My ex wanted me to sell this car and get something newer... she's gone and the car is still around 😅😎

this is exactly the reason why I like your content more over other youtubers like DDM etc. Cause you are willing to do reviews for all kind of petrolheads and not only for thoose with tons of money who are targeting 400+ hp like new 911s , Ms and so on. This is 100% more interesting video than when reviewing 2023 RS6 with 93737 hp and 8473737 Nm. This car looks amazing, great bargain and try to find some decent example of Chrysler Crossfire SRT in the future to review it. Cheers 👍

I had one of these as my first car, 2005 gt (mid facelift), black, v6. It's a great beginner car, cheap, easy to service, looks great and handles decently due to IRS. Also plenty practical due to the massive rear hatch.

It's cool to see this car still making the rounds on the internet. As an avid owner for ~10 years you hit just about every feature and issue very accurately. I will say though, that the v6 is definitely worth the "upgrade". We don't have the same tax system on cars here in the US so that increase in price does not affect it, the fuel mileage is also a lot closer than you might think, and the increase in low end torque with a close ratio 6 speed manual makes it a much more fun car overall. I believe the v6's were the only ones to every really have an aftermarket for them compared to the 2.0. There are still a few us floating around with slightly modified ones that catch people off guard even now 20 years since these cars came out.

I've got a 2004 Coupe as my first car about 3 years ago, and still love it dearly. It certainly leans into the "slow cars that are fun to drive fast" category while still packing some punch, and I absolutely adore it!

I had a hyudia coupe siii when I was 18. I really liked it, I ended up choosing this over a Toyota Celica as the Coupe was a little nicer on the inside. It was my third car and my first 'sporty' looking car, after this I went to a GT86 which I would class as the true modern entry car to proper sports cars. I think a lot of new owners of the Coupe expect way too much from the Coupe and write it off because of that

I’ve been tempted by a 2nd gen, pre-facelift V6 as a cheap way of getting into a V6 engined car, but the road tax alone put me off. I liked the Ferrari 456-lite styling and the value offered at the time. Incidentally, did you know, the 1st gen Coupe was voted the most beautiful car in the world by a design committee the year it was launched. High praise at the time.

I've recently bought my 2nd Coupe TSiii (this was a rare run out model) it comes with 30mm lowered springs, bigger spoiler, different back box and exhaust tips and diamond quilted leather seats. Not the fastest car in the world but stunning to look at and incredible value. I really love coupes

I Had this for my first car ! Honestly the best thing I've done was buy this car. Had it for 2 years and loved it

i had a 2003 2.0 143 and now 2002 2.7 167 lovely car even if the hp difference is small the v6 6 speed has much more low end torque and is very smooth

My friend had a 2002 MkII 2.0L when we were at uni in 2010. It was a pretty cool car parked amongst the expected 1.2L Clios and Corsas. I know it's not powerful compared to our more modern cars now, but driving it back to back with what others had at the time (60bhp Clios and the like), it felt like a rocket and at least was unique. If I recall it didn't cost him that much more than his pals to insure etc.

I just found your channel when searching for Bristol Fighter information. Well done indeed….i have lots to catch up on (except for pedestrian Hyundai reviews any way) is some ways you remind me of the early top gear! Keep up the great work, especially with the less pedestrian cars and one offs!👍👍

I used to own a 2nd gen one of these and absolutely loved it. Having passengers in the back was somewhat hilarious!

Nice, they're known as the Hyundai Tiburon downunder. My mate had the 2.7L V6 (2007 model) in that colour - I quite liked it for an early Hyundai.

Love these videos, Jay. A great mix of dream machines and affordable throwbacks on your channel with great taste; and sound driveway updates (I have a new found appreciation for 550 having now driven one…. “Go kart in drag, smoking a cigar” is how’d I’d describe it. still miss my old GETZ! Merry Xmas…. C70 Volvo please

I've always liked the look of these. I was thinking of getting one for my other half as her first car.

I loved my Silver S111. She gave me back most of the confidence that I had lost after an RTA, 4 years earlier. Sadly she was stolen after 35 days. I still like driving my husband’s S111 that we’ve had for the past 7 years. Comfortable ride and very reliable.

I’m on my 4th Coupe now having owned a v6 auto, 2.0 manual, tsiii and now my v6 siii manual. I absolutely love these cars. I don’t care it’s not the fastest or necessarily the coolest. They are a fantastic bang for buck car and from what I’ve seen a well loved car too. Also the hcoc community should get a mention too. The friendliest and most helpful car group I’ve been a member of (and I’ve been in a lot). Funny this review went up today James, I was going to ask you if you’d want to review mine if I could get it to you. Great video!

This was my first car after my ford fiesta I learnt to drive in! loved mine was black 2 litre (136bhp i believe) because it got better mpg and handling then the V6 and I felt badass in it at 21 :)

This is the car we need today! An affordable coupé!

I like how you keep finding a new thing to compare the cost of CarVertical to... reminds me of Jago Hazzard's "you are the X to my Y" sign-off.

I've never driven one, but back in 2001, when I had my Golf Mk2 GTI 16v, I did encounter a "spirited" driver of one. We had a "spirited" commute to our respective places of work, and I have to say that in the hands of a talented lunatic, these things put up quite a fight. I can still picture the entry to the roundabout....

This is called the Tiburon in Canada. I drove a friend of a friend’s sister’s while visiting Victoria BC way back in 2008. There’s a classic, winding beachfront road there-Dallas Road. Vivid memories of driving that road late at night, solo, for the first time in this car. I’ll never forget that drive. I pushed it pretty hard, and it made me fall in love with that city and sporty cars in general. After my 95 5 speed Corolla, it felt truly special! As a gateway car, these are fantastic!

I had a Gen 3.5 2l as my 2nd car after a punto. I absolutely loved it. Apart from replacing the clutch because of the high bite point, the car never missed a beat. I would have one back in an instant. White TSIII is what i would go for

Your videos are always fantastic Jay. Keep it up!

Had a 2.0 ‘03 in Samba red. Two years old when I got it, 16k on the clock and three years of the warranty to run. It was practically a new car as far as I was concerned. Pretty car and good on a long drive. I remember parking it up at a services. A red V6 pulled in the bay next to me. Driver gave me a knowing nod. We must have been a small club.

Best manual gearbox, was perfect. Fond memories of my Coupe SE owned for almost 8 years

I had a series 2, 2litre manual. It was my daily for a while and used to return 44mpg on the motorway. I felt the engine was quite zippy and it was fantastically reliable. I think for a car of its age you maybe a bit harsh. Id say if you can find a clean one, grab it.

I had a gen2 V6 for a few years, up and down Yorkshire to Aberdeen week after week. Never missed a beat. Comfy, cheap enough and fun. Had a clutch in all that time and usual maintenance.

In 2003 this car with a v6 and 6 speed was the fastest car through Motor Trend magazine's slalom course. I have a 07 v6 5 speed. Here in California it's comfortable with the flow of traffic at 80 mph and still was pulling strong at 130 when I ran out of nerve. It replaced an 05 Mustang and definitely is a better driver but not as good looking. Only issues have been wonky electronics. Love the channel. Thanks for all the videos

Dude, you already deserve my thumb's up just for being an English speaking man saying properly "CoupÉ" and not "coup' " like most others do 😄

I had the previous model to this, the 2.0L SE in 2006 and really I liked it. Not the fastest or sportiest but was definitely solidly built and well put together and quite striking looking for the time.

I nearly bought one of these years ago. It’s going to be super interesting to watch this!

I've owned the 2.7L version of this car with the 6 speed for almost 17 years now. Full bolts ons and a supercharger and it rips pretty good. I love it and will probably never sell.

Seems a good, left field choice, thanks J! 🙏🙏

Had an siii v6 for a couple of years, it was the slowest of all the sports car I've ever owned but it somehow had that charm certain cars have. I still think about it from time to time and I currently have an mr2 and a subaru, so it's doing something right.

This was my first car ever!! I bought it when i was 17 in 2018 - so great to see it getting the appreciation it deserves! It was the same cost to buy/tax/insure as a VW Polo I was eyeing up but my dad pushed me to get something more exciting & i’m so glad i did, it was indeed ‘the business’ :) - sparked my love for cars.

If anything it’s an excellent design and has help up really well I think. One of those cars worth preserving 👍

I see these in Korea all the time. I've seen them at the drag races here with home brewed turbo kits. Engines last, transmissions though seem to last a couple of runs.

Bought a 2007 2.0L SIII in early 2020 for about 5500 EUR including taxes with 125k km in it. I have since had the timing belt replaced (about 300 EUR) and in 2023 it required a clutch replacement (about 800 EUR). Also added to that the annual checkup and oil change which is required for any car anyway. The shop said otherwise the car is tip-top. My ownership so far and the shop's opinion is that the car is extremely reliable. City fuel consumption is about 10L/100km with fairly dynamic driving. I think the Hyundai Coupe is a very underrated sports car. While not as agile as a Miata, it is much, much more practical. It has a sporty suspension, a _very_ nice feeling shifter. Its handling feels sharp to me and it corners confidently. While its 143 HP and its 10 second zero-to-100kph is nothing to write home about, it is a fairly lightweight agile car still. In city driving it accelerates from zero to legal speed limit just about as well as beefier cars. Its acceleration really only suffers from 60kph plus. So if you plan on keeping to the speed limit, it is fast enough. It is very noisy, slow and uncomfortable on the motorway. If you do a lot of motorway driving, I can't really recommend the car. I can recommend it to anyone who would use it like an MX5 but want something little less fun but more practical. Plus it is notably cheaper than a Miata of comparable age and mileage. Also in my opinion it is a beautiful car and got lots of compliments from other people. People think it is actually faster than it really is :)

This was the first car i have ever bought. Served me well for many years without issues. So many good memories.

I've considered one of these, in the V6 version as the only option of course, several times. Haven't found one in decent condition, for decent money (for one of these), when i have been looking. ..but: They are still on the radar. I feel the need to pay homage to the affordable coupe before they're all gone. A Peugeot 406, also a V6, is also on the list. How could such a beautiful car not be, when shopping in this segment.

i always liked these! , i had a series 1 and enjoyed it , i hated the looks of the series 2 but these i thought looked great!

I bought a 120,000 se version and I love it! Though i would say timing belt, clutch and alternator needed to be changed, they run well and do good in the corners!

Great review thank you. I'm happy with an EV for straightline pace and family driving, but am interested in one of these for a cool looking weekend car that doesn't need high performance.

Had 4 of them. Great looking and reliable cars..

Had one of these turn of the 2000's. Loved mine, a korean celica really. Quick enough, cheap enough and a decent amount of space in the boot. Beware...this car led me to a few porsches and a couple of supercharged jags.

I had a lovely 2.7 V6, gen 3.5 auto on a 2005 plate in black. Absolutely awesome looking and great cruiser. A great car overall but a really bad handling car when throwing it around. I've now got 2 proper handling weekend cars, a Westfield and a perfect example TVR Chimaera with 23k on the clock, both of which would run circles around the Hyundai.

Public service broadcasting of the highest order, especially given recent government decisions are making budget motoring so much harder to achieve. Thank you good sir!

The tiburon in usa had a very cool version with different badges. N in the redish color looked great 👍

I bought a pre-facelift 2nd gen 2l Coupe with 160 000 km about 6 months ago, for 500 euros. I have it booked for rust repairs, since it has a lot of it, which I knew. That's going to cost me around 1000 euros, including painting the whole car to make it look like new. All in all, I think it's a great car to own. For me coming from a Citroën Xsara 1.6 it has enough power, the handling is good and I even have traction control. It's also reliable, I changed all the brakes, oil and did a service + a few smaller cheap items. And drove it 2500 km from Slovenia to Finland, it has also been reliable through the Finish winter. Next week I am driving it back the same route, with no worries at all. + in bright yellow, it looks a lot cooler than most cars on the road.

Hah. I've always wondered. This was a greaty idea for a video!

I own one of these. My profile pic is actually the dashboard lol. It's the American version. It's a 2006 Hyundai Tiburon. I love it.

It's interesting; we often get a different spec in the US than in Europe, typically worse. I drove one of these with the V6 brand new in 2005 and pushed it pretty hard through the twisties. My daily drive at the time was a well-sorted 1976 Datsun 280Z with suspension mods, dual carbs and a few other goodies. I seem to recall the V6 was quoted with more than 170 hp., and it was decently responsive and made a bit of alright noise. I think the main place our experiences differ is that it handled genuinely well and rode decently on rougher surfaces, and the steering was well-weighted and not noticeably slow. I have to wonder if the example you drove has suffered from age and mileage? Or perhaps it was a rare instance of the US getting a better spec? No way to know, really. As always a good video.

Going to take a look at one tomorrow for my first car, exact same as this one, just more bruised.

I and my kids love our red 2004 tiburon with custom loud exhaust 😊 recently I was flying from London to Glasgow leaving far behind loads of modern cars especially Teslas 😜

Someone a few roads down from me owned one of these a couple of years back. It always caught my eye when I drove past it. It was a V6, in white, and was always in tip top condition. It might’ve been some kind of limited/special edition as it had what appeared to be a factory fitted body kit on it (subtle but smart) and some yellow badges on the rear. They maybe more show than go, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing - especially these days. They’re nice looking cars.

I've always liked the 2nd gen Coupe. Loved using it in NFS-games as a kid, but it's just a little too slow for my liking irl. Would definitely own one as a backup car.

I've owned both the FTO and a 2002 coupe, the fto wad the v6 and the coupe was a 2 liter 4 cylinder, both tiptronic transmission. the fto was more thrilling to drive and was faster, but coupe was much more reliable and with the sunroof was a better all rounder. miss both those cars. great honest cars that still look great today.

Yoo, recently bought one of these. So gassed to see it featured on one of my favourite channels! Havent watched the review yet, hope he doesnt bad mouth it 😂

I have one the 2l has a big spoiler is sky blue lowered a couple mil and a cat back on the back and it’s de badged wish we could share pictures in KZfaq comments, I love these cars they are so fun to drive no matter what anyone says I love them, and it was all £1200 and 103000 miles

My multipla has 'AIRBAG' stiched into the airbag cover on the dash, and the SRS on the seat means that it has an airbag in it, my Avantime has a little plastic plaque to denote the presence and my Suzuki has a small tag - I think they have to put it on so you don't accidentally blow your face off taking the seat out with the ignition on (not that its very likely, they don't go off when the cables fail, the light just comes on, but if you read any manual it acts as if its a bomb where daring to undo the cable is a serious risk to your life!). And, when this car was launched - side airbags were something to shout about (especially in a Hyundai!).

I have a 2007 hyundai tiburon gt you pretty much hit the nail on the head with just about everything you said it looks good it handles ok and it definitely really could use more pickup it's a 2.7 v6 that's about as fast as a four cylinder

I really liked my Blue 2004 2.0, was really nice to drive and quick enough, they’re just so damn fragile. They’re very prone to corrosion, rust and just little things breaking easily (clutch, track rods, mounting points etc) I have a VR5 Bora now that runs like a clock on 160, 000 miles. My old Hyundai coupe was practically scrap worthy at 107,000.

I had a silver 1st gen and it was a capable little car but it was getting a little long in the tooth and as I fixed something it developed another problem. So I took advantage of the scrappage scheme and got an Alfa MiTo.

Had 09 siii, great looking car and most reliable I've had

Bought mine in 2010 when I was 20 for 11k still have it and love it

Drove the version before this that my parents had, an absolutely brilliant car, and not just "for the price", far better than many more expensive cars.

Always like the looks of the Siii. Your review of an FTO GPX mivec or Version R would be interesting, had one for 10yrs. Not the fastest but stuck to the road like glue while making noises only equalled by a DC5.

I own a 03 model with 280k miles on and still runs around the streets. this is the best car I ever had

I paid $500 for mine and got in running like a too in 15 mins. It's the happiest litter car I've ever driven. 2.0 stick that drives like a go-cart.

First! Always liked how these looked... just such a shame it was front-drive, and that we never got the replacement RWD Genesis. The FWD Ford Probe and Cougar never sold well either, and the Celica seemed to struggle against its MR2 sibling and the MX-5, RX-8 and S2000 which, along with its looks, was why it got canned.

I have the v6 and she's some punch and is quite fun. I'm 6ft2 and fit fine have the 4 speed automatic that fun fact was developed with Porsche which is actually quite a fun little gear box and the tiptronic is even more fun!

i love my 2007 Huyundai Coupe V6 - 6 speed manual ❣

I’ve got a 2014 Hyundai Genesis coupe 2.0T with the luxury trim. I love it to be honest. I know a lot of people hate on Hyundai, but it’s been a way more reliable vehicle than the old jeep, and Lincoln I had before. That says a lot about Hyundai imo. Also the new Hyundai’s, and Kia’s the Koreans are making now are some great looking cars. The Stinger seems to be very popular.

Finally! Good review as always. Looks like the one you tested was a little ropey. However, this was and is a great car. Not perfect of course but it looks great, sounds ok and is quick enough for most people. For those (most of us) that can't afford the Ferrari's of the world, this is a great option for the trips through Europe or up to Scotland of Wales. It's got tons of room (I'm 6"3) and a huge boot and is a far far better car than the Celica. Also Richard Hammond rated this higher than the Lexus SC430

That one for some reason reminded me of Hyundai Tiburon Coupe from -96. Those were horrible Hyundai days. 😄

I had the v6 and the sound was fantastic. I miss it a lot

Christmas socks...£150....I'd want shoes and underpants as well for that price 😂😂

I have a black one with the 2.0 and I love it. Has a full exhaust with sport cat and 4-2-1 manifold, complete Bilstein b16 setup and CTF brakes (an Italian manufacturer). I also got ESP for some reason. The sound improves a ton with a proper exhaust, like really night and day. And with the setup I have it sticks to the road like it has glue on the wheels. 🤣 Your takes on the V6 are spot on: it might be "cooler" but if you have to daily it it will be much more expensive than the I4 (I have to do 80km a day to work and back, so fuel economy was very important when I was searching for my first car). As for the height: I'm 1.95m and the only issue I have are my legs staying sort of at the sides of the wheel (cause it is too low).

Would LOVE to see you review an FTO!!

As an proud owner of a Genesis Coupe 3.8 I would love to have this as my winter car.

My mum had a 2nd generation one, she definitely wasn't a petrol head and it was the only fun car she ever had. It wasn't fast but it was a lot of fun to throw down a B road on the few times I "borrowed" it

Definitely excellent value for money budget sports if you find one with decent history. They are fun, reliable and especially 3rd gen imo is pretty as a gem. The car honestly looks and feels more expensive than it is, and most people won't know Hyundai ever made something like these. Totally agree the engines are the worst thing about it, the car isn't fast by any modern standard but imo it's fast enough. I have the 2.0 liter 2007 version though been looking at the similar age v6 versions, while it does give a pretty lackluster improvement in horsepower it does bring a lot more torque and better sounds. Don't know if that particular one had some issues with the suspension or tires, I never found any complaints with how mine handles though the ride can be rough on awful surfaces.

I had a left hand drive supercharged 2.7. it was quick. Very quick.

Got to love the Tibby

I had one of these for a few years it was slow and liked oil .the ford racing puma I had before was much more fun

Engines might be flat but those old 2.0 are bulletproof

I bought a SIII in 2010. Three years old with 30k on the clock. 8 years later and with 115k on the clock traded in for £1300. Not bad when the car cost be £7500. Had a few expects maintenance bills but felt it was bulletproof. Hence why I stuck with Hyundai and got an I30N. Great car. This example in the video does not do it justice.

I see quite a few of these around Ilkley in fab condition. Rust free and still a little head turner

I have the 08 2.7 with a exhaust, cold air intake and 24 way adjustable coilovers, Car sounds fantastic and throaty as hell. But I'd much rather go the 2.7 for the torque. It's not the fast thing but has great styling ques and is a great city car and fun to drive. But mine just sits mostly because I'd much rather drive my 02 Audi TT quattro 😅

I have a 2nd gen 2006 v6 but it has a heavy weight tower struts make sharp turns a breeze

Had the 2.7 V6 in my early 20s, was very reliable and looked good.. but the tax, mpg and insurance was horrendous for the quite frankly woeful performance. It couldn’t even shake off a friends mk5 Fiesta Zetec S or another friends Panda 100hp in a drag race.

Had a look at a new one at my local main dealer and asked for a test drive. Was told I could have a test drive only after I put down a deposit. As you'd imagine, I walked away and never considered them again.

I had a Gen 2 V6. Used to track it at Losail. Catastrophic understeer and a gutless engine tbh. Fun for youngsters I guess

it looks great...

I've previously owned 2 of these that had more a total of 284k miles on them, and never had a serious fault or breakdown once in 7 years of motoring. Both were sold on in full working order and only one was broken for parts. Now driving a third very shiny sweet red Tiburon that has been Cerakoted, Waxoyled and interior Scotchguarded by it's previous owner. Shame the previous owner let the air con rot and I had to replace the condenser, compressor and refrigerant costing me 400 notes! That's what happens if you don't use your AC in winter. It won't be there in the summer! Definitely the best car I've owned. But then again, I've only owned Fords and Vauxhalls so what do I know?

I'm on my second 2nd gen 2 litre coupe (first one written off) and you are right regarding the jap-like build quality, the fit and finish of the body and interior and quality of the mechanicals are similar to Toyota and they are totally reliable -- the g4gc engine is pretty much bullet proof. Your review was not an accurate reflection of how these cars ride and handle however, this car was a high mileage ex write off riding on old tires and probably worn out suspension. Drive a decent tight low mileage well maintained coupe on good tires and you'll be pleasantly suprised by the sure footed tidy handling from the fully independent suspension, and the ride is pretty good too, neither harsh or crashy like some other coupes.

My friend used have this as a daily and a ferrari for the wkend

Had a 06' 2.0SE version back when I was young and as a first 'sports' kinda car. Some people dont speak highly but with its GT like look and low seating still looked good when in clean spec and made you feel a little bit sporty back in the day (even if it only kicked out 141 ponies). They now seem confined to 'banger' status as most besides SIII models are done with high mileage but they are good little cars. Spose' if it wasnt for its low power I'd prob not be able to insure it back then. Lol moved up from this to an HR 350Z and so on, so its a good little starter. Just don't get the 1.6 as its terribly under powered and not the V6 as its just not worth it.