Introduction

Hyundai Tiburon competes from a price standpoint with low-cost sport coupes Honda Civic Si and Scion tC, but it also stacks up favorably against the more expensive Mitsubishi Eclipse. The Eclipse is more powerful, but the Tiburon rivals its handling and is in some ways sportier. The Tiburon SE suspension is firm, but not uncomfortable. The payoff comes in the corners, as the front-wheel-drive Tiburon SE grips the road better than the Eclipse. The Tiburon SE also stops well, having 12-inch cross-drilled front brake rotors. From the side, Tiburon looks rakish; and the 12-spoke SE wheels look great. Inside, the seats are comfortable and well bolstered, and the instruments are backlit in a cool blue, with sharp gunmetal accents on the instrument panel. When you look into the rearview mirror, the high spoiler reminds you that you're in a sports car. The Tiburon SE's V6 engine makes 172 horsepower, considered modest for this class nowadays, but it makes a nice throaty sound when you rev it to its 6500 rpm redline. The engine's torque comes early in the revs, making it easy and pleasant to drive around town. The SE's six-speed gearbox is good, and the clutch is smooth, but the shift lever has too long a throw to feel tight. Heel-and-toe downshifts are challenging because of the pedal locations. The Tiburon GS, the entry-level model that goes for less than $18,000, uses a four-cylinder engine with a five-speed gearbox. All Tiburons are equipped with anti-lock brakes, electronic brake-force distribution, a tire pressure monitor, side airbags, and a 220-watt Kenwood MP3 sound system. New for 2008, the system includes XM Satellite radio with three months of free service. Also available are a four-speed automatic transmission with Shiftronic manual control, and electronic stability control with brake assist. Hyundai claims its warranty is America's best, with five-years/60,000 miles bumper-to-bumper and 10-years/100,000 miles limited powertrain. Tiburon buyers also get 24-hour roadside assistance at no charge for five years.

Walkaround

The Hyundai Tiburon has nice, rakish lines. From the side or three-quarter-rear profile, it looks like it should start rolling off downhill. A crease on each side extends precipitously, from above the rear tire and slightly higher than the door handle, to a point on the front fascia below the headlamp. A crevice down by the rocker panel accentuates the slope of the crease. It's a lot of sheetmetal shaping to make the car look forward-leaning, but in the end it works. The 17-inch alloy wheels on the SE are handsome, a sort of starburst 12-spoke pattern; imagine six headless and armless gingerbread men, joined in a circle at the neck. Hyundai freshened the Tiburon's appearance for 2007, with new front and rear fascia, headlights, taillights, hood, front fenders and twin exhaust tips. No additional changes have been made for 2008. We're not sure we like the latest nose and tail, which are more rounded and nubile than sleek. The Tiburon's rear isn't as big and bulbous as that of the Mitsubishi Eclipse, and the rounded trapezoidal tail lamps are graceful. The spoiler on the SE is a nice touch, high but not too high. But take away the spoiler on the other three models, and there isn't much left to draw the eyes. From head-on, the Tiburon misses the opportunity for something dramatic. Above the bumper there's one thin slit that might add mystery but doesn't demand a second glance. The horizontal slats in the wide air intake under the front bumper are reminiscent of a 2001 Chrysler Concorde, which itself copies the look of some Ferrari grilles. A lot has been lost in the double translation to the Tiburon.

Interior Features

The seats are comfortable and well bolstered, with lumbar and seat bottom support. We like the available leather with its nice cloth inserts. The three spokes of the leather-wrapped steering wheel are fairly fat, but the leather feels nice in your hands. The instruments are backlit in cool blue. The speedometer is on the left and tach on the right, with temperature and fuel gauges between them, plus a digital display for the odometer and average speed. The gunmetal accents on the panel add brightness. The center stack is squarish, with two big round climate vents over smaller ones on top of the dash. We found the air conditioning performance strong. The usual accessories run down the center, with reasonable controls without bran-teasing challenges to figure out. There are two cupholders, a small glovebox, door pockets and a small single-chamber console between the seats. Our SE had the sunroof and we opened it to the Pacific sky, which came through with a loud whoosh. There's an optional wind deflector for the sunroof, but our test model didn't have it. The rear seats offer 29.9 inches of legroom, which isn't much but isn't bad for a two-plus-two coupe. The Eclipse has 29.2 inches. We had a couple of problems, namely our right toe making contact with some low-hanging thing under the dash, every time we moved our right foot from the brake to the throttle. And there's a horrendous blind spot behind the right C-pillar, when you look over your shoulder in that direction.