You're not wrong. I remember a mates parents having a cream 90s Hyundai Accent, what a soulless box it was. They're much better now but still somewhat cheap inside in my opinion and they're not cheap anymore.
@@chappy2121 Kia too both are replacing most mainstream Japanese cars sales hardly ever see Hondas and Toyotas on the roads where I live but lots of Kias and Hyundais
@@paulie-Gualtieri. yeah. Good finance deals I think. Once they get a bit older they become problematic, both Kia and Hyundai. My uncle gets them off the boat before they hit the dealers and some of them are right states. I won't be changing my Crown anytime soon that's for sure. 20yo and still going strong no issues
I always found these Hyundai's curiously handsome, and the reliability factor made them extra appealing. I remember feeling slightly jealous and simultaneously annoyed with a mate who had one but wasn't very impressed with it. Damn, should have made him an offer!
Aren't sporty cars supposed to be unreliable? Ferraris and Lamborghinis of old don't have a great rep, and if there's a car on the hard shoulder, it's a BMW / Audi / Jaguar / Range Rover.
@@benholroyd5221 Ah yes, we used to think sports cars were "naturally" unreliable...then the Japanese and Korean makers showed us they could be made reliable!😯 Who knew????
I had one of these for ten years. reved to 7.5 1st, 2nd and 3rd most days. It was also the most relyable rides I ever had :-) Serviced it every 5k miles because I drove it like I stole it lol. Never let me down ❤
I remember the time it was face lifted and thought “what!”. But time has been kind I think and it looks great New cars today look swollen and bloated so I think this is what makes this seem so attractive Great review as always thank you
I believe it was based on Elantra and a friend of mine did with his 1999 Elatra 1.8i more than 300.000 km with no issues at all. Hyundai has always been a serious company. Lovely little coupe.
I had the F2 Evo version. Loved it. Mine was an auto but it didn't take anything away from it, you had a switch on the stick to turn off the overdrive to boot it out of bends. The Evo was slightly pepped up with 150hp. The cruise control was brilliant. I once drove from Dagenham to Doncaster without using my feet. I put 24k miles on it in a year. Brilliant little car. 👍
Great to see you back in a Hyundai Coupé. Equally great to see not just a full size spare wheel but a full size alloy one. My 1999 Atoz was equally blessed.
Perfect starter modern classic, good leftfield choice, even if you weren't 100% on the styling bet as soon as you drive and live with it you'll be won over and if it's continued to be maintained like it has been should last forever!
Really enjoyed this video. I owned a T-reg Gen 1 2.0 SE for 3 years and found it to be a very appealing, willing and incredibly reliable car - your review was absolutely spot on! Yes the plastics are hard to touch and it did feel a little low rent and the headroom was dreadful for backseat passengers but Hyundai were in their early days they and had to start somewhere. The only thing that went wrong was the driver’s window regulator failed but a new £90 genuine Hyundai part and a Saturday on the drive fixed that. The handling was excellent - I owned a Puma too and Hyundai was genuinely fun to drive and handled well! The 2.0 was particularly torquey and no matter how hard you drove it, it seemed to average 30mpg! And people always thought it was a Celica 🤣 great video Matt, feel very nostalgic about my old Coupe!
Really fantastic cars! I currently have the pre-facelift F2 Evo model (owned for nearly 5 years!), and it's a complete hoot to drive. My 4th Coupe (3 mk1's and a mk3 - the mk3 just felt too 'grown-up' and heavy for my liking though!), it's on nearly 135k miles and as you say just super reliable! Also completely agree that rust is the nemesis of these - check the sills fairly regularly though and it'll be safe! Great drivers cars for sure!
I remember going with my dad to look at a pre face lift model in the 90s. I agree they were better looking. That facelift front end still looks unusual to me but Hyundai were not the only manufacturer to get the facelift a bit wrong. All Hyundai of that time including the Accent and Elantra were great value for money.
An excellent review as always Matt. I was never particularly interested in the Hyundai Coupe as it was front wheel drive. As someone has already mentioned, if it had been rear wheel drive it would have been an excellent rival to some of the other coupes available at the time. Especially if it had been available in turbocharged guise. I always thought Hyundai missed a trick by not releasing the Genesis Coupe in right hand drive as it was superb.
Very interesting video, Matt. Here in Canada, the first Hyundai we saw was the rear wheel drive Pony. They were inexpensive, but surprisingly good to drive. I always thought it a shame when the replacement was front wheel drive. I often wondered how the Coupé would have faired had they had a well sorted rear wheel drive platform under it. Knowing how good this model is, I think Hyundai could have made a car to beat almost any of the competition. Mechanical items were robust indeed, especially considering the low cost of entry. Too bad the rust resistance was not much more than negligible. I haven't seen one of these for years.
A lot of these cars were not eaten by salt in North America, but repurposed to Latin America. In Costa Rica, there is a small fleet of these cars with well over 100,000 miles, trading well in excess of US$3,000. Canadian models are considered desirable as they are equipped with metric instruments and guides, with the usual North American kit.
I drive the F2 version of the RD1, in the bright blue they did for the F2, known as Hyundai Racing Blue (Like 968 Club Sport Blue!) It's my second one, I had my fist F2 since 2003, but the rust eventually killed it at 170k miles. Good reliable cars, especially the engines. I think cambelt swaps are optional... they never seem to break them! Only weak spots are wheel bearings and sticky handbrake mechism and sticky rear calipers... the MOT man normally has a grumble about those. Handling is excellent... Hyundai contracted Porsche to help develop the chassis from the Lantra base, to make it more sporty. They werer a great rally car too, there was a works team from Hyundai competing in these from 97 to 98 in the F2 class in the WRC, which is where my version got its' name.
Love the racing blue of the F2. Currently have a silver F2 Evo on 135k miles, unbeatable reliability, only things I've ever had done are old car things like replacement clutch and timing belt. It's still going strong and with no rust on the rear arches (pop the car on the ramp every 3-6 months to check the sills is the best advice, as it starts from the sills and spreads fast up into the arches).
Always specifically liked the next newer shape compared to virtually every other make and model of coupe at the time rather like the earlier and late Toyota Celica's as well.
The 90s were a bad time for car design, the awful blobby ovoid theme from interior to exteriors. Never liked mondeos,escorts shapes from that time either.
I agree with you. They were copying the Celica and Integra double bug-eye design, but instead they should have just kept the original design, invested that money in a Tiburon turbo sports version like Porsche did with the Boxster S or VW Beetle Turbo S.
This car is so practical it reminds me of my Alfa GT (though my car has slightly heavier controls). The next time you are in a challenge with a car you like, do what everyone else does; sell it to someone you know, and then buy it back almost immediately! 🤣
I always saw it was a discount version of the Celica T200, which is a compliment. Lot's of car and kit for you money back then. And it was decent looking. Interior looks like a stereo from the late 90s early 00s. All the silver plastic gives it that feel.
It was called the Hyundai S Coupe in Aus, at least for a while, I'd never heard Tiburon until now but according to Google it was sold here as the Tiburon.
It was called the "Tiburon" in the US and the commercials emphasized its sharkiness. My big memory of it was the announcer shouting its name in Mobil 1 Rally Championship 2000.
This Hyundai was a really good effort from them. They really put a lot of effort for what it is basically a very cheap and practical coupé. If this had a Toyota badge or a Honda badge it would have fanboys swarming over them. It really is cheap thrills.
The middle blank button in the middle of the fog lights by the digital clock was the switch for the optional rear window wiper. I had a ‘01 as my first car that had all the options and bells and whistles. I miss it.
Here's a humble tip; you could try using a wide angle lens for the interior pov shots, would look much better I would say! i like the new interior tour format, always preferred this type of review!
Another excellent review all it. I will have to have a chat with you when we meet at some point as I’m looking at a classic car and could do with your idea and thought on my top 5. 👍👍keep up the great work man
The mark1 was beautiful for its time and the Siii at the end was particularly attractive, it was a shame it didn't have the outright performance to meet the styling though. I certainly miss Hypotension from your fleet however like your C Class estate it would have made for very little bodging content
The thing i find with Hyundais and most Korean Cars are that they are very Underrated, These would of been from a Time when Korea where Showing how serious they where being. Regarding the indicators, The Kia Sedona Had the same set up right until 2006.
Hi Matt, great review of this one,the Hyundai Coupe RD2,nice looking car for the mileage it's low.the next buyer will like it.the alloys seem like the wolfrace ones.
Hyundai Coupe 2001-2006 Best starter car for teenagers , under 1000€ . Even slowest engine which is 1.6 is enough fast to drive normaly. I will own one soon , i just can't wait 😊
At the time, I could not believe how they made the pretty Mk.1 into such a awkward monstrosity at the front. I must concede however that time does seem to have been kind to this shape and it doesn't really offend me now!
@@KammbronnRC I found it fun to drive, even with just the standard 1.5ltr, but mine had been put on coilovers, was very easy to throw around and bring back under control.
I’ve looked over a few Korean cars when my daughters and sister were looking for a motor, and both Kia and Hyundai seem to suffer rust underneath at an alarmingly early age.
I always felt these were reasonably well styled at the rear, but the front end, particularly with its high sided wings making those wheels look like casters, was a bit of a styling let down for me.
In November 1999 while shopping for a new car, on the Hyundai lot, they had a few leftover 99s and the 00s were just arriving. Upon seeing the 00, knew that I had to make a deal for a leftover 99! Was not a fan of the RD2 at all. Scared rabbit face, and faux Audi TT plastic interior bits. Nicer sounding exhaust though. Couple points: - that probably is the factory radio, my 99 had a similar looking Pioneer unit from the factory. - funny that they swapped the signal stalk, because it was on the left on my LHD model Ultimately got rid of it after 3 years, as the headroom was insufficient for me at 6'3" (only really discovered this after driving it for a while), and it was just too noisy inside for my long-ish highway commute. That plastic headliner, plus the leather seats gave it the same acoustic qualities of a shower stall. All around solid car though, no complaints. I just wanted something more refined. It's a shame that this kind of car basically does not exist any more, except in the Veloster! (sporty yet practical FWD 2dr hatch)
It's a shame that lot of non executive car companies don't make Coupe's anymore ( they often always looked attractive ). Apart from the Toyota GT86 but I guess with Toyota & Nissan, Sport's Cars have always been one of their signature dishes as it were.
@ furiousdriving I'm curious as to why you complain about indicator stalks on the right hand side in the UK. I come from Australia & nearly all our cars have indicators on the right hand side for a right hand drive market. I personally hate indicators on the left hand side. Even my Rover 75 has indicators on the right hand side for the Australian market.
Korean Ferrari? Hhmmmm, maybe Korean Capri. The styling has aged pretty well reall. Noot too bad at all. There are so many cars that have been old and cheap for so long they've become extinct or, at best, very rare. We should start a Furiousdriving "Save the ordinary cars" fund. Look at the values of Allegros and Cortinas to see what happens to all the "dull" stuff we used to see everywhere.
My daughter ordered one from new as a company car and thought 'green' would be a subtle metallic - but it was a shade like something from a child's paintbox and was forever known as 'the flying bogey'. The interior was a symphony of nasty plastic - she changed her job - possibly so she wouldn't have to it drive again...
Massive success in Spain, quickly linked to boy racers. Attractive design despite those front lighs, putting the bigger lights closer to the exterior edge would have made it less ackward.
I really like these. The styling borrows quite heavily in my opinion from the 1990-94 Toyota Celica. With the coupé also being available with a 1.6 litre engine, it would have been insurance friendly. Furthermore, it was a bit like the Ford Capri with a decent choice of engines, especially the 2003-2009 coupé which also offered a 2.7 V6 engine as well as a 1.6 and 2.0! It's a shame that Hyundai - and most other non premium marques for that matter - no longer offer a coupé as part of their range of cars.
You said the indicators on the right are unusual on that age, Suzuki had them on the Ignis until the 2007 model I belive and on the Swift until around 2003
I was interested in a Mk 1 around '97. Banana yellow. Looked great in the Hyundai showroom. Only a 1.5L if I recall? Sheep in wolf's clothing. Bit cramped for me though at 6'3". Got a 1.4L Fiesta Zetec instead.
These Coupes are I think the successors of the older Tiburon. I would like to get a ride in one of these, especially in the V6 version .. question is; is the V6 as reliable as the I4 engines? Pretty much the older (millenial I suppose) four pots are relatively purse friendly. I got a Hyundai with a 1.3 liter .. And aside a bit of oil consumption (worn valve seals possibly), it just goes. No boogie, single overhead camshaft, whole assembly produces 80-ish ponies worth of power.. but it is a frugal little wonder. Achieves over 48 MPG when used sparingly outside rural areas, which makes it a choice for long distance travels. The shape of the Coupe for me is just a timeless amalgamation of the era .. a bit of a traditional Celica in the back, a bit of the Yamaha-engined version in the front, yet some distinct Hyundai desing here and there (tail lamps? .. mirrors are reminding me of the Accent's mirrors).. look at the dials .. did not Daewoo put similar in the Lanos? While it may even be a bit quirky or alien - it certainly is outstanding by today's aerodynamically homogeneous design trend. PS: I forgot manners; Thank you for the video, Matt ! :)
I bought my mothers 2002 Hyundai Santa Fe V6 automatic to get to work, it likes fuel a lot, but runs and runs, I got the rust in the rear trailing arms and had to change them missing the Hyundai replacement for free with half a year, well as it had just 180 000 km on the guage I thought it was worth the money to get new replacements WITH drains in the bottom, these rusted from the inside MOT in Sweden put the rust hammer through them! I did the replacing in my driveway and it works fine, next thing is replacing the lower front suspension arms, my brother had to tack weld one of the lower ballstuds( forgot the english name) to the arm, and this one is bad again. I got two new arms with the bad parts, I hope I got the right dimensions!? The only other things I have problems with is the electrics, the revcounter drops out sometimes, as it is an automatic it isn't especially important, the buttons on the climate system works when they feel like it! And as I saw in your video, the thing they saved money on was soundproofing, it is a noisy cabin. The plastic materials does not help stop sounds bouncing around the coupé! Otherwise it is a car that just works! :)
Very nice review! I wonder how your vehicle is faring with its current owner? The coupé is now part of the Genesis line. A excellent example of a well-loved, very low mileage Hyundai. If looked after like this, should give you years of pleasurable driving!
Hyundai stuck with the right hand indicators at least up to 2010 I would say. We briefly had an '04 -'09 generation Tucson (can't remember the exact year of ours but I think it was a later one) which still had indicators on the right and wipers on the left.
A lack of Tea shelf compensated by decent cup holders, no use if an Espresso drinker though. Dashboard looks to be a stretch to reach, Right hand indicator stalk is OK for me as I've lost count of the times put the wipers on instead of the indicator in cars with left hand ones. Always thought they were weird looking when they came out but has grown on one now.
I am looking everywhere here in Sweden for one of theese and I cant for the life of me find a good example for sale :( Its something about this car that just speaks to me for some reason haha
Good morning I had a test Drive of the mark 1 when it first came out I was impressed didn’t buy one just didn’t suit what I needed,the facelift to me butchered the shape
True, true. Reliable, really, surprisingly unbreakable thing. Undeniable ugly, not very fast, but really good car. On good tires (and susspension in good condition) it's really hard to make it slip in the corner. I'm going to take my one to junkyard very soon, unfortunatelly - the rust ate corosion... :D
Less said about the front the better, if I was considering paying a premium because of the low mileage I would be looking for MOT mileage history & not just the odometer.
A car that you can rely on, a car you can trust. Coupe, Sportscar or saloon, no one really wants a car that breaks. Coincidentally, you did meet a Japanese Hino Lorry at about 18.30 minutes. Thought it was a building supplier but it was actually a light Crane. The point is that I will wager that, like the Hyundai, the Hino will be endlessly reliable. Maybe not sexy or very fast or comfortable but won't break. This forgotten Hyundai Coupe has been cossited and should remain so because of a knowledgeable owner who recognised something a bit special. My Dad's 1989 Camry 2.0 litre only had 125 bhp and she went like a scalded cat, so 140 bhp is plenty.
Like the way your reviewing a classic that's currently for sale, giving anybody at least the chance to get to own it virtually immediately.
Today Hyundai has come on leaps and bounds in terms of their quailty, fit and finish. Decent looking car for it's time and has a charm about it.
You're not wrong. I remember a mates parents having a cream 90s Hyundai Accent, what a soulless box it was. They're much better now but still somewhat cheap inside in my opinion and they're not cheap anymore.
@@chappy2121
Kia too both are replacing most mainstream Japanese cars sales hardly ever see Hondas and Toyotas on the roads where I live but lots of Kias and Hyundais
@@paulie-Gualtieri. yeah. Good finance deals I think. Once they get a bit older they become problematic, both Kia and Hyundai. My uncle gets them off the boat before they hit the dealers and some of them are right states. I won't be changing my Crown anytime soon that's for sure. 20yo and still going strong no issues
@@paulie-Gualtieri. I live in the South of the UK but I see alot more Toyotas, Hondas and generally Japanese cars than South Korean cars
This is for me by far the best version of this Coupe
I always found these Hyundai's curiously handsome, and the reliability factor made them extra appealing. I remember feeling slightly jealous and simultaneously annoyed with a mate who had one but wasn't very impressed with it. Damn, should have made him an offer!
Aren't sporty cars supposed to be unreliable? Ferraris and Lamborghinis of old don't have a great rep, and if there's a car on the hard shoulder, it's a BMW / Audi / Jaguar / Range Rover.
@@benholroyd5221 Ah yes, we used to think sports cars were "naturally" unreliable...then the Japanese and Korean makers showed us they could be made reliable!😯 Who knew????
I had one of these for ten years. reved to 7.5 1st, 2nd and 3rd most days. It was also the most relyable rides I ever had :-) Serviced it every 5k miles because I drove it like I stole it lol. Never let me down ❤
Such a good looking car and so very underrated.
The successor to this, was x1000 better looking.
@@Zanzibar2Far agreed, this gen still looks very classy though
@@Zanzibar2Far in my opinion, this one is the best looking hyundai coupe. It also has very different driving to its successors which are heavier
I remember the time it was face lifted and thought “what!”. But time has been kind I think and it looks great
New cars today look swollen and bloated so I think this is what makes this seem so attractive
Great review as always thank you
I believe it was based on Elantra and a friend of mine did with his 1999 Elatra 1.8i more than 300.000 km with no issues at all. Hyundai has always been a serious company. Lovely little coupe.
It’s mph
@@louisbeerreviews8964 mph what ?
how is the gas mileage?
@@emran721 Pretty poor in City but decent on highway.
@@emran721 Around 9 to 10 liters per 100 km.
I had the F2 Evo version. Loved it. Mine was an auto but it didn't take anything away from it, you had a switch on the stick to turn off the overdrive to boot it out of bends. The Evo was slightly pepped up with 150hp. The cruise control was brilliant. I once drove from Dagenham to Doncaster without using my feet. I put 24k miles on it in a year. Brilliant little car. 👍
I've just purchase one for summer just like this one I love it don't see many on the road and a lot different and fun to drive keep up the good work
Great to see you back in a Hyundai Coupé. Equally great to see not just a full size spare wheel but a full size alloy one. My 1999 Atoz was equally blessed.
Perfect starter modern classic, good leftfield choice, even if you weren't 100% on the styling bet as soon as you drive and live with it you'll be won over and if it's continued to be maintained like it has been should last forever!
Really enjoyed this video. I owned a T-reg Gen 1 2.0 SE for 3 years and found it to be a very appealing, willing and incredibly reliable car - your review was absolutely spot on! Yes the plastics are hard to touch and it did feel a little low rent and the headroom was dreadful for backseat passengers but Hyundai were in their early days they and had to start somewhere. The only thing that went wrong was the driver’s window regulator failed but a new £90 genuine Hyundai part and a Saturday on the drive fixed that. The handling was excellent - I owned a Puma too and Hyundai was genuinely fun to drive and handled well! The 2.0 was particularly torquey and no matter how hard you drove it, it seemed to average 30mpg! And people always thought it was a Celica 🤣 great video Matt, feel very nostalgic about my old Coupe!
I have a 2016 i30 and absolutely love it, its my second i30 as well. Love the 2L it has.
Nice car, I love Korean cars, they just do what it says on the tin without fuss, ultra reliable
If MiniDisc were a car, this would be it.
Always liked this car - and I still do. Looks good and well engineered 👍 Great review as always 👍
Still a great looking car today, another cracking review. Weird to see a car with a anologue trip and mileometer instead of a digital one in 2001.
Really fantastic cars! I currently have the pre-facelift F2 Evo model (owned for nearly 5 years!), and it's a complete hoot to drive. My 4th Coupe (3 mk1's and a mk3 - the mk3 just felt too 'grown-up' and heavy for my liking though!), it's on nearly 135k miles and as you say just super reliable! Also completely agree that rust is the nemesis of these - check the sills fairly regularly though and it'll be safe! Great drivers cars for sure!
I remember going with my dad to look at a pre face lift model in the 90s. I agree they were better looking. That facelift front end still looks unusual to me but Hyundai were not the only manufacturer to get the facelift a bit wrong.
All Hyundai of that time including the Accent and Elantra were great value for money.
When Korea started to make fun and reliable cars, I always liked it.
Pre face lift headlights look better and facelift tail lights look the best out of the two!
Fab video. Love these cars but prefer the one that came after it. Such amazing styling.
An excellent review as always Matt. I was never particularly interested in the Hyundai Coupe as it was front wheel drive. As someone has already mentioned, if it had been rear wheel drive it would have been an excellent rival to some of the other coupes available at the time. Especially if it had been available in turbocharged guise. I always thought Hyundai missed a trick by not releasing the Genesis Coupe in right hand drive as it was superb.
Very interesting video, Matt. Here in Canada, the first Hyundai we saw was the rear wheel drive Pony. They were inexpensive, but surprisingly good to drive. I always thought it a shame when the replacement was front wheel drive. I often wondered how the Coupé would have faired had they had a well sorted rear wheel drive platform under it. Knowing how good this model is, I think Hyundai could have made a car to beat almost any of the competition. Mechanical items were robust indeed, especially considering the low cost of entry. Too bad the rust resistance was not much more than negligible. I haven't seen one of these for years.
They were incredibly reliable cars, you can see how they've developed over the last few years to improve contstantly
A lot of these cars were not eaten by salt in North America, but repurposed to Latin America. In Costa Rica, there is a small fleet of these cars with well over 100,000 miles, trading well in excess of US$3,000. Canadian models are considered desirable as they are equipped with metric instruments and guides, with the usual North American kit.
From mememory they were fitted with either Clarion or Sony audio head units. Hyundai at their best, unlike today's Euro boxes.
I drive the F2 version of the RD1, in the bright blue they did for the F2, known as Hyundai Racing Blue (Like 968 Club Sport Blue!) It's my second one, I had my fist F2 since 2003, but the rust eventually killed it at 170k miles. Good reliable cars, especially the engines. I think cambelt swaps are optional... they never seem to break them! Only weak spots are wheel bearings and sticky handbrake mechism and sticky rear calipers... the MOT man normally has a grumble about those. Handling is excellent... Hyundai contracted Porsche to help develop the chassis from the Lantra base, to make it more sporty. They werer a great rally car too, there was a works team from Hyundai competing in these from 97 to 98 in the F2 class in the WRC, which is where my version got its' name.
Love the racing blue of the F2. Currently have a silver F2 Evo on 135k miles, unbeatable reliability, only things I've ever had done are old car things like replacement clutch and timing belt. It's still going strong and with no rust on the rear arches (pop the car on the ramp every 3-6 months to check the sills is the best advice, as it starts from the sills and spreads fast up into the arches).
Always specifically liked the next newer shape compared to virtually every other make and model of coupe at the time rather like the earlier and late Toyota Celica's as well.
One really has to wonder what Hyundai were trying to achieve when they face-lifted this car
The 90s were a bad time for car design, the awful blobby ovoid theme from interior to exteriors. Never liked mondeos,escorts shapes from that time either.
@@tz6414 That's wholly subjective.
Attention. Polarizing attention. And they got it.
@@tz6414 Don't agree. I can think of a lot of sharp looking Japanese cars from the 90's.
I agree with you. They were copying the Celica and Integra double bug-eye design, but instead they should have just kept the original design, invested that money in a Tiburon turbo sports version like Porsche did with the Boxster S or VW Beetle Turbo S.
This car is so practical it reminds me of my Alfa GT (though my car has slightly heavier controls). The next time you are in a challenge with a car you like, do what everyone else does; sell it to someone you know, and then buy it back almost immediately! 🤣
I always saw it was a discount version of the Celica T200, which is a compliment. Lot's of car and kit for you money back then. And it was decent looking. Interior looks like a stereo from the late 90s early 00s. All the silver plastic gives it that feel.
It was called the Hyundai S Coupe in Aus, at least for a while, I'd never heard Tiburon until now but according to Google it was sold here as the Tiburon.
It was called the "Tiburon" in the US and the commercials emphasized its sharkiness. My big memory of it was the announcer shouting its name in Mobil 1 Rally Championship 2000.
This Hyundai was a really good effort from them. They really put a lot of effort for what it is basically a very cheap and practical coupé. If this had a Toyota badge or a Honda badge it would have fanboys swarming over them. It really is cheap thrills.
One of my favourite Coupe's was the Mazda MX6. I always liked the Hyundai Coupe especially the next generation.
The middle blank button in the middle of the fog lights by the digital clock was the switch for the optional rear window wiper. I had a ‘01 as my first car that had all the options and bells and whistles. I miss it.
At least that’s how it is in the US models. Idk how they have that arranged in the European models
Here's a humble tip; you could try using a wide angle lens for the interior pov shots, would look much better I would say! i like the new interior tour format, always preferred this type of review!
If it your thing
You are getting a cracking example of the breed for £4000, low miles and the 2 litre engine.
Another excellent review all it. I will have to have a chat with you when we meet at some point as I’m looking at a classic car and could do with your idea and thought on my top 5. 👍👍keep up the great work man
Very sleek looking the Hyundai Coupe Matty blast from the past korea do a nice little sporty coupe
I had a 2006 Kia Picanto once & that had the indicator stalk on the right.
Wow, as late as that!
Always wanted but never got a pre facelift. Cute in a weird kinda way.
Jealous. We never got the leather or the sunroof option here in New Zealand. I have driven a couple of these. They were great value.
Recently purchased one of these & have to say its considerably more fun than the 3series bmw i had. Only shame is getting replacement alarm phobs..
The mark1 was beautiful for its time and the Siii at the end was particularly attractive, it was a shame it didn't have the outright performance to meet the styling though.
I certainly miss Hypotension from your fleet however like your C Class estate it would have made for very little bodging content
The thing i find with Hyundais and most Korean Cars are that they are very Underrated, These would of been from a Time when Korea where Showing how serious they where being.
Regarding the indicators, The Kia Sedona Had the same set up right until 2006.
Hi Matt, great review of this one,the Hyundai Coupe RD2,nice looking car for the mileage it's low.the next buyer will like it.the alloys seem like the wolfrace ones.
Bad memories of Hyundai Coupes, lol.
In 1994 we got badly rear ended in our hired Hyundai SCoupe whilst on holiday in Florida.
Designers "we're struggling to think of a name for the new hatchback"
Marketing " we'll call it the Coupe"
And before that, the Scoupé...
I have and drive that model, its fantastic
Hyundai Coupe 2001-2006
Best starter car for teenagers , under 1000€ . Even slowest engine which is 1.6 is enough fast to drive normaly. I will own one soon , i just can't wait 😊
Tbh my uncle had one and it never stopped going wrong
Know I shouldnt like it but I really do.They did in butterscotch beige too!
At the time, I could not believe how they made the pretty Mk.1 into such a awkward monstrosity at the front. I must concede however that time does seem to have been kind to this shape and it doesn't really offend me now!
I think in 1999 the Toyota MR2 was a brilliant looking car and still is.
These are going up in price v6 is a nice one 🤓👍
Bit marmite. I'm on the 'it is ugly' side of the fence but that's just my own opinion. Nice review Matt
Would like to see someone review the S Coupe that came before, I know I've seen negative stuff said about them, but I enjoyed mine.
@@KammbronnRC Wish I still had mine.
@@KammbronnRC I found it fun to drive, even with just the standard 1.5ltr, but mine had been put on coilovers, was very easy to throw around and bring back under control.
I’ve looked over a few Korean cars when my daughters and sister were looking for a motor, and both Kia and Hyundai seem to suffer rust underneath at an alarmingly early age.
I always felt these were reasonably well styled at the rear, but the front end, particularly with its high sided wings making those wheels look like casters, was a bit of a styling let down for me.
If I was going to go for something like this, I'd have the later V6.
Excellent review again 👌
This model should be a classic one day.For engineering.
In November 1999 while shopping for a new car, on the Hyundai lot, they had a few leftover 99s and the 00s were just arriving. Upon seeing the 00, knew that I had to make a deal for a leftover 99! Was not a fan of the RD2 at all. Scared rabbit face, and faux Audi TT plastic interior bits. Nicer sounding exhaust though.
Couple points:
- that probably is the factory radio, my 99 had a similar looking Pioneer unit from the factory.
- funny that they swapped the signal stalk, because it was on the left on my LHD model
Ultimately got rid of it after 3 years, as the headroom was insufficient for me at 6'3" (only really discovered this after driving it for a while), and it was just too noisy inside for my long-ish highway commute. That plastic headliner, plus the leather seats gave it the same acoustic qualities of a shower stall. All around solid car though, no complaints. I just wanted something more refined.
It's a shame that this kind of car basically does not exist any more, except in the Veloster! (sporty yet practical FWD 2dr hatch)
It's a shame that lot of non executive car companies don't make Coupe's anymore ( they often always looked attractive ). Apart from the Toyota GT86 but I guess with Toyota & Nissan, Sport's Cars have always been one of their signature dishes as it were.
The shape doesn't seem anywhere near as pleasing to me as the next model specifically from the side.
@ furiousdriving I'm curious as to why you complain about indicator stalks on the right hand side in the UK.
I come from Australia & nearly all our cars have indicators on the right hand side for a right hand drive market.
I personally hate indicators on the left hand side. Even my Rover 75 has indicators on the right hand side for the Australian market.
i learned to drive in a hyundi getz of that era with the indicators on the wrong side bit of a faff to get used to
Modern classics are a good deal and good fun! Hope you are going to test drive the Ami 8 currently at stone cold classics??? Mmmm
One might term this "heroic" interior design - it's a sports car (did you get it, did you get it??). "Let's go with striking", indeed :)
Korean Ferrari? Hhmmmm, maybe Korean Capri. The styling has aged pretty well reall. Noot too bad at all. There are so many cars that have been old and cheap for so long they've become extinct or, at best, very rare. We should start a Furiousdriving "Save the ordinary cars" fund. Look at the values of Allegros and Cortinas to see what happens to all the "dull" stuff we used to see everywhere.
I believe the design was offered to Ferrari before Hyundai took it up 🤔
@@apassionfortangling3671 🥺
My daughter ordered one from new as a company car and thought 'green' would be a subtle metallic - but it was a shade like something from a child's paintbox and was forever known as 'the flying bogey'. The interior was a symphony of nasty plastic - she changed her job - possibly so she wouldn't have to it drive again...
Massive success in Spain, quickly linked to boy racers. Attractive design despite those front lighs, putting the bigger lights closer to the exterior edge would have made it less ackward.
I really like these. The styling borrows quite heavily in my opinion from the 1990-94 Toyota Celica.
With the coupé also being available with a 1.6 litre engine, it would have been insurance friendly. Furthermore, it was a bit like the Ford Capri with a decent choice of engines, especially the 2003-2009 coupé which also offered a 2.7 V6 engine as well as a 1.6 and 2.0!
It's a shame that Hyundai - and most other non premium marques for that matter - no longer offer a coupé as part of their range of cars.
Loved my RD2, super reliable engine, shame the back arches just dissolve away..
Love this car
Newer Kias have indicator/ light stalk on the right-hand side.
You said the indicators on the right are unusual on that age, Suzuki had them on the Ignis until the 2007 model I belive and on the Swift until around 2003
I nearly bought a coupe v6 when you had yours but ended up getting a mk1 volvo c70 coupe
I was interested in a Mk 1 around '97. Banana yellow. Looked great in the Hyundai showroom. Only a 1.5L if I recall? Sheep in wolf's clothing. Bit cramped for me though at 6'3". Got a 1.4L Fiesta Zetec instead.
Had one from new cobalt blue x reg lovely car.
Very rare car 👍
Give me a sweetie draw Matt anytime over a dirty stinking ashtray completely agree , lovely condition car too 👍🏻
Sexy in an over the top way particularly the first model.
Engine is bomb proof and sounds appealing.
My 2007 Kia Ceed has right hand indicators but I believe they were switched to the left with the facelift.
These Coupes are I think the successors of the older Tiburon. I would like to get a ride in one of these, especially in the V6 version .. question is; is the V6 as reliable as the I4 engines?
Pretty much the older (millenial I suppose) four pots are relatively purse friendly. I got a Hyundai with a 1.3 liter .. And aside a bit of oil consumption (worn valve seals possibly), it just goes.
No boogie, single overhead camshaft, whole assembly produces 80-ish ponies worth of power.. but it is a frugal little wonder. Achieves over 48 MPG when used sparingly outside rural areas, which makes it a choice for long distance travels.
The shape of the Coupe for me is just a timeless amalgamation of the era .. a bit of a traditional Celica in the back, a bit of the Yamaha-engined version in the front, yet some distinct Hyundai desing here and there (tail lamps? .. mirrors are reminding me of the Accent's mirrors).. look at the dials .. did not Daewoo put similar in the Lanos?
While it may even be a bit quirky or alien - it certainly is outstanding by today's aerodynamically homogeneous design trend.
PS: I forgot manners; Thank you for the video, Matt ! :)
I bought my mothers 2002 Hyundai Santa Fe V6 automatic to get to work, it likes fuel a lot, but runs and runs, I got the rust in the rear trailing arms and had to change them missing the Hyundai replacement for free with half a year, well as it had just 180 000 km on the guage I thought it was worth the money to get new replacements WITH drains in the bottom, these rusted from the inside MOT in Sweden put the rust hammer through them! I did the replacing in my driveway and it works fine, next thing is replacing the lower front suspension arms, my brother had to tack weld one of the lower ballstuds( forgot the english name) to the arm, and this one is bad again. I got two new arms with the bad parts, I hope I got the right dimensions!? The only other things I have problems with is the electrics, the revcounter drops out sometimes, as it is an automatic it isn't especially important, the buttons on the climate system works when they feel like it! And as I saw in your video, the thing they saved money on was soundproofing, it is a noisy cabin. The plastic materials does not help stop sounds bouncing around the coupé! Otherwise it is a car that just works! :)
Very nice review!
I wonder how your vehicle is faring with its current owner?
The coupé is now part of the Genesis line.
A excellent example of a well-loved, very low mileage Hyundai. If looked after like this, should give you years of pleasurable driving!
Hyundai stuck with the right hand indicators at least up to 2010 I would say. We briefly had an '04 -'09 generation Tucson (can't remember the exact year of ours but I think it was a later one) which still had indicators on the right and wipers on the left.
A lack of Tea shelf compensated by decent cup holders, no use if an Espresso drinker though. Dashboard looks to be a stretch to reach, Right hand indicator stalk is OK for me as I've lost count of the times put the wipers on instead of the indicator in cars with left hand ones. Always thought they were weird looking when they came out but has grown on one now.
It’s not tea self
I am looking everywhere here in Sweden for one of theese and I cant for the life of me find a good example for sale :( Its something about this car that just speaks to me for some reason haha
Good morning I had a test Drive of the mark 1 when it first came out I was impressed didn’t buy one just didn’t suit what I needed,the facelift to me butchered the shape
Remember these were fairly hyped but I always preferred the Fiat Coupe and probably still do.
True, true. Reliable, really, surprisingly unbreakable thing. Undeniable ugly, not very fast, but really good car. On good tires (and susspension in good condition) it's really hard to make it slip in the corner. I'm going to take my one to junkyard very soon, unfortunatelly - the rust ate corosion... :D
I don't like the indicator and wiper stalks though. They look like they could quite easily snap in your hands
Best way into the coupe market
If i recall these use old mutsubishi engine, is it possible to swap in an fto 2l v6 mivec and get 230 bhp
I had one, about 10 years ago. I paid next to nothing for it, put 40k never missed a beat.
Less said about the front the better, if I was considering paying a premium because of the low mileage I would be looking for MOT mileage history & not just the odometer.
A car that you can rely on, a car you can trust. Coupe, Sportscar or saloon, no one really wants a car that breaks. Coincidentally, you did meet a Japanese Hino Lorry at about 18.30 minutes. Thought it was a building supplier but it was actually a light Crane. The point is that I will wager that, like the Hyundai, the Hino will be endlessly reliable. Maybe not sexy or very fast or comfortable but won't break.
This forgotten Hyundai Coupe has been cossited and should remain so because of a knowledgeable owner who recognised something a bit special. My Dad's 1989 Camry 2.0 litre only had 125 bhp and she went like a scalded cat, so 140 bhp is plenty.
Love the clock = bomb timer comment!