I think my 02 2.7l Boxster was a much better handling car than my M Roadster, but I wasn't willing to pay the price premium to get a used 06 Boxster S at the time I was looking so I compromised. You did the same thing. Only time will tell if you can live with the decision.

[eHelmholtz]

The Veloster looks nice - but I'm confused. It's a coupe with 6MT turbo so is it meant to simulate the Z4M? I guess if I wanted a daily driver that's like our e85/e86, I'd just drive it daily. I probably missed something - does the Veloster have 4 seats and that's the advantage?

[The HACK]

Originally Posted by eHelmholtz

The Veloster looks nice - but I'm confused. It's a coupe with 6MT turbo so is it meant to simulate the Z4M? I guess if I wanted a daily driver that's like our e85/e86, I'd just drive it daily. I probably missed something - does the Veloster have 4 seats and that's the advantage?

It's got 3 doors, a hatch, and 4 seats. Not 2+2 like Porsche like to call their 911 "4 seater." It's got 4 usable seats to accommodate 4 average sized adults (although folks with long torso will find it a bit claustrophobic in the rear). The two doors on the passenger side makes it easy for my 4 year old daughter to egress/ingress compared to the old 2 door E92 coupe my wife used to drive.

[Finnegan]

Post #23 on the top of this page is the most interesting car review I've ever read, particularly starting in paragraph 4.

[eHelmholtz]

Originally Posted by Finnegan

Post #23 on the top of this page is the most interesting car review I've ever read, particularly starting in paragraph 4.

Yes, agreed ;-) !

@the Hack, thanks for clarifying the Veloster's merits!

[The HACK]

I've had a few friends tell me I have the knack for product reviews of the automotive nature, as well as for the adult entertainment industry, if it were not for my, at times, brutal honesty.

[3point0]

it's funny, we looked at the veloster back in the spring before we bought the Zed, but the long wait and the outright lack of availability of the turbo at the time pushed us away and into the arms of the leggy blonde that is the Z4, that and the outrageous price they put in these things in Canada. Nice ride! congrats

[Finnegan]

Originally Posted by The HACK

I've had a few friends tell me I have the knack for product reviews of the automotive nature, as well as for the adult entertainment industry, if it were not for my, at times, brutal honesty.

You, brutally honest, nah!

Seriously, that's what makes a good review for me. The colorful and fun analogies of course are an added bonus.

[cmagalis]

I would have gone for a GTI or WRX wagon. The Z4M I can dig though!

[cmagalis]

I'm sorry, but I can bet that this car will be worth nothing in a couple years. Trying to say it is as good as it's European and Japanese rivals is a far cry outside of reliability. But, it is your money, so ultimately it is your choice.

It is quite entertaining to see the lengths people will go to for defending their decisions. The stripper bit is weak, you can buy a lot more for your money, maintain dignity, and not be sexist LOL!

[bosstones]

Originally Posted by The HACK

Now, I'm not going to lie and say it's better than say, the MINI Cooper S. It's not. The MCS is still one of the best FWD on the market today. But for an ECONOBOX? It is pretty damn good, especially if you factor in all the features packed in the standard package.

Congrats on the pickup! Even better that you get to keep the Moupe!

I've actually been disappointed w/ my MCS; which is weird because it's predecessor was a '93 ZJ. I'm not sure if it's just because I have my Moupe to compare it to. The MCS, or at least mine, doesn't fair well in hard braking (e.g. panic stops or hard-ish braking if a stoplight yellows) and it slips the wheels very easily, especially if it is damp out. I'm partially blaming the Blizzak WS60's (first time Blizzak user. Alpins don't come in 16's) I have on since the Kuhmo 4X's I have on the rest of the year it's not as bad (still could be better, though).

[aerobod]

Originally Posted by bosstones

Congrats on the pickup! Even better that you get to keep the Moupe!

I've actually been disappointed w/ my MCS; which is weird because it's predecessor was a '93 ZJ. I'm not sure if it's just because I have my Moupe to compare it to. The MCS, or at least mine, doesn't fair well in hard braking (e.g. panic stops or hard-ish braking if a stoplight yellows) and it slips the wheels very easily, especially if it is damp out. I'm partially blaming the Blizzak WS60's (first time Blizzak user. Alpins don't come in 16's) I have on since the Kuhmo 4X's I have on the rest of the year it's not as bad (still could be better, though).

I wouldn't partially blame the Blizzaks for lack of traction under braking on a damp surface, I would fully blame them. If the ABS is coming on, then it is all down to exceeding the tyre grip. I'm not sure how the dynamics of the car can be blamed for poor grip from an aftermarket tyre?

[bosstones]

Originally Posted by aerobod

I wouldn't partially blame the Blizzaks for lack of traction under braking on a damp surface, I would fully blame them. If the ABS is coming on, then it is all down to exceeding the tyre grip. I'm not sure how the dynamics of the car can be blamed for poor grip from an aftermarket tyre?

I say partially because I've had the issue w/ the Kuhmos as well, just no where near as bad. Reading up on Mini forums, it's hard to discern if this is just an issue with the car's design due to stock bushings, short wheelbase, etc... Pre-mature clutch wear seems to be common w/ Minis.

I don't really want to start modding the car, though, since it was more of a stop gap solution for the short term. At the same time, I like being able to stop when I want to. I held off on swapping out the OE pads to EBC red stuff because it wouldn't help to have 'grabbier' pads if the rubber doesn't stick. Looking to order new snow tires now. If anyone is interested in 205/50R16 WS60's w/ ~ 5.5kmi a lots of tread, feel free to PM me.

[Stilweezy]

I just did a search on Hyundai website, it says comes in fwd only for the veloster. Regardless, it looks like awesome, nice pick up

[chickdr]

The only RWD Hyundai's are the Genesis twins. The Veloster is an economy sports coupe so wouldn't be RWD as it shares with their other platforms. It is kind of like the Scirocco is to the Golf.