Faults:

Rusting in arches.

Rusted components needed replacement.

Seats worn.

Alarm and central locking has a mind of its own.

General Comments:

The car has charisma and pulls well from low revs.

It sounds excellent - the 2.7 V6 has charisma.

The handling is poor/unpredictable: occasionally these cars spin for absolutely no reason and the rear will lose traction when braking, even gently, on wet corners. It doesn't like rain or leaves, let alone snow etc. Snap oversteer for no apparent reason, and severe understeer due to the front engine and FWD are also found. The Hyundai owners' club people will deny this, but look at the number of reports on CarSurvey and other sites. The handling is fine most of the time, but it will bite you eventually, often without reason.

The ride is woeful, despite the mediocre handling, and it rolls a fair bit. It's basically a Hyundai Accent with a cuter body. Don't forget this.

It generally doesn't break down. It is reliable, even if build quality and materials aren't great.

Faults:

Nothing and still on its original exhaust!

General Comments:

I've always wanted this model. I had previously owned the Scoupe Turbo SE for 13 years from new, but this is in a totally different league! Engine has great mid range torque for overtaking, and feels a lot quicker than the 164bhp that's stated, and sounds awesome! I've had a K&N induction filter added, and when the original exhaust finally goes, will get a cat back stainless steel sports one fitted; with a BBR Starchip ECU remap, it should be good for nearly 200bhp.

I read a lot of reviews on this car before I bought it, and can say the handling has been very good, given how bad the British roads and weather can be, wheel spin isn't much of any issue with traction control as standard. I've had no faults, and it sails through its M.O.T. (UK road test) every year without any advisories. I've had the timing belt replaced, and some tyres, and that's it, not bad in 3 years!

Economy has been very reasonable. I get between 28 and 33 mpg, and its 6 speed gearbox really helps with that, by keeping the revs low for cruising. Standard kit of these cars is really great, with lots of extras including full leather Recaro seats and air-conditioning.

I would recommend upgrading the standard stereo head unit. I got a Sony Atrac MP3 flip front, and its a lot better, as well as getting the aerial changed for a small bee-sting one, which looks a lot better. Rear seats are just recommended for kids or small adults on a short journey. I'm six foot tall and front headroom is fine for me, but taller drivers might have limited space given that the sunroof eats into headroom. But then again, when you buy a coupe, you know you're putting style over practicality and space, with the exception of the boot, which is big.

Not many cars around with this amount of extra's and a V6 engine for the price. If you're not a badge snob, then I'd thoroughly recommend this car if you want a stylish reliable well equipped coupe, especially if you can grab one with some of the remains of the manufacturer's 5 year 100,000 mile warranty.