2003 Hyundai Tiburon

[eclipsed95]

Hello fellow DSMer's. Just thought I'd see what your opinions are on the 2003 Tiburons. I'm a salesperson at a Hyundai dealership and we've really been selling the Tiburon lately. It seems like they're picking up in popularity with the young tuning crowd. A couple of guys have already done the usual upgrades; exhaust, intake, wheels. One guy even got a 50 shot hooked up. What do you guys think of the car?


Check this one out!
http://www.hyundaiusa.com/customs/customTiburonAPX.html

 

[madmax]

Are you just trying to sell more Tiburons?

I think they look good, but the new Tiburon is a huge disappointment, power wise.
They claimed 170, but it was actually 160, with a V6 engine, which someone already mentioned was too heavy. 160 should be were your 4 cylinder tops out, your next engine design needs at least 220 HP to be "fun".

So, yea, the new Tiburon (to me) is a bad marketing gimmick, with good aesthetics.

 

[eclipsed95]

Selling more Tiburons really wasn't my idea, especially when I've never even seen anyone from the area that work in on here. Just curious to see what everyone thought. Anyway......

As far as the HP. Hyundai originally claimed 181 HP. The company that does their dynos admitted to overestimating some HP and underestimating others. The 2.7L V6 through all the Hyundai models is 170, not 181, or 160. I agree it needs to have at least 30 more HP to seriously contend with the more established imports (eclipse, rsx, celica, etc.). It's a low cost alternative.

 

[badas93tsi]

I'm sure that he'd come on a dsm site to try to sell a hyundai! People should think before they type.

 

[eclipsed95]

Thanks dude! Good poll turnout guys

 

[jd1828af]

the 03 tiburons suck. i had one for a month and i thought it was the greatist car ever. then after a dealer screw up i gave it back (long story) then went and bought my 90 tsi awd. my talon was about $18k cheaper and i like it better. the tiburon looks great but i want speed and power and it just didnt have it.

 

[igs]

The fact that it's FWD is a much bigger disappointment than the low horspower.

 

[90_talon_AWD]

The Santa Fe's AWD can be slapped in there with some minor modifications. There is a guy in Winnipeg that has put a lot of work into the cars and he seems to think that he can get the sucker into the 13s when he hits T'n'T time. I'll let you guys know how it turns out. Nice cars overall though and there is some potential in that V6 but it could have been so much better than what was put out. My 2 cents though.

 

[BOOTZ]

My mom has a Santa Fe and we got the oil changed today. She asked the dealer if i could test drive a Tiburon but he wouldn't let me
Well the leather interior I think looks good and the side of the car looks good but i just don't like that plastic black grill in the front and i just hate the bumper and if the head lights were projectors then it would look sick. For looks I say they are prity nice cars but I'll have to wait and for a bit before i can see how they run.

But I would still rather have a 95 - 99 GSX, it's what I'm working up to.

 

[DinK]

I think the body styling on the new tiburons is absolutely great. It's one of the few cars that I actually take note of on the highway, even though it's a pretty normal car when you start looking at the powertrain and stuff.

I agree with most people here though. Make it spin all four wheels, and either let that V6 rev up past 200HP or put a lighter turbo four in there, and you've got a major hit.

I'm really hoping that the praises thrown to cars like the WRX and hopefully the new EVO will keep cars like this coming.

 

[FourG63 97GST]

a 2.7liter V6 w/ 170hp in the year 2003 is very dissapointing
they put all this other sporty stuff, what happened to the engine?

 

[rubbersidedown]

i'm gonna agree with everyone else and say that a 170hp, v6, fwd with a 6spd tranny is absolutely laughable. A beautiful car though, no doubt. 220hp from the v6, rwd w/ rear vlsd, keep the 6spd tranny and you'd have a hit. Or better yet they should just sell the exterior body as a shell to put on less cosmeticly appealing cars... like a geo prizm or something...

 

[boostedtalon]

A guy I go to school with drives one, it has underbody neons . . so you know it is a rocket, he is such a poser, always flashing his lights at everyone as the leave the parking lot, like he is some serious racer!! Bahh. . . I followed him out of the parking lot last night and we lined them up and I hurt him bad. . . about 4 car lengths, ok so he paid 20,000. . . and I have about 2700.00 into mine. . . hmmm. . .I will keep the 4G63. . thank you

 

[nutshot]

So, any word from Hyundai on making a fast car yet? Oh, about adapting AWD to the Tiburon; even if it is possible, it's improbable. Spend the couple grand more for a WRX (not STI) and have :drawsbreath: more hp, more traction, better handling, better resale, more doors, better customer service, easier tuning, better aftermarket support, better dependability and more comfortable seats.

 

[eclipsed95]

The AWD is possible. It's already been done. If you want an AWD turbo car, buy a WRX or Lancer. Just to stand up for Hyundai a little, Hyundai's customer service is top notch, a lot higher than Suburu's. As far as dependability, the new Tiburon is too new, and so is the WRX. The warranty speaks for itself. If you want an AWD car, don't buy a Tib. If you want to be a little different, save about $5000 on the car compared to any of the competition, and invest in the mods! The V6 does have some potential. Again guys, I'm a DSMer heart and soul, but the Tiburon is still a good inexpensive new sports car. Peace out!!!

 

[rubbersidedown]

please don't call it a sports car. a fwd w/ a 2.7ltr v6 putting down 170hp, linked up to a 6spd tranny is ANYTHING but a sports car. It just looks nice.

 

[eclipsed95]

It's funny how people always bring up fwd. Maybe I'm sensitive because I have a GST, but I think that's just a bs argument. Anyway, I used to have an 80's Z28 with like 180HP. That was considered a sports car.

 

[rubbersidedown]

Originally posted by eclipsed95
It's funny how people always bring up fwd. Maybe I'm sensitive because I have a GST, but I think that's just a bs argument. Anyway, I used to have an 80's Z28 with like 180HP. That was considered a sports car.

You're just taking things out of context now. I gave a specific setup... that being the setup of the tiburon. And this is the year 2003... the standards of cars in general have raised quite a bit since the 80's. If anything, based on your comparison of the z28, then the tiburon is a step back in the car world, as opposed to a step forward.

 

[eclipsed95]

In my opinion it is a sports car. Especially in a world where a civic is considered a sports car to a lot of people. Anyway, I didn't start this thread to argue about the car, I just wanted to see what everyone thought. Thanks again guys.

 

[WickedTiburon]

I was dissappointed too cause when i bought the car it was "181" horsepower, but hyundai lied to me and everyone else. The awd conversion is there but its like 5k or so. Also remember that this car is a year and 4 months old now, even though its a 2003. And the engine in stock form is very restrictive but takes great to mods. An AEM cold air alone adds 16whp on the dyno i believe. And with exaust it opens the car up even more. Doesnt really matter though.....i am selling mine....

ps....nice car........wayyyyyyyyyyyy too many problems with the freaking thing. There are 2 service bullitens and 4 recalls on my car right now. Plus they lied to me about the horsepower. Nice warrenty......i am glad that i use it so much....awful. Should have taken the 2k i dropped on the car to begin with and gotten a 91' awd. The 326 i am paying a month for a year now would put me a lot farther than low 15's.

 

[nutshot]

Tiburon's are not sport cars. Neither are Camaro's. They are the wet-dream's of too many think-tanks. I want Lbs./HP. I want lateral g's. I want a solid feeling chassis and suspension. I want precise steering with slight over-steer and a tight shifter. These are the characteristics of a sport's car. Oh, and they cost less to make than cup-holding map lights with built in AC converters.

 

[WickedTiburon]

Honestly the only thing that you mentioned that the tib doesnt have is the lbs/hp part, even thats probably the most important. Its a pig with no balls past 3rd gear. The suspension is very nice and the oversteer is sometimes too much with the 181lbs/ft of torque. The stock sway bars in my model are big enough to notice it and the traction is pretty good with 215's on all 4. The shifter is tighter than my friends 90 tsi, sometimes too tight since the tranny sucks in the car. The gears are way to close in 1st and 2nd, which is probably why you feel so much power in them

 

[eclipsed95]

You're right Wicked, the Tib pulls strong through the first three, and has less in the last three. By the way, Hyundai didn't lie about the HP. Like most companies, an outside company tests for them. They overstated the Hp on the Tib, Sonata, and Santa Fe with the V6. At least they gave everybody extra warranty to compensate somewhat. I'll be impressed if Hyundai puts their 3.5 V6 in the Tiburon. It's in the XG350 and the Santa Fe now, it's 194 HP and 218 torque. Anyway, sorry about the troubles with the car man, the first year bugs aren't all worked out yet.

 

[WickedTiburon]

Yea its cool......over stating....lieing....i am ok with it, haha. I believe i got 1 of the first 1000 in the us domestic market. My make date is actually november of 2001 i believe, i bought it in april 2002....oh well. On to bigger and faster things

 

[eclipsed95]

:laugh: Good luck man!

 

[rubbersidedown]

Originally posted by WickedTiburon
Honestly the only thing that you mentioned that the tib doesnt have is the lbs/hp part, even thats probably the most important. Its a pig with no balls past 3rd gear. The suspension is very nice and the oversteer is sometimes too much with the 181lbs/ft of torque. The stock sway bars in my model are big enough to notice it and the traction is pretty good with 215's on all 4. The shifter is tighter than my friends 90 tsi, sometimes too tight since the tranny sucks in the car. The gears are way to close in 1st and 2nd, which is probably why you feel so much power in them

too much oversteer? the front diff is open too isn't it? They must have done some serious suspension work and whatnot.

Oh and yes, certain year and model civics are considered sports cars. because they put out and impressive amount of power for being only a 4 cylinder and having such small displacement. You can also do jdm swaps... this however does not describe the tiburon in any way.