and stable, and the power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering is quick and
accurate. The Tiburon is one of those cars that made us go out of our way
to give it some exercise on favored stretches of winding back roads, something
that can't be said for some of its competitors.
If there's any minus in the Tiburon's dynamic traits, it lies in the
action of the five-speed manual gearbox, which feels less precise than
some others in this class. In particular, low-speed downshifts into first
gear can be a challenge. Making a proper upshift in hard low-speed cornering
also requires a little extra care, a trait that's not at all uncommon in
small front-drive hot rods such as this.
However, at higher speeds the gearbox works fine and the gearing is
well suited to the engine's power characteristics. The optional four-speed
automatic takes much of the sport out of this--or any--sport coupe. If
you don't want to shift for yourself, we suggest the FX, with its more
powerful engine. Next Page