Hyundai Tuscani

Oh alright, many people say a Tuscani is a pretend sports car, especially since we don't get the 2.7l version.... But I have owned one and I will say this: It IS a sports car, just not a WRX STI or Evo or Integra or 911. In stock set up, it handles very nicely enough, has ample power for local roads and has enough performance to get you some serious driver improvement points. (I know, I kena...) I had a 2 litre manual (rare) Tuscani, just one generation behind the current facelift (which looks really good). But beyond good looks, was the car a good drive? Handling did not have too much feel and it did not give me the confidence I had in a WRX (my humble benchmark for performance cars). Ride was supple, but it did make steering feel floaty at higher speeds. Because the transmission was manual, the car felt fine on take off and elsewhere since I had full control, the engine was great and gave me a good boost whenever I needed it. This was not true of the automatic version of the car. That felt really limp. It was test driving the auto and the manual back to back that made me choose the manual. After one drive, it was a no brainer. As much an improvement as the manual was over the auto, the car is still no match for a Rex or an Evo... ok so that's obvious. It is not something you want to rev at the lights unless what is next to you is another Hyundai. However, as a big, somewhat sporty car that can handle four full-size adults and a considerable amount of luggage, the Tuscani is in a league of its own. Especially given its price. Mine was an OPC, so I basically had a brand new sports car for $45k. Sports car performance is there - I'm sure the Tuscani would outrun all the sports cars in its engine class from the 1950s. But that's just it. It is a sports car, but a real throwback to another era. You would be driving a modern classic. Think of it as a trainer for a really serious performance car - the low seat, race style seats, short shift, race steering etc etc. Or think of it as a sports car equivalent of most of the SUVs on our roads today. Are they really off-road vehicles? All in all, the Tuscani is a pleasant car to drive. It looks great and is actually very practical. It has a sensible engine size, sensible automatic transmission for easy driving and a sensible price tag.... Read More