Tibbi

First of all, I wanted so very much to love this car.



As you may already be aware My Tib has become a toy and is no longer reliable as daily vehicle. The Accent will be paid off soon and when I change jobs here soon we likely won't be able to carpool any more. I've tested a few cars and despite this keep going back to the original. But in the pursuit of the best daily driver my quest continues. Last week I received a call from the dealer that sold me the '07 saying they finally got a manual Veloster Turbo in and I made an appointment to come test drive it. Strike 1: When I got there the dealer pulled around an auto and tried to sell me on that POS. I mean really people? Strike 2: He tells me they just sold the manual (which it turns out was bullshit). After I called him on that he "suddenly" discovered a matte gray had just arrived. I'm not much on that matte color, but the car was here and ready for me to drive.



First things first, I love the look of the n/a but that big grill on the turbo just looks silly. Though with the original vert intercooler I see the need. In my perfect world, install an upgraded fmic across the bottom, multi-core rad and shroud, then mold on the original nose with turbo's lip. The side profile couldn't be cooler and the back end just looks the business. Though upon further inspection the exhaust "tips" on the rear are just crappy plastic molded into the bumper cover. it's bullshit. Junk that crap, cut the plastic tips out and get a nice cat-back with the same look but better flow. Externally it's nice, not perfect but what is? Still for the same cost as a low end GC it is certainly able to hold its own in the looks department. Now inside the story continues. The turbos front seats look the business and still sit very comfortably. The big center screen with satnav should look obtuse and gaudy, but it just fits well. Each button around the interior was well fitted and solid. My only complaint was the traction control button and the passenger airbag indicator need to be swapped. There is no reason why my passenger should decided if I want traction control back on. (Though my wife disagrees.) Just below the tech, on the base of the console on either side is a giant plastic "oh sh*t" handle. The doors also have matching accessories as if to say "you're going to need these." But best I can tell they have no function at all. They look kind of cool, but big and gray they stick out like a pool boy at a cougar convention; and function even less. They are huge and futuristic looking but they are not sturdy at all. You grab a hold of that at 100+ and it'll probably just melt. My other gripe, and admittedly it's very minor is the glasses holder. You really cant tell if it's working, or if its broken or if its opening... its just too spongy. I do however love the instrument cluster, I love the extendable sun visors and the driving position is just perfect. Its fits really nice and just begs you to drive it hard. You can tell it is ready and willing. Now, I'm forced to talk about the practicality, anyone under the age of 25 might want to skip to the next paragraph. The rear seats, where to begin? Well, there is plenty of leg room if your diver is short like me. If not, dump all your old friends and make new friends with Asian people, midgets or double amputees; basically if they are under 5'5" and you saw off their legs at the knee (where applicable) you'll be fine. The back seat behind the driver is almost inaccessible from the drivers side. The ceiling is so low I bumped my head just sitting there, and the doorway getting you there was pretty small. It would be great for kids up until they are 10 and out grow the seats. And even until then you'll only get 2 in there, and only one could an infant. There's no way you're getting a baby seat behind the driver. Think of the back seats less as seats and more like a horizontal extension of the trunk. The trunk itself? Well.... I could take up golf. But when I show up and my buddies all pull in with 6-series and Astons I'll feel like a bit of a b*tch.



Now time for my drive. This where the car should really shine! So we've established that the outside looks like a snarling angry bulldog and the interior is like piloting a cheetah, so we can expect some GTI rivaling speed. If only. For starters the clutch was softer than the stocker in my Accent. It was like pressing down on a damp sponge. No this is all wrong. It needs to feel like a turbocharged car, I need a snappy little racing clutch. At least the gear selection feels right and the throw isn't too bad for a budget vehicle. So we set off, I had to navigate it off the lot because my salesman couldn't drive a manual so while trying to avoid on-coming cars and oddly parked cars the handle at low speeds was quite good. The turning circle is decent, it's nothing to write home about but it will due fine in a parking lot. Now the fun part, an open road! I waited for a green light to turn onto the six lane divided highway mostly because I wanted to creep out then put the boost down where it really mattered. The light turned and I crept, as soon as the car was strait I gave the throttle a little push and I guess the motor didn't notice.... (?) After a slow ascent to 3000 the car suddenly popped forward... there was the turbo. I felt bad putting my foot into it. The throttle was like trying to squeeze the last breaths out of a beaten horse. This snail had asthma. I though maybe with only 7 miles on the motor, maybe it needs a good thrashing to wake the giant. I zipped her onto a back-road, kicked off the traction control and proceed to give everyone in the car whiplash. Okay, I'll take a moment to say, if test a modern Mazdaspeed 3, take it on a back road. Even from idle you can feel the turbo working and at full boost, which comes on surprisingly early, you can feel the hand of God come out of the steering wheel and try to push you through the seat. Kick it up a qear, skip a few, it doesn't care; all it wants to do is kill you. Its a great feeling!! And grip? It has no limits. It's like driving an axe murder to work, while being both comfortable, affordable, economical and drivable. The Veloster was comfortable, until you try to change gears. Try to kick the old gear out and release the clutch, its like there's a delayed reaction as the clutch slowly reengages and the next gear decides what to do. Once it figures all of that out you've lost all boost pressure and torque, and now you just have to keep you foot flat to the ground until the tick that would otherwise be psi. For each gear change there were 2 hard hits; one as the clutch kicked back in, the second as boost tried to make you go fast. But even revving her to full power felt like... well... my Accent feels quicker. So it's not comfortable or drivable. Economical? I have no idea, only time will tell that story. (The 2012 speed3 I drove recently had 12k on the clock and reported 38.4 mpg.) Affordable? Well if you want to go as fast as an Accent but with a turbo badge; buy and accent, which is 10 grand cheaper, and a turbo badge, which can be had for $5 at any auto parts store. So no, it really can't be call affordable.





Final thoughts:

With all of that said, I feel like the boost pressure was either cranked down to damn near zero OR it was just the wrong sized turbo. It felt on my drive like they just took the turbo off the sonata/GC and said "what would happen if the did this?" FMIC, better radiator and a nose transplant will fix the looks. Real exhaust will fix the back and may effect the power a bit. Boost controller and improved piping may fix the boost issue. But all in all you're talking a lot more money for aftermarket parts and no we're into GTI price territory and still doubtful it could keep up. And even the GTI is slow compared to the speed3. I honestly cannot think of a reason to give Hyundai money for a Veloster turbo aside from its looks. It has potential but in this day/age what car doesn't? Like I said with the BRZ/FR-S/86, if you have 25k burning a hole in your pocket an want a tinker toy, buy the Toyota. I cant even recommend the Veloster in that book. If you want to rule the traffic lights while being able to haul the family or friends around, buy the speed3.



The Veloster Turbo is the answer to a question everyone was asking.

That answer is "No! IT'S sh*t"

wheel_of_steel

this, and





FFFFRRRR



waiting on part two mate.

OTECTom

Stocker

gave the throttle a little push and I guess the motor didn't notice.... (?)







Sounds like they still have restrictors in the slave cylinders? Boo.

OTECTom

I post this picture...





And Stocker starts talking about slaves...

Cujo

I call bullshit in the 2012 ms3 getting 38 mpg.