Like the shark that swims off the coast of Central America, Hyundai's Tiburon is quick when provoked and attracts attention when cruising about. With its bold design and spirited performance, the Tiburon offers a stylish alternative to other compact coupes.Tiburon's aggressive, muscular styling is backed up by a 140-horsepower 2.0-liter engine, a fully independent sports suspension and optional four-wheel antilock disc brakes. The smaller 130-horsepower engine offered last year has been dropped, yet the price of the base Tiburon was increased by just $100; most racers would be overjoyed to pay just $10 a horse.
Launched as a totally new model last year, the Tiburon is loosely based on Hyundai's Elantra sedan. The Tiburon is fun to drive, offering good handling, brisk acceleration performance and construction quality comparable to other vehicles in its class.
Two models are available, both with power steering and power windows. The $14,014 Tiburon is equipped with rear drum brakes and 14-inch wheels; however, a $1,383 package is needed by most folks to add air conditioning and a cassette stereo, which brings the total to a still reasonable $15,397.