2007 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model because the old-design engine had to be modified to meet new emission regulations.The four-cylinder engine was withdrawn from the Australian lineup midway through 2004.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.

Think of affordable sportscars under $80,000 and what models come to mind? Nissan's 350Z, Mazda's RX8, Alfa Romeo's GT or Brera or perhaps the Chrysler Crossfire.But there's one missing from the list and it comes loaded with equipment, looks good and has a tiny $34,990 price tag.Hyundai's ageing Tiburon, around in this form since 2001, has been a bit of a Cinderella in this market and sales haven't exactly set the market alight.Why? It beats me, but Korean-built cars are still perceived as lacking emotion and let's face it, the very name Tiburon doesn't quite have the cachet of its rivals.Tiburon means shark in Spanish, but is also the name of a wealthy town in California. Other Hyundais that share their names with US locations include Tucson and Santa Fe.Until now the V6 Tiburon isn't quite delivered in terms of the raw power and seat-of-the pants handling expected of a real sportscar.Hyundai has set out to change all that with a revamped and slightly restyled version of the coupe now on sale.Its somewhat dated muscular styling has been given a facelift.Hyundai lovingly describes the styling as 'sensuous.' I wouldn't go that far, but Tiburon does turn heads.It's a big solid coupe for two, it has four seats but the rear is, in practical terms, generally off-limits to adults although bearable for short trips.At least you can flip the rear seat backs to stretch what is already a massive load area under the deep opening tailgate.The cockpit, which is bathed at night in disco blue lights, is thoroughly modern and works well, thanks to well-designed controls and instruments.The Tiburon's big appeal, however, is its value for money and it's backed by an industry-leading five-year unlimited warranty.There's plenty of standard kit for the money, including extensive safeties like stability and traction control, multiple airbags and smart anti-lock brakes.You can also tick the boxes for alloy wheels, automatic air conditioning (with pollen filtering), an audio system that accepts MP3 players, cruise control, leather steering wheel, remote locking with alarm, trip computer and electrics for the windows and mirrors.And there's plenty of other neat stuff as well, like a retractable cup-holder cooled by the air conditioning system, sun visors that can be extended to fully cover the windscreen, a purpose-built holder for a mobile phone, a tray in the spare wheel to store anything wet and loads of storage bins and pockets.The driver's seat has manual height/tilt adjustment, which is a bit downmarket nowadays, but the passenger seat at least has a memory setting and returns to its position after you fold it.The big changes for the latest Tiburon are under the sleek skin.Hyundai has answered critics of the previous model, which was a tad nervous under cornering, by tinkering with the suspension geometry.The car no longer feels as though it's going to bite you on the bum mid-corner and sits flatter into the curves, while the steering feels sharper, especially in turn-in.Power comes from a sedate 2.7-litre V6 with 123kW of power and 245Nm of torque.The six-speed manual is the version to go for and offers short-throw shifting, but the sequential auto is still very likeable.Hyundai quotes a 0-100km/h sprint time of a leisurely 8.2 seconds but remember this car weighs in at more than 1400kg.The six-speed manual is $34,990, the four-speed sequential auto $36,780 and a powered sunroof adds $1500.There is also a limited edition version called the TS, only 62 were imported but they are available on order that has its own blue paintwork, sunroof, leather upholstery and badging, for $37,590 for the manual and $39,380 for the automatic.

Think of affordable sportscars under $80,000 and what models come to mind? Nissan's 350Z, Mazda's RX-8, Alfa Romeo's GT or Brera — or perhaps the Chrysler Crossfire.But there's one missing from the list — and it comes loaded with equipment, looks good and has a tiny $34,990 price tag.Hyundai's ageing Tiburon. around in this form since 2001, has been a bit of a Cinderella in this market and sales haven't exactly set the market alight. Why? It beats me, but Korean-built cars are still perceived as lacking emotion — and, let's face it, the very name Tiburon doesn't quite have the cachet of its rivals.And until now the V6 Tib hasn't quite delivered in terms of the raw power and seat-of-the pants handling expected of a real sportscar.Hyundai has set out to change all that with a revamped and slightly restyled version of the coupe now on sale. Its somewhat dated muscular styling has been given a facelift. Hyundai lovingly describes the styling as “sensuous”. I wouldn't go that far, but Tiburon does turn heads.It's a big solid coupe for two — it has four seats but the rear is, in practical terms, generally off-limits to adults although bearable for short trips. At least you can flip the rear seat backs to stretch what is already a massive load area under the deep opening tailgate.The cockpit, which is bathed at night in disco blue lights, is thoroughly modern and works well, thanks to well-designed controls and instruments. The Tiburon's big appeal, however, is its value for money and it's backed by an industry-leading five-year unlimited warranty.There's plenty of standard kit for the money, including extensive safeties like stability and traction control, multiple airbags and smart anti-lock brakes.You can also tick the boxes for alloy wheels, automatic air conditioning (with pollen filtering), an audio system that accepts MP3 players, cruise control, leather steering wheel, remote locking with alarm, trip computer and electrics for the windows and mirrors. And there's plenty of other neat stuff as well, like a retractable cup-holder cooled by the air conditioning system, sun visors that can be extended to fully cover the windscreen, a purpose-built holder for a mobile phone, a tray in the spare wheel to store anything wet and loads of storage bins and pockets.The driver's seat has manual height/tilt adjustment, which is a bit downmarket nowadays, but the passenger seat at least has a memory setting and returns to its position after you fold it to get the kids into the back seat. There's still no reach adjustment for the steering wheel and the doors are heavy to open but at least they shut with a reassuring clunk rather than a tinny clang.The big changes for the latest Tiburon are hidden under the sleek skin. Hyundai has answered critics of the previous model, which was a tad nervous under cornering, by tinkering with the suspension geometry. The car no longer feels as though it's going to bite you on the bum mid-corner and sits flatter into the curves, while the steering feels sharper, especially in turn-in.Power comes from a sedate 2.7-litre V6 with 123kW of power and 245Nm of torque. The six-speed manual is the version to go for and offers short-throw shifting, but the sequential auto is still very likeable.Hyundai quotes a 0-100km/h sprint time of a leisurely 8.2 seconds but remember this car weighs in at more than 1400kg. Keep the revs up to ride the torque wave and the car can be rewarding to drive.You'd expect a car like this to be thirsty but fuel consumption isn't too bad. Official figures are 10.2L/100km for the auto and 10.3L/100km for the manual on standard unleaded, but I couldn't get anywhere near those figures.The six-speed manual is $34,990, the four-speed sequential auto $36,780 and a powered sunroof adds $1500.Hyundai also launched a limited edition version called the TS — only 62 were imported but they are available on order — that has its own blue paintwork, sunroof, leather upholstery and badging, for $37,590 for the manual and $39,380 for the automatic.

The ageing Hyundai Tiburon has just had a predictable nip-and-tuck facelift.It's been around since 2001, when the Korean carmaker introduced the sports coupe to Australia, and it has profited from the loss of Toyota's Celica and MR2 and the Honda Prelude.The facelifted Tiburon V6 -- Tiburon means shark in Spanish -- comes with a new-look bonnet, blistered quad headlights, a new bumper and a wider, lower grille housing two foglight pods.It also has a high-rise rear wing with integrated LED tail-lights, chromed dual exhausts, extended side crease, refined badging and fresh 17-inch alloys.Importantly, the upgraded car adds stability control and front/side thorax airbags as standard.Inside, the car has fully automatic climate control airconditioning, with an air-quality monitor that turns the system to recycle if it detects excessive pollution or pollen in the cabin.The audio system is iPod/MP3-compatible and new instruments with blue ambient lighting replace the orange from the original car.But the starting price is up by $2000, an unusual move for the value-driven brand, from $34,990 for the six-speed manual.A limited-edition TS with vivid blue medium metallic paint, sunroof, black leather trim, TS badging and special carpet mats tops the range at $37,590.The major mechanical revisions are in the front suspension, with new damping settings and new lower front-control arms and bushes. The car feels sharper off, turns into corners better and has picked up a nice weighting to the steering feel.Some minor kickback over broken surfaces under load is within the range of acceptability, and the overall ride quality is good, with higher-end noise, vibration and harshness control.The seats are reasonably comfortable and supportive, but the lack of a reach adjustment on the steering wheel is disappointing.Given the minor changes, it is likely the Tiburon will be replaced within three years, but Hyundai Australia is giving nothing away."There are products under development, but we haven't been told much about them," Hyundai Australia product planning manager Ben Hershman says."I would only be guessing what they may be, but I imagine one could be a sporty model that would be at least a few years away, given we haven't seen or heard anything."In the interim, the Tiburon has to fight on with the same architecture and lightweight 2.7-litre V6 engine it was launched with.Hyundai says it has no plans to replace the 123kW/245Nm DOHC unit with the newer and more powerful 3.3-litre engine from the Sonata.Coupled to a close-gate six-speed manual box or a four-speed automatic, the engine needs to be kept well up in the rev range -- above 3000 revs -- but works well in a narrow band.

It's easy to spot the new nose, high-riser rear wing and a new design for its 17inch alloy wheels shod with 215/45 R17 performance tyres. There is more underneath.For extra safety, Tiburon adds ESP and front seat side thorax airbags to its standard dual front airbags, ABS, EBD, front seat belt pre- tensioners and load-limiters.Cornering is a touch more neutral and better damped with new front suspension lower control arms and bushes.Tiburons pollen-filtering air-conditioning is now fully automatic and gains AQS (Air Quality System) which automatically switches to recirculate if it senses overly polluted or pungent outside air.A new high quality audio system with an integrated auxiliary jack for connecting iPods, MP3 players and other portable audio devices is standard.Cool, blue-hue instrument lighting is new for Tiburon.Detail upgrades dot the revised interior.Standard equipment includes cruise control, leather steering wheel rim and auto gearshift knob, engine immobiliser, remote central locking with alarm, electric windows and door mirrors and a trip computer.The price is $34,990 for the six-speed manual and $36,780 for the Selectronic sequential clutchless manual-mode automatic.A TS limited edition finished in a stand-out new Vivid Blue medium metallic and factory- equipped with a power tilt-slide sunroof, black leather interior trim, TS badging and mono- grammed carpet mats. Tiburon TS is available now for $37,590 for the manual, more for the auto.Tiburon is powered by a 123kW/245Nm all- alloy, 2.7 litre, quad-cam, 24-valve, V6 engine. It weighs in at 1388kg.