First Drive: 2013 Hyundai Equus

The Hyundai Equus has been around since 1999, serving as the brand's full-size luxury sedan. The first generation Equus was produced from 1999 to 2008 and was sold in South Korea, China, and Middle East. The Western European got this car, which was renamed the Hyundai Continental, in the early and mid 2000s. In 2009, the second generation Equus was released. This time, the Equus was available for the North American market. In 2012, the Equus got an update, now available with an eight-speed automatic transmission. I have seen the Equus at a few automotive events in the greater Houston Area. At the 2013 Houston Auto Show, I was able to test drive one. The Equus is a front-engine, rear-wheel drive four-door full-size luxury sedan.

I have to give credit to Hyundai for the great improvements over the years to its brands. The new Hyundais are vastly improvements over previous Hyundais. The Equus is very easy on the eyes. The car looks luxurious. I like the sleek body lines and the front grill. Everything is nicely integrated as far as body design goes. While it does not have a sporty or aggressive styling, the Equus is still beautiful. The Equus is very luxurious on the inside. The leather seats are nice a comfortable. The leather and wood trim gives the Equus a luxurious feel. The user interface and touchscreen are easy to use. Behind the wheel, I had plenty of head room and leg room. And there is plenty of room in the back for adult passengers. I was very comfortable behind the wheel.

Powering the Equus is a 5.0L V8 engine, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission, that produces 429 hp and 376 lb-ft of torque. The Equus goes from 0 to 60 mph in 5.5 seconds. The Equus felt quick when I pressed the accelerator pedal. The Equus has a very soft ride. I felt like I was riding on a cloud when I was driving the Equus. The Equus may have a soft suspension, but it handles well. There is an instantaneous response when I turned the wheel. The Equus also has a quiet cabin. I did not hear any outside noise and I could barely hear the engine when I was inside the Equus. Prices for the Equus start at $59,250 and the Equus Ultimate goes for $66,250. That may seem expensive for a car, but the Equus is a good value compared to the BMW 7-Series, Mercedes-Benz S-Class, and the Audi A8.

Overall, the Equus is a great luxury full-size sedan. I felt like I was riding on a cloud because the Equus has a very soft ride. The car has a luxury sedan styling and a luxurious interior. The Equus has wood trim and very comfortable leather seats. The Equus gets good power from the V8 engine and has good acceleration for a full-size luxury sedan. Despite the soft ride, the Equus handles nicely. The Equus has a very reasonable price of around $60,000 compared to its German rivals. If you are in the market for a full-size luxury sedan, give the Equus a test drive. Hyundai has greatly improved its quality of vehicles over the years.


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First Drive: 2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe 3.8 Track Edition

At the 2008 New York International Auto Show, Hyundai unveiled a new sports car. To show off what this car can do, Hyundai demonstrated its abilities by doing powerslides and burnouts in this new car. This new car, the Hyundai Genesis Coupe, would go on sale in Spring 2009 as a 2010 model. The Hyundai Genesis Coupe is unique to the Hyundai brand as it is the brand's only front engine, rear-wheel drive sports car. I have seen several Genesis Coupes at various Houston auto events. At the 2013, Houston Auto Show, I was able to take one out for a test drive. The version I drove was the 2013 Hyundai Genesis 3.8 Track Edition. The version I drove came with an eight-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters. The Genesis Coupe Track Edition is also available with a six-speed manual transmission. Other trim levels for the Genesis Coupe include the 2.0T, 2.0T R-Spec, 2.0T Premium, 3.8 R-Spec, and 3.8 GT. The 2.0T versions come with a turbocharged 2.0L I4 that puts out 271 hp and the 3.8 versions come with a 3.8L V6 that put out 348 hp. All versions of the Genesis Coupe come with either the six-speed manual transmission or the eight-speed automatic transmission.

The Hyundai Genesis Coupe has a very aggressive styling. It has stylish lines going along the sides of the car. What ruins the styling is the front of the car. That wide open black grill just does not work in terms of styling. The only interior option for the Genesis Coupe 3.8 Track Edition is black with leather seats. This is a sports coupe with 2+2 seating, so there is not much leg room and head room for rear passengers. Behind the wheel, I had good amount of head room and leg room. The seats are firm. This is a sports car and the ride is designed for track days.

The Genesis Coupe 3.8 Track Edition is powered by a 3.8L V6 that produces 348 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. It goes from 0 to 60 mph in 5.2 seconds and reaches a top speed of 149 mph. This is a quick car. It also has a firm ride to it. You will feel the smallest of bumps in the road when you are behind the wheel of this car. But, this car was built for the track and the steering response is very good. It is also quiet inside the cabin when this car is in motion. Prices for the entry level Hyundai Genesis Coupe 2.0T starts at $25,125. Prices for the Genesis Coupe 3.8 Track Edition goes for $33,895,  which includes a $895 destination charge. A Genesis Coupe 3.8 Track with the automatic transmission begins at $35,145, including the $895 destination charge. A manual Genesis Coupe 3.8 Track Edition cost around the same as a base Nissan 370Z Coupe. Both cars have similar driving/ ride qualities, I feel that I have room behind the wheel of the Genesis Coupe. And The Genesis Coupe is not as low to the ground as the 370Z. For the price, you are getting good value with the Genesis Coupe 3.8 Track.

The Hyundai Genesis Coupe has been featured in Burn Notice, Top Gear Korea, Motorweek, 24, Auto Esporte, Best Motoring, Siti hyunteo, Leverage, and Top Gear USA. The Hyundai Genesis Coupe is playable in Veloster HD, Ridge Racer, Drift City, Arctic Drift, RayCity, Astana Racer, Forza Motorsport 3, Forza Motorsport 4, Forza Horizon, Nitto 1320 Legends, Asphalt 7: Heat, Car Town, GT Racing: Motor Academy, and Grid 2.

Overall, the Hyundai Genesis Coupe 3.8 Track Edition is a good sports car. It has good power coming from the 3.8L V6. It has great acceleration. It responds well to steering wheel inputs. This car is fun to drive and was the most popular car for people to test drive at the Hyundai Ride and Drive booth. It also has a very firm ride to it. You will feel every bump in the road when you are in this car. If you prefer a softer ride, look elsewhere. But if you can handle the firm ride and want a good sports car at a reasonable price, then give this car a test drive. Unfortunately, Hyundai took a different approach with its compact sports car, the Hyundai Veloster.

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First Drive: 2013 Hyundai Veloster

At the 2007 Seoul Auto Show, Kia revealed a concept car codenamed HND-3. The final production version was revealed at the Detroit Auto Show on January 11, 2011 and became the Hyundai Veloster. The Veloster went into production in 2011 and sales started in Korea on  The Veloster is a four-door hatchback/sports coupe with a front engine, front-wheel drive layout. The Veloster was released to the Korean market on March 10, 2011. Sales of the Veloster in the United States started in fall of 2011. I have seen the Veloster at various Houston car events and on the Houston Roads. I drove the Veloster Turbo at the 2013 Houston Auto Show, but that is not what I will be focusing on. During one Friday in May 2013, I decided to stop by the local Hyundai dealership and took a Veloster out for a test drive. The version I drove came with a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission with paddle shifters, which is a $1,250 option. The Veloster comes with a six-speed manual transmission as standard. The version I drove came with the standard package, but for an additional $2,000 dollars, you can get the style package. For another $2,000, you can get the tech package, which requires the purchase of the style package.

The Veloster is quite stylish. It has a sporty styling to it. What is unique about the Veloster is that it has a rear door on the passenger side. It has a coupe profile with a sloping rear that leads to the rear hatch. The Veloster comes with dual chrome tip exhaust outlets as standard. With the style package, you get a sunroof and fog lights at the bottom of the front bumper. But the version I drove came with the standard package and lacked the features. The Veloster comes with 17 inch wheels with optional wheel locks ($55). The interior was nothing special since I got the basic package. But the metallic interior accents do add a nice touch to the interior. The seat was slightly comfortable. It was not firm at all. I had good head room and leg room behind the wheel.

The Veloster is powered by a 1.6L I4 engine that produces 138 hp and 123 lb-ft of torque. It goes from 0 to 60 mph in 8.5 seconds and reaches a top speed of 118 mph. I felt that the Veloster suffered in the drive quality department. It felt like the Veloster took a while to get to 60 mph. The ride quality was decent. It was a little on the smooth side. But the Veloster is not that responsive. I had to really turn the wheel just for the Veloster to corner. With most cars I drive, the car will turn instantly in the direction I turn the steering wheel. With the Veloster, it felt like a delay from the time I turn the wheel to the time the car turned. At least it was quiet inside the Veloster during the test drive. Prices for the Veloster start at $18,395. With the included options of the six speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, wheel locks, carpeted floor mats, and the cargo tray, the price of the Veloster as tested is $$19,905. For a sports coupe, the price is reasonable.

The Hyundai Veloster is featured in Siti Hyunteo (City Hunter), Auto Esporte, Motorweek, and Robot & Frank. The Hyundai Veloster is playable in Veloster HD, Drift City, Car Town, and Car Town EX.

Overall, the Veloster is all style and no substance. Hyundai should have put more power into the base engine. 160 hp to 170 hp would be more ideal, especially in a sports coupe. The standard Veloster has 4 more hp than a Toyota Prius, and the Prius is designed to get very high gas mileage, not to be a sports coupe.Not to mention that the steering of the Veloster is not that responsive. At least with the Veloster, there is a turbocharged version that provides a much better driving experience. Now if you want a Veloster, go with the Veloster Turbo. That has style and substance. Pass on the standard Veloster. The standard Veloster fails to give a proper driving experience, something that is a must for all sports coupes.

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