(YACT) I test drove a NEW Tiburon '03

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R

Rent

Diamond Member
Aug 8, 2000
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V6 6-Speed 181hp

And the car still felt weak to me :\ Anyone else test drive one yet?

The interior was nice and adequate. The seats were based on Recarro racing seats and were VERY supportive. The shifter/tranny was the highpoint of the car, it was a short throw and the clutch was nice and light.

Very, very nice looking car. It was also bigger than I expected. I fit nicely into it with some headroom (I'm nearly 6'4"). As I drove it around, it turned a lot of heads.

My main gripe was the power... it just didn't feel fast and I did stomp on it a few times.

I'm waiting til I can test drive other canidates like the SVT Focus, RSX-S, SE-R SpecV, ect.. before I make a judgement on the car. However, the Tibby is looking good for the $$ (the one I test drove was right at $18.5k)
 
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toph99

Diamond Member
Aug 25, 2000
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i -hate- the wings on the tibourons, sooo fugly. 180hp is pretty weak from a V6 too. Being 6'4" i don't know how well you'll fit into a focus, being 6' i found the fit uncomfortable(i'm used to a taurus)
 
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Nefrodite

Banned
Feb 15, 2001
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yea 181 does seem kinda weak from a v6:p doesn't the celica get the same from its 4? :p i dunno, maybe its more torqy. i gotta say its looks aren't bad.
 
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mAdD INDIAN

Diamond Member
Oct 11, 1999
7,804
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I heard about that....also that the V6 is pretty heavy and as a result makes hte whole front end heavy and the car exhibits heavy understeer. I guess its more ofa tourer like the Eclipse than a performance coupe.
 
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Dark4ng3l

Diamond Member
Sep 17, 2000
5,061
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Well the mustang v6 only gives out about 190 HP I dont know whats so weak about 181 it doesnt seem that bad, especialy for an asian car who usualy dont have too crazy power but better gas mileage
 
R

Rent

Diamond Member
Aug 8, 2000
7,127
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The Focus is supposed to be available late June early July last I heard. I've been in a regular Focus before and I was able to fit, so it wasn't much of a issue to me.

With an AEM intake the Tibbys are supposed to gay MAD power (something along the lines of almost 12whp). Full exhaust work is supposed to yield almost 30whp. I can almost believe it too, the car felt restricted.

toph99

The new ones aren't bad at all, in fact I think they're badass looking cars. The old ones however... hideous!
 
MustangSVT

MustangSVT

Lifer
Oct 7, 2000
11,554
12
81
nice.
how was the manual transmission? was it clicky(better) or rubbery(crap)?
hopefully they didnt restrict the rpm or something like that .. that's what they did to some mean looking GM car (only available in austrailia).

 
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b0mbrman

Lifer
Jun 1, 2001
29,470
1
81


<< V6 6-Speed 181hp

And the car still felt weak to me :\ Anyone else test drive one yet? >>


Yep. It felt like I was driving a boat until I got up to 50 or so...then the Tibby was pretty badass



<< The interior was nice and adequate. The seats were based on Recarro racing seats and were VERY supportive. The shifter/tranny was the highpoint of the car, it was a short throw and the clutch was nice and light. >>


God, that inside is *huge*...unless you're in the back seat...


<< I'm waiting til I can test drive other canidates like the SVT Focus, RSX-S, SE-R SpecV, ect.. before I make a judgement on the car. However, the Tibby is looking good for the $$ (the one I test drove was right at $18.5k) >>


I've also test-driven those as I'm looking at new cars at that price range too. The Focus actually feels like it's going faster than it really was but at high speeds, it felt like the damn roof was gonna fly off.

The RSX feels as safe as a Civic and almost as boring...Of course, there's more gumption in the RSX's engine and it handles better but it still totally has the generic feel of a Honda. Furthermore, as I see the RSX's more and more on the roads, they don't look as good anymore...Then again, I'm sure the RSX could last you 20+ years if you wanted it to

The SE-R drives *awesome*. If the styling was a little more exciting and it came in a two-door, it would be perfect :)
 
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b0mbrman

Lifer
Jun 1, 2001
29,470
1
81


<< With an AEM intake the Tibbys are supposed to gay MAD power (something along the lines of almost 12whp). Full exhaust work is supposed to yield almost 30whp. I can almost believe it too, the car felt restricted. >>


Yeah...with a 2.7 V6, you could probably squeeze a few more out of it...and "gay MAD power" eh? Got something else on your mind? :p:D
 
vi edit

vi edit

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Oct 28, 1999
62,484
8,345
126


<< yea 181 does seem kinda weak from a v6:p doesn't the celica get the same from its 4? :p i dunno, maybe its more torqy. i gotta say its looks aren't bad. >>



Bah! Go drive a VW GTi with the VR6 engine with it's "meager" 174 HP. It'll pin you to the seat better than any other N/A V6 I've ever driven. Outside of the the Nissan VQ engine, which also has an extra .7 liters of displacement, there isn't hardly another V6 on the road under $30,000 that could take the VW VR6.
 
StageLeft

StageLeft

No Lifer
Sep 29, 2000
70,150
5
0
Can somebody explain why they'd pay $18.5k for a hyundai when they can buy a sentra at the same price with similar power? I'm sure the sentra would get better gas mileage too.

Hyundai is a car I'd consider but still it's a hyundai.
 
Zenmervolt

Zenmervolt

Elite member
Oct 22, 2000
24,514
44
91
Drive my 120hp Accord for a week or two, then drive the Tiburon and tell me how that 181hp V6 feels then. ;)

ZV
 
vi edit

vi edit

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Oct 28, 1999
62,484
8,345
126


<< Can somebody explain why they'd pay $18.5k for a hyundai when they can buy a sentra at the same price with similar power? I'm sure the sentra would get better gas mileage too.

Hyundai is a car I'd consider but still it's a hyundai. >>



Skoorb, 15 years ago people said the same exact thing about Volkswagen. Look at VW now.
 
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mithrandir2001

Diamond Member
May 1, 2001
6,545
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V6s don't belong in smaller, inexpensive sport coupes: they are heavy and lead to weaker handling and understeer. A high-revving 2.0L 4cyl may not have the torque output of a V6, but it's alot easier to make a car tossable with a lighter engine. You'll also get better gas mileage, cheaper maintenance, cheaper insurance. My 4cyl 5spd Accord may only have 152hp but it weighs about 250 pounds less than the 200hp V6 auto and the weight distribution is better. It's also rated 26mpg city versus 20mpg city.
 
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b0mbrman

Lifer
Jun 1, 2001
29,470
1
81


<< Can somebody explain why they'd pay $18.5k for a hyundai when they can buy a sentra at the same price with similar power? I'm sure the sentra would get better gas mileage too. >>


Sexy looks + 2 doors


<< Skoorb, 15 years ago people said the same exact thing about Volkswagen. Look at VW now. >>


True.

Hyundai has very much come up in the past few years. Still, I'm definitely taking resale value into account during my decision-making process...
 
ElFenix

ElFenix

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Mar 20, 2000
102,407
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<< yea 181 does seem kinda weak from a v6 >>

not a 2.7 liter v6. i'd rather know the torque and what rpm it hits it at.
 
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b0mbrman

Lifer
Jun 1, 2001
29,470
1
81


<<

<< yea 181 does seem kinda weak from a v6 >>

not a 2.7 liter v6. i'd rather know the torque and what rpm it hits it at. >>


177 lb-ft@4000 rpm

Radeon: Found a great set of reviews for this and the other cars you're looking at here
 
StageLeft

StageLeft

No Lifer
Sep 29, 2000
70,150
5
0


<< Skoorb, 15 years ago people said the same exact thing about Volkswagen. Look at VW now. >>

15 years ago it was true :)
 
R

Rent

Diamond Member
Aug 8, 2000
7,127
1
81


<< V6s don't belong in smaller, inexpensive sport coupes: they are heavy and lead to weaker handling and understeer. A high-revving 2.0L 4cyl may not have the torque output of a V6, but it's alot easier to make a car tossable with a lighter engine. You'll also get better gas mileage, cheaper maintenance, cheaper insurance. My 4cyl 5spd Accord may only have 152hp but it weighs about 250 pounds less than the 200hp V6 auto and the weight distribution is better. It's also rated 26mpg city versus 20mpg city. >>



I agree with this pretty much... my Beretta has the 2.8L V6 and its just not good for milage.

b0mberman

Your local dealer had a SVT Focus? :Q They don't have them here yet :(
 
R

Rent

Diamond Member
Aug 8, 2000
7,127
1
81


<<

<<

<< yea 181 does seem kinda weak from a v6 >>

not a 2.7 liter v6. i'd rather know the torque and what rpm it hits it at. >>


177 lb-ft@4000 rpm

Radeon: Found a great set of reviews for this and the other cars you're looking at here >>



Yup, I've read it. Its actually what made me go test drive a Tibby :p

And that "gay mad power" was supposed to be gain :Q I think I was pretty tired at the time :p
 
B

b0mbrman

Lifer
Jun 1, 2001
29,470
1
81


<< b0mberman
Your local dealer had a SVT Focus? :Q They don't have them here yet :( >>


Nope, I drove a ZX3
 
R

Rent

Diamond Member
Aug 8, 2000
7,127
1
81


<<

<< b0mberman
Your local dealer had a SVT Focus? :Q They don't have them here yet :( >>


Nope, I drove a ZX3 >>



From what I'm reading, there is a entire world of difference between a ZX3 and the SVT. Guess I'll just have to wait and find out.
 
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