Author Topic: 2012 Hyundai Veloster - Driving Impressions - Pics and Vid (Read 12142 times)

Jaeger · « **on:** October 07, 2011, 03:13:16 pm »

My schedule and available dealer stock finally coincided and I got my first turn behind the wheel of a 2012 Hyundai Veloster this afternoon. It was the fully loaded manual version that stickers somewhere around $22.5k. Here are a few thoughts.

Exterior

A car that few will call beautiful, but like the much more "out there" Juke, it is growing on me. It certainly looks sporty and aggressive, but a design this bold is bound to be a bit polarizing. The execution of the 3rd door is deserving of at least a small round of applause, as it ups the functionality of this little coupe substantially. Easy to get in and out through that discreet doorlet, and no need to open the front passenger door to do so. And the optional 18" rims on 40-series rubber look huhyooooge - and to my eye, look pretty darned nice.

Interior

Very well laid out - all controls are easy to see and intuitive to use. Two items made a real strong - and real positive - impression: the nav display (large, bright with terrific resolution) and the seats (firm, supportive, grippy and supremely comfortable). I'd be willing to trade both for the units in my Sonata right now. Some cars you fiddle with quite a bit to get to where you are feeling right. For whatever reason, this car just fit me exceptionally well right away. Back seat room is quite liveable for kids, and while I fit okay back there, I wouldn't want to ride in back for a long highway journey. Hp and legroom were better than expected, but there is only just enough headroom for me to sit upright (I'm 5'10" on a tall day).

Exterior visibility is good out the front and sides, but there's not much to see out of the little gun slit of a rear window. That said, I didn't have any issue moving the car in and out of traffic both in town and on the highway. Some might find it a little off-putting at first glance, though.

Engine

Not a lot of ooomph off the line - seat-of-the-pants felt like a bit less power than the numbers might suggest. It does rev pretty quickly, and really comes to life above 3500 rpm. It makes a nice throaty growl when getting to the upper reaches of the tach - I almost wish it were a bit louder. But for those who equate a quiet cabin with quality, this car will impress. It is damn near silent at idle and exterior noises of all kinds barely intrude at all. Overall, there's quite enough power here to have fun without placing your license in serious jeopardy around town. If I were buying, though, I'd be waiting for the turbo.

Transmission

Very nicely executed. Clutch travel is short and the effort is light. It engages at the midpoint of travel and is entirely quirk-free. The short, stubby shifter has medium-short throws with a good mechanical feel. Not sloppy, lifeless overcooked pasta and not a clunky baseball bat in a barrell of coconuts - just a nice, precise feel moving out of gear, into neutral and into the next gear. Never stalled, never missed a shift - never came close to doing either.

Ride, Handling, Steering

Great, very good and just kind of okay. I give the ride a "great" because there is just no freakin' way a car with that short a wheelbase, riding on 40-series rubber over 18" rims, that otherwise handles quite decently, should offer anywhere NEAR this kind of ride comfort. I went over some pretty bouncy service road segments, and my eyes saw much more in the way of warped, broken, bumpy pavement than my butt ever felt. Handling was very solid and sure - with body roll kept very well in check. It didn't have the light, lively (some would say darty) feel of my wife's Fit, though it had a bunch more grip and overall feels like a more substantial (not to mention upscale) vehicle. Steering is an area Hyundai needs to work on in their FWD vehicles. This one has that charcteristic on-center dead zone, though less so than in my Sonata. Tracked staright as an arrow on the highway and felt real solid in cruise mode. 120kph translated into about 3,000 rpm, but it is WAY more quiet than my wife's Fit at those revs.

Value

Just a ridiculously nice car for the money.

Here's a clip of a highway merge - the noise you are hearing most is the camera strap bouncing off the steering wheel (particularly when I almost drop it). Tire noise, wind noise, engine noise, exhaust noise - not so much.

Jaeger

ovr50 · « **Reply #1 on:** October 07, 2011, 03:32:54 pm »

Good write up and pix, thanks.

Wife and I looked at a Veloster for her, but she is totally put off by the rear visibity issue and rear side-checking for lane changing. Probably going to wait until March 2012 or so anyway, as we are away in Jan/Feb. Likely choices then (as it stands now) would either be the Mazda 3 Sport or the Golf 5 door hatch.

Hyundai product is great tho, we also drove the new Elantra, and it is still another possibility. No rush now anyway.

PJungnitsch · « **Reply #2 on:** October 07, 2011, 04:51:17 pm »

Nice review

Railton · « **Reply #3 on:** October 07, 2011, 05:56:05 pm »

Dorval on ramp at QEW Westbound. Heh, heh...

Nice write up. That's how James got started.
Railton

SaskSpecV · « **Reply #4 on:** October 07, 2011, 06:19:09 pm »

Very nice Jaeger. I really enjoy reading the reviews of "normal" people on the site, especially when well-written and forthright (and with nice pictures too!) It's a nice break from "professional" car reviews, which are often so formulaic.

Did you get a chance to drive or sit in the 2012 Accent? If so, is the interior of comparable quality? Any difference in driving dynamics - I would assume that the taller Accent (with smaller wheels) isn't as planted on the road, but I haven't heard any direct comparisons between the two cars.

Flinter · « **Reply #5 on:** October 07, 2011, 07:34:00 pm »

Thanks for the write up and impressions.

How dd you find the headroom in the front? I found it tight in the top spec model I sat in at the dealer (with the sunroof). I'm 5'9"-5'10" so I was thinking that taller driver could have issues.

It's good to see that there are lots of interesting offerings in this subcompact segment these days.

Sir Osis of Liver · « **Reply #6 on:** October 07, 2011, 09:40:38 pm »

Very nice write up Jaeger.

I've seen a few around town. Very chunky little buggers. Nice to see a return of this kind of sporty hatch.

Jaeger · « **Reply #7 on:** October 08, 2011, 05:34:23 am »

Thanks gents.

Flinter - I had no issue with front seat headroom and I'm the same height.

SaskSpecV - I haven't even been inside a new Accent - they are having real supply issues with those, from what I have been told. 8 weeks to get one if you order one now.

Railton - yes - that's the spot. When I was car shopping I used that ramp as kind of baseline comparison for WOT acceleration and took each car there.

over50 - I definitely get where Mrs. Over is coming from on the rear visibility.

Sir O - "chunky little buggers" is most apt.

Jaeger

jww · « **Reply #8 on:** October 08, 2011, 10:37:58 am »

Thanks for the reality review of the Veloster. What a great little concept this car is. I can see it being popular with young and old -- sans children that is. Wouldn't want to struggle with kids in the back even with the slot rear door. but lots of market for this -- first car, last car, fun car, 2nd car, etc.

Jaeger · « **Reply #9 on:** October 08, 2011, 04:42:47 pm »

^^^ The salesperson at the dealership was telling me that they are selling as many of these to empty-nesters as they are to younger buyers.

Not an ideal primary ride for a family with a couple young kids - I quite agree. But way more accomodating than any compact coupe with that third door (which opens just like a conventional door, btw).

Jaeger

Sir Osis of Liver · « **Reply #10 on:** October 08, 2011, 06:05:52 pm »

Now that the family car is settled, I'm starting to look at something for myself, so I took a Veloster out today with Lady Osis and our 9 year old.

I'm not going to start a new thread, because I agree with pretty much everything Jaeger has written already

.

The back seat was surprisingly roomy, and more than adequate for the youngest. With a booster seat she can see out, just. I thought the rear visibility would be abysmal, but it's not really that bad. Certainly no worse than the CRZ and similar to the view out of the Vibe's rear window except for the bifurcation. The rear view camera makes backing up a cinch.

Now my perspective is shaded by the Outback which is pretty grunty down low and very quiet. From launch the dual clutch is really soft, you have to use big throttle openings for much to happen. Once revs are up, it moves along fine. For a 1.6, I thought it did pretty well. It is much louder than our car, but that isn't fair. I'd have to drive it back to back with similar cars to really judge. The dual clutch itself works pretty seamlessly, even at low speed, where sometimes they can be caught out.

The ride and handling were pretty good for this kind of car. I did notice the rear stepped out a couple of times on bumps while cornering at fairly moderate speeds. I suspect this is due to the rigid 40 series tires and the twist beam suspension arrangement. The steering a known quantity. Once a few degrees off centre it was ok, but on centre it was dead.

Price before taxes but including PDI and such came to about $26k for what was essentially a loaded car. Personally, I'd get the manual, but wanted to try Hyundai's take on the dual clutch transmission.

That's about it. The interior is very good, as are the seats. And on the highway it was indicating in the 5L/100km range.

Jaeger · « **Reply #11 on:** October 08, 2011, 08:17:46 pm »

Quote from: Sir Osis of Liver on October 08, 2011, 06:05:52 pm

I'm not going to start a new thread, because I agree with pretty much everything Jaeger has written already .

It didn't exactly leap off the line in the manual version, either. This motor is no torque beast. As you say though, once underway, it's fine. No question I'd get the manual if I were buying.

Jaeger

jww · « **Reply #12 on:** October 09, 2011, 08:49:08 am »

+2 on anything manual

Too bad my wife's Accent is such a soldier -- this would be a fine candidate to replace it --- alas, I see another 5 years at least with the little red cart for her. Luckily she doesn't mind.

Flinter · « **Reply #13 on:** October 09, 2011, 07:57:07 pm »

Quote from: Jaeger on October 08, 2011, 08:17:46 pm

Quote from: Sir Osis of Liver on October 08, 2011, 06:05:52 pm
I'm not going to start a new thread, because I agree with pretty much everything Jaeger has written already .

It didn't exactly leap off the line in the manual version, either. This motor is no torque beast. As you say though, once underway, it's fine. No question I'd get the manual if I were buying.

Jaeger

Curious what your impressions were of the engine/powertrain compared to your wife's Fit.

Jaeger · « **Reply #14 on:** October 10, 2011, 07:52:19 am »

Quote from: Flinter on October 09, 2011, 07:57:07 pm

Curious what your impressions were of the engine/powertrain compared to your wife's Fit.

They are closer than I might have expected in terms of seat-of-the-pants impressions. Not sure how the relative power-to-weight ratios shake out. The Fit feels like it steps off the line quicker (lightness is a virtue - and gearing may have something to do with it) but the Veloster feels more responsive once underway. They are not miles apart in terms of perception f power, but I would expect the Veloster to test out quicker than the Fit. The engine is quieter in the Veloster for sure, and 6 speed manual versus 5 speed manual is another significant advantage. My one great wish for the Fit is an extra forward gear.

Jaeger

Flinter · « **Reply #15 on:** October 10, 2011, 07:00:32 pm »

^^^ Thanks.

Jaeger · « **Reply #16 on:** October 11, 2011, 09:32:27 am »

Quote from: Careener on October 10, 2011, 08:33:16 pm

Nice review Jaeger

Here's another good one from TTAC
http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2011/10/414338/

Good review. SaskSpecV - you should read this one - the author draws several comparisons as between Veloster and Accent.

Jaeger

Ex-airbalancer · « **Reply #17 on:** October 11, 2011, 11:23:29 am »

who paid for the gas

SaskSpecV · « **Reply #18 on:** October 11, 2011, 12:02:07 pm »

Thanks for the heads-up Jaeger. I was very surprised that the Accent and Veloster don't have the same powertrain. I assumed that both have the 1.6L GDI engine + 6-speed manual tranny, they'd be identical. But apparently not:

"Okay, let me qualify that lack of disappointment. I was pleasantly surprised by the Veloster’s manual transmission, as its shift feel and ratios are much better than those in the Accent (though first and second remain too far apart while fifth and sixth remain too close together)."

I guess that's why you have to drive the cars to really get an appreciation for the differences.

Patrick_D1 · « **Reply #19 on:** October 11, 2011, 12:57:30 pm »

Quote from: SaskSpecV on October 11, 2011, 12:02:07 pm

Thanks for the heads-up Jaeger. I was very surprised that the Accent and Veloster don't have the same powertrain. I assumed that both have the 1.6L GDI engine + 6-speed manual tranny, they'd be identical. But apparently not:

"Okay, let me qualify that lack of disappointment. I was pleasantly surprised by the Veloster’s manual transmission, as its shift feel and ratios are much better than those in the Accent (though first and second remain too far apart while fifth and sixth remain too close together)."

I guess that's why you have to drive the cars to really get an appreciation for the differences.

That's precisely it. Accent and Veloster use the same basic manual gearbox, but with a different shift linkage and different gear ratios. Makes for a very different experience.