The car i am buying next week.

[Time_Attack]

I think those Sonics are a bit ugly. We've just got a few of them in at work and I had no idea what they were at first. I also didn't know they have a 1.4 turbo. They may end up growing on me a little.

Nothing could be any worse looking than that Hyundai thing. It looks like a dog ate some vomit, pooped it out, ate it again and then finally re-vomited the vomit turd.

 

[Perfect Balance]

The Veloster is a weird car. Hyundai has been very good with reliability, but I'm not really feeling the Veloster. We got a few in a few days ago at work, and I think they've all been sold already, but I'm not sold on it. Also, it's underpowered like the rest of them. 106bhp? I think?

 

[eSZee]

Veloster is ~140hp.

The sonic looks good, I'll admit it, but with zero data on it, I'm just seeing AveoIII.

 

[Murcie_LP640]

Just for people who do not know what Hyundai we're talking about:

How is ^ that not a better car all around? Just sayin'...

Also, it's underpowered like the rest of them. 106bhp? I think?

There's your answer. Every single review I've read on the Veloster has commented on the fact that a sporty car like the Veloster really needed the new, more powerful engine from the Elantra in it because the engine that is in it is pretty weedy.

 

[PureAwesomeness]

PROBLEM?


This car is pretty clear evidence that GM knows what's going on. I much prefer it to the Fiesta and Fit (well, unless its the older and generally more-awesome Fit Sport), the price isn't bad, the power is right where it needs to be, and no one can really complain about 40 MPG.

But what do I know? I AM LE CRAZY.

That looks an awful lot like a Suzuki. Are they related?

 

[eSZee]

There's your answer. Every single review I've read on the Veloster has commented on the fact that a sporty car like the Veloster really needed the new, more powerful engine from the Elantra in it because the engine that is in it is pretty weedy.

Is the 10hp/8tq going to make such a huge difference? I doubt it.
TQ and HP peaks in both motors are within 50rpm.

 

[Time_Attack]

In a heavy small car like that I'd think so.

 

[Perfect Balance]

Veloster is ~140hp.

The sonic looks good, I'll admit it, but with zero data on it, I'm just seeing AveoIII.

I must have remembered a wrong number. I just remember looking at the sticker in the window when they came off the truck and seeing a number lower than I expected. Maybe it said 140 and I was expecting 170ish.

 

[eSZee]

I was expecting 170-180 range as well, but guessing they'll have a hopped up version sooner or later.

 

[Keef]

I would rather not have a manual.I'm just so wore out after work i want to get in, start the car and drive home with two hands on the wheel.

I feel you bruther. It's a chore driving a stick on those days when you'd rather be in bed. Even an easy stick like the Fit...it's so easy you're like, well why couldn't it just be that much easier and be an automatic. Plus, automatics are boring so I drive slower and get better mileage.

 

[ozyran]

On my old car(Saturn Ion) i had to put 3 Transmissions in the car and it's starting to sound weird again so i'm getting rid of it.

The first 2 happened under warranty,but the 3rd one i had to pay 3,500 dollars and the dealership split the payment.

So anytime i hear anything about transmission trouble i just stay away from just to be on the safe side.

Ouch. Well, I can certainly understand where you're coming from. Like I said, the '07 Fit Sport that I briefly owned was fun to drive, so I imagine you'll enjoy the new one.

 

[Time_Attack]

Because any car is slower with an automatic I find I drive faster when I drive one. Driving a manual car I simply plop the lever into 5th and cruise vs putting my foot down in order to feel like I'm moving alone at a decent clip.

 

[Starfirebird]

I feel you bruther. It's a chore driving a stick on those days when you'd rather be in bed. Even an easy stick like the Fit...it's so easy you're like, well why couldn't it just be that much easier and be an automatic. Plus, automatics are boring so I drive slower and get better mileage.

I'm the same way man.I'm almost 29 and i drive slower than my mother does.

If those Dual-Mode Paddle Shifters work well it might be a fun little thing to do on the backroads.

So i'll be bored on the highway getting good gas mileage then when i get to the backroads i just completely cancel out that gas mileage.Sounds like a plan This is if the paddle shifters work well.

Ouch. Well, I can certainly understand where you're coming from. Like I said, the '07 Fit Sport that I briefly owned was fun to drive, so I imagine you'll enjoy the new one.

The new one has 12 more horsepower than the '07 model i think.It tips the scales at 117HP .I'm dying to get the car so i can get on the backroads here in Tennessee.I'm calling them today just to see if they got it in early.

Silly question and sorry to be nosey.Was there a reason why you only briefly owned the '07 Fit Sport?

 

[JCE]

There's your answer. Every single review I've read on the Veloster has commented on the fact that a sporty car like the Veloster really needed the new, more powerful engine from the Elantra in it because the engine that is in it is pretty weedy.

http://www.edmunds.com/hyundai/veloster/2012/#fullreview

Introduction

An old adage says, "Fortune favors the bold." We wouldn't be too surprised if we saw that quote hanging above the designers who developed the 2012 Hyundai Veloster. The new Veloster is a brave interpretation of the modern hatchback, with sleek lines, aggressive details and an asymmetrical three-door layout. Yes, there are three real doors here, not two doors and a hatch or rear-hinged mini door. Hyundai achieved this by using a longer coupe-like door on the driver side and two smaller sedan-like doors on the passenger side. The idea here is that you get sporty coupe styling without sacrificing convenience.

Built on a heavily revised Elantra platform, the front-wheel-drive Veloster is powered by a new 1.6-liter direct-injected inline-4 good for 138 horsepower. Buyers have the choice of a six-speed manual transmission or a new six-speed automated dual-clutch transmission with shift paddles. It's an impressive powertrain either way, with sprightly performance (the Veloster only weighs about 2,600 pounds) and an estimated 40 mpg on the highway. A 208-hp turbocharged four-cylinder Veloster is even expected next year.

Powertrains and Performance

The 2012 Hyundai Veloster is powered by a 1.6-liter inline four-cylinder engine that produces 138 hp and 123 pound-feet of torque. A six-speed manual transmission is standard and an automated dual-clutch manual transmission (DCT) is available as an option. The DCT also includes steering-wheel-mounted shift paddles. Estimated fuel economy is 28 mpg city/40 mpg highway and 32 mpg in combined driving for the manual transmission. The DCT is rated at 29/38/32 mpg.

We have yet to put the Veloster through our battery of tests, but we estimate it will accelerate from a standstill to 60 mph in just under 8 seconds, which is on the quick side for hatchbacks in this price range.

Highlighted the good stuff for you. That turbo I4 should make this thing a good contender in the hot hatch segment here in the US. 👍

 

[eSZee]

If it stays under $22k$20k, yes.

 

[Murcie_LP640]

Highlighted the good stuff for you. That turbo I4 should make this thing a good contender in the hot hatch segment here in the US. 👍

That is all well and good, except for this bit:

We have yet to put the Veloster through our battery of tests, but we estimate it will accelerate from a standstill to 60 mph in just under 8 seconds, which is on the quick side for hatchbacks in this price range.

The reviews, including Motor, TGA, Car And Driver, and a few others picked off from a quick Google search, say that while the outputs suggest good performance considering its weight, that's not actually what happens considering its lack of low-end torque.

We only drove the Veloster with a six-speed manual, but it’s available with a new-for-Hyundai six-speed dual-clutch automatic. The shifter is perfectly pleasant to use, and the clutch takeup is smooth. But it’s not your left leg you’ll be worrying about. It’s your right leg that will be tired at the end of a drive, what with you trying to cram the accelerator through the floorboards. The so-called Gamma 1.6-liter direct-injection engine is a kindly enough motor, but it’s small and has low peak torque—123 lb-ft—at a high 4850 rpm. You have to work it over to make decent progress, and in our testing, the car needed 8.5 seconds to get to 60 mph. That’s more than 1.5 seconds slower to 60 mph than the Scion [tC]. The Veloster trundled through the quarter-mile in 16.7 seconds at 84 mph.

The engine's 138 horsepower output might seem impressive and more than enough, considering the Veloster's under-2,600-pound curb weight, but with a lack of low-rpm torque—as well as rather tall gearing with either transmission—this small car can feel sluggish from a standing start. But once revs rise—especially up to the 4,000-rpm range and above, the Veloster feels much quicker; whether you opt for the manual or the DCT, you'll be putting a lot of your right foot (and revs) into it to power away from lights and corners.

The six-speed manual is quick and smooth but, compared to the cream of the coupé crop, there's a general lack of fizz to the Veloster's handling, its dullness compounded by the direct injection, naturally aspirated four. It's a perfectly inoffensive engine, but it doesn't encourage your inner Stig.

The real weak spot for the Veloster is the engine. Despite a claimed 138 horsepower, the car feels down on grunt with the 6-speed manual gearbox (which was smooth, engaging and easy to operate in traffic), and absolutely abysmal with the 6-speed Dual Clutch Transmission. Even with quick shifts and a fairly seamless operation the DCT is poorly matched with this engine. Highway passing maneuvers are a farce, with the revs steadily climbing while the speedometer fails to move much. It makes an early model Miata seem speedy by comparison.

The Veloster is powered by the same 138 horsepower 1.6 liter direct-injected engine that powers the 2012 Accent. At 9.8 seconds, the Veloster's 0-60 run is more like a brisk walk. The Veloster can keep up in city traffic, but merging onto the freeway is a foot-to-the-floor affair and passing on two-lane roads requires a huge gap and a day or so of advanced planning. The Veloster would have been better off with the 1.8 liter engine from the Elantra. Hyundai has hinted heavily* that a hot-rod turbocharged version is on the way; that's all well and good, but the base-model Veloster still needs more power.

 

[CMvan46]

I still stand by your Fit. They truly are fantastic cars and your very likely to have little go wrong with it with proper care which I sense is what your looking for.

I work for Honda/Nissan dealership and the Fit wins over the Versa in my mind any day. I have driven most other cars talked about here other than the Hyundai and I can say I'd still choose the Fit.

I agree with you there is just not much known about the Hyundai yet and when you've had a bad experience with a car before why not go with something so throughly proven with fantastic gas mileage and great resale value.

 

[niky]

The reviews, including Motor, TGA, Car And Driver, and a few others picked off from a quick Google search, say that while the outputs suggest good performance considering its weight, that's not actually what happens considering its lack of low-end torque.

Since when has an 8.5 second 0-60 mph from a measly 1.6 liters been a bad thing? That's faster than C&D does with most 140-ish hp 1.8 liter vehicles...

I was impressed when I first tried out the 1.6 liter (our local Elantra comes with the 1.6 mated to a 6MT), great punchy little engine, matching the excellent Honda R18 for punch with less displacement. It's weedy compared to the bigger motors you get, but let's not forget, 1.6 is 1.6... the "hot" Veloster is likely to come a ways down the road...

 

[Murcie_LP640]

C&D was informed that the Scion tC was one of the competitors for the Veloster:

The Veloster circled our skidpad at a mediocre 0.82 g. The Scion tC, which Hyundai lists as a Veloster competitor, returns 0.86 g of grip. It’s a nice middle-ground tuning that should satisfy those looking for an economy car wearing a snazzy outfit.

The Veloster is 1.5 seconds off the pace.

And it's not ONLY the 0-60 time that is the issue here, as the other reviews point out.

 

[Starfirebird]

I still stand by your Fit. They truly are fantastic cars and your very likely to have little go wrong with it with proper care which I sense is what your looking for.

I work for Honda/Nissan dealership and the Fit wins over the Versa in my mind any day. I have driven most other cars talked about here other than the Hyundai and I can say I'd still choose the Fit.

I agree with you there is just not much known about the Hyundai yet and when you've had a bad experience with a car before why not go with something so throughly proven with fantastic gas mileage and great resale value.

Thanks for the added confidence in my purchase. 👍

I'm still playing the waiting game.Talked to them yesterday and they still have yet to receive my car.Hopefully i'll get it soon.

 

[Dan_]

I'm one more to support your purchase mate, I own a Fit since february and the car has surprised me with better fuel economy than expected, incredible practicality (it feels much wider inside than the Fiesta) and excellent city usability are obvious qualities to it too.

One downside it's the pretty poor low-end grunt, however the small iVTEC is pretty rev-happy and it is sufficiently grunty at the top end. Pretty good compact car, you won't regret your choice. 👍

 

[Starfirebird]

I'm one more to support your purchase mate, I own a Fit since february and the car has surprised me with better fuel economy than expected, incredible practicality (it feels much wider inside than the Fiesta) and excellent city usability are obvious qualities to it too.

One downside it's the pretty poor low-end grunt, however the small iVTEC is pretty rev-happy and it is sufficiently grunty at the top end. Pretty good compact car, you won't regret your choice. 👍

Nice man.

It's good to hear owner's who have said car are enjoying their purchase.It seems i've made the right decision on this car.

Oh and i still haven't heard anything from the Honda dealership.Called yesterday and left a message.

 

[disinfected]

PROBLEM?


This car is pretty clear evidence that GM knows what's going on. I much prefer it to the Fiesta and Fit (well, unless its the older and generally more-awesome Fit Sport), the price isn't bad, the power is right where it needs to be, and no one can really complain about 40 MPG.

But what do I know? I AM LE CRAZY.

Quite "le crazy" for suggesting something built in the Daewoo plant.

 

[niky]

Not quite sold on the Sonic yet.

The Cruze is twenty times the car the Forenza was... The Spark is ten times the car the old Spark/Matiz was...

But the Sonic seems to hew too close to the old Aveo to interest me...

---

Damn... how old is the Fit now? And it's still got the best space, one of the best engines and dynamics not far behind the Fiesta and Mazda2. Perfect little car.

 

[disinfected]

Not quite sold on the Sonic yet.

The Cruze is twenty times the car the Forenza was... The Spark is ten times the car the old Spark/Matiz was...

But the Sonic seems to hew too close to the old Aveo to interest me...

---

Damn... how old is the Fit now? And it's still got the best space, one of the best engines and dynamics not far behind the Fiesta and Mazda2. Perfect little car.

Of course the Cruze is produced in a different spot. The Spark is just another reincarnation of the Aveo/Lacetti/Reno/Forenza/Optra/Excelle piece of junk. Of course then again, maybe I'm bitter after having to take them to court for the lemon they sold me back in '06.

 

[niky]

You bought a Forenza/Optra/Lacetti? Condolences.

You know, they have therapy for that.

-

The Spark is based on the Matiz/Spark, but they've completely rebuilt the body (from 0 stars on the EuroNCAP to 4 stars in one generation) and the engines are all-new.

Some of the mechanicals still reek of cheapness... the gearshift, in particular, is as bad as in any old Daewoo... but the engines are, surprisingly, economical... though the bigger four-pot sounds just like the Cruze 1.8 at high revs... like a chainsaw-grenade.

 

[disinfected]

I took it back to the dealer eleven times within the first six months. Needless to say though, I won the case.

 

[boomee]

COngrats on the car Starfire

 

[ozyran]

The new one has 12 more horsepower than the '07 model i think.It tips the scales at 117HP .I'm dying to get the car so i can get on the backroads here in Tennessee.I'm calling them today just to see if they got it in early.

That will certainly liven the car up a bit. The older model was fun but I bet that one will be zippy(er) by comparison!

Silly question and sorry to be nosey.Was there a reason why you only briefly owned the '07 Fit Sport?

Without going into too much detail, things didn't quite work out as planned to hang on to that car. That, and after a pretty intense rainstorm, the front carpet on the passenger's side was wet, as in soaked. From what I read throughout the intertubes it was somewhat common on the '07/'08 Fits.

It all worked out in the end though, and I did quite enjoy driving that car.

 

[YSSMAN]

Quite "le crazy" for suggesting something built in the Daewoo plant.

Hmmm. When did they turn the Lake Orion, MI plant over to Daewoo? Oh yeah, that's right...



The Sonic I drove was a standard, bare-bones LS with the 1.8L and five-speed manual, and while the overall package was nothing to shake a stick at, I came away very impressed. It was very easy to see that GM had done their homework with the car, inside and out. The Sonic reminds me quite a lot of the Golf in that, more or less, nothing is shockingly outstanding, but on average makes it quite a lot better than the competition. From the way the controls are laid out on the console, to the comfort of the seats, the "standardized" feeling of the steering/clutch/shifter, and (for God's sake!) the inclusion of a telescoping steering wheel... They really hit this one out of the ballpark.

Nothing against the current Fit, it is still a great car, but the Sonic is definitely the new kid on the block that deserves all the attention it can get.