Various reasons.

1. Associated with Hyundai, and you know majority of humans are slaves to brand and marketing. Hyundai just didn't have the positive reputation back then. Hell in Australia people would spend $50,000 on a crappy C class Mercedes over a $30,000 Ford or Holden that outdoes the base Mercedes in almost every single way (especially in performance), including luxury models.

2. Specifications on paper, although higher power ratio than say the Celica, seemed awfully minimal, even the V6 is quite humble.

3. Outdated engine. Well there isn't anything particularly wrong with it but from my understanding it has unnecessary weight in its block, the auto transmission is strong as a little trucks but performs like one too. The Manual is weak and not made for someone who likes to drive their car like a sports vehicle. No variable timing whatsoever.

4. Probably insufficient marketing. I sure didn't know about the car at any point of my life prior to me finding it at a car yard. Perhaps its advertising campaign was too small, maybe they communicated their message poorly or to the wrong people?
- Knowing about the success of say the T86, I probably would of had a few aftermarket brands sponsor the car before and during release to appeal to the tuners.

5. If it was a rear wheel drive with superior headers and manifolds I think the car would of earned itself more attention. The cost would probably be higher though, which is a problem in itself.

One thing I do notice is the Tiburon is just outright compared to other sport vehicles which just gets itself slammed by anyone who doesn't drive a Tiburon. Besides its awesome looks it just couldn't convince anyone it has superior performance to any other alternative other than "Well it's cheap cause it's Hyundai and you get what you pay for". Personally I find it a very nice handling front wheel drive compared to other FWD cars I used but how are you going to advertise that?

 

Great post, sorta "hit's the nail on the head"!!
Hyundai back then had a rep for, "Cheap & will have issues", which is sorta true. Since then, styling & quality have come a long way but stills carries the "perceived issues/lack of value" from back then.

Yeah, it has some issues, but look at the millions of Honda's getting recalled for airbag issues right now (worldwide). In a couple years, it will likely get forgotten and the usual, "Honda is great" will resume.
The previous Tib (the RD) was rather odd in appearance, the newer ones (the GK) look better, but performance was "OK".... not great, but OK.
Yes, it has some looks and can go when driven well, but it didn't have much following as a brand (Hyundai) back then.

So, love what you have, forget what others think.>:wink2::grin2:

 

Wow, definitely an informative post Chezza! I agree that the Tiburon has really fun and great handling for a front wheel drive vehicle, but for some reason people just don't know much about it.

I like to compare this car to the Fiesta ST in it's own right, the Fiesta ST isn't very fast, but a lot of people praise it because how fun it is, the Tiburon just seemed to slip under the radar while the Fiesta seemed to catch people's attention.

Like you said, not much publicity I suppose. I actually think the Genesis isn't that popular either compared to it's competition, its much more popular than the Tiburon though, must be the rear wheel drive.

 

Wow, lots of good reasons there. The main reason, I feel, is that it's a Hyundai. When I had Hyundai badges on my car people readily dismissed it. I was never asked about it. Not even once. As soon as I put the Tuscani Badges on it, dudes were lining up to ask what it was and where I got it and who makes it.

It's amazing what 2 inches (approximate diameter of the emblem) of plastic can do.

 

I got my car from my dads friend Troy when I was 16. It sat in his driveway for about two years after his then wife wrecked it. The whole driver side was hit on a side of a bank. When we got there to see the car I fell in love. Even though it was wrecked at the time, I loved it, but didn't know much about cars let alone a Tibby. What caught my eye was the sporty look along with it being manual, but most of all the brand new interior smell when I opened the door and sat in the seat. After asking him questions and both of them BS'ing me. We went to his house and he signed over the title then and there. I got her all fixed up and when I was asked if I wanted the emblems I said "No." Best decision I made, now everyone asks what kind of car it is. There are no badges or Hyundai logo on mine so people stare and cant figure it out. I'm now 22 and hasn't failed me since I first turned it on at 23K. I've learned so much about this car since I got it from changing the whole break system along with bleeding out the lines, changing the front windshield, to replacing a strut and a window regulator.

 

Ever seen a commercial for a Hyundai Tiburon? Not in USA..
I still get people asking me what kind of car I drive.

 

Great post Chezza. I bought my Tiburon off of my friend/roommate, and I can admit that before knowing him I had no idea the Tiburon existed. Also, as we went through the process of me buying it, I was constantly haunted by the "Ughh... it IS a Hyundai... I hope it doesn't fall apart on me in a year." type thoughts. Since though I've been very happy with the little work it has needed considering having 140k.

When people ask me (quite often) why I intend on keeping the Tiburon until it's death by making any repairs I possibly can to keep it running, I solely reply by saying it is a fun car, something unique to sit in that handles turns well. You can't get that in just any car. I think the Tiburon has a great body style to build off of and potentially create both a powerful and fun ride. When I get in my roommates SRT4 (he purchased after selling me his Tib) - sure it's got tons of work and makes around 300-350, but sitting in those non-bucket seats and way high up in the air just feels... different. Like "Ok, we're going fast... but that's the only exciting factor here.."

 

Great post Chezza!

I want to drill deeper into of the points "One thing I do notice is the Tiburon is just outright compared to other sport vehicles which just gets itself slammed by anyone who doesn't drive a Tiburon. Besides its awesome looks it just couldn't convince anyone it has superior performance to any other alternative other than "Well it's cheap cause it's Hyundai and you get what you pay for"."

I never saw the Tiburon as a sports car nor did I want a sports car when I bought it... When I bought mine, I was looking for a car with the lowest expected total cost of ownership that I could still stand to drive. The V6 Tiburon has *practical* power and agility that you can use in a daily commute. A real sports car may get 2x as much performance (and cost 5x as much over the life of the car) but you can't really use any of that additional performance just driving to work or the grocery.

I considered the styling, sound system, etc., to be a nice upgrade over my previous economy cars - a nice bonus, but not a necessity. When I bought my 07 I considered the Hyundai badge to be a sign that I would not have any significant repairs, which until this year I haven't had to do anything other than the routine maintenance. My Tib is now 8 years old and I am now considering some upgrades to air intake, exhaust, etc., to keep it decent for the next 8 years... Why take on a new car payment for a car I won't like as much as my Tib? I can put in a boatload of repairs and upgrades and still come out ahead.

To StrayFox's question, things I find practical after thinking through aren't always popular...

 

Great post Chezza!

I never saw the Tiburon as a sports car nor did I want a sports car when I bought it... When I bought mine, I was looking for a car with the lowest expected total cost of ownership that I could still stand to drive. The V6 Tiburon has *practical* power and agility that you can use in a daily commute. A real sports car may get 2x as much performance (and cost 5x as much over the life of the car) but you can't really use any of that additional performance just driving to work or the grocery.

To StrayFox's question, things I find practical after thinking through aren't always popular...

This makes me happy that someone else sees this the same way I do. When I got my Tib GT lots of people asked why because its performance is less than that of a new Si or Fr-S etc. Have two friends that both bought one of these new after add ons, taxes, ownership etc etc were both $30,000 Cdn in. Now Yeah the Fr-S its RWD which is nice but it only puts out 200bhp and 153 ft/lbs, same with the new Si at 205 bhp and 172 ft/lbs. so ya they are more powerful than the Tib but realistically the Fr-S has such low torque it feels like a buzzing sprightly bee that just doesn't have that low rpm torquey feel and just isnt nearly as fun to drive as the Tib. To add to this further with the $1000 Cdn I've spent on aftermarket performance (I/H/E) my Tib should be close to a point that it doesnt matter to the Fr-S 200 bhp but with much superior torque and on par with a new Si (dont have any dyno numbers so please don't quote that haha).

But the point is in the end I'm only $4000 Cdn in on my Tib and it hangs performance wise just as well with my friends new Fr-S and Si that they each spend $30,000 on, not to mention my repairs are so so much cheaper compared to theirs. Realistically IMO $4000 for a nicer looking car than both, with the leather interior (missing in the Si), thats more fun to drive than a new $30,000 Fr-S, costs less to repair I couldn't have gone wrong. Now yes if they wanted to mod their cars they'd be faster than the Tib but even further $$$ in. And if we look at it that way I've got $23,000 I could still put in my Tib and see where we'd be then .

 

I say it everyday, but I'm SO unimpressed with a 350whp+ evo/sti. Yes, they are fast cars and the companies have great pedigree and heritage in those cars, but they do nothing for me. Anyone can take one of those cars, dump 10-15k and win trophies at car shows and gets likes on Instagram. Its so mundane.

Again, I like looking at a nice Evo and the car does perform...but as far as uniqueness its got nothing.

Another point, with the Tiburon (at least the way mine is setup) its a semi sleeper/poser luxury car. I use poser in the best way possible, lol. By that I mean, I WANT people to think I'm driving some exotic or something expensive. I want people to perceive my car as a sign of success and class and elegance. You can't do that in an Evo/STi/Focus ST/240/etc. I think those cars give off a very "immature" vibe (no offense to anyone that owns those cars, this is just my thoughts on them).

 

The hyundai tiburon is my favorite fwd car ever I know it's not the fastest but it's different and can be modified, but still fun stock

 

Love my 04 Tibby. Have the 4 cyl. 5 spd. I too like most of the members on here have modded my car. I road race mine with NASA, and have put in a lot of work and TONS of internet research and trial and error wrenching on the car to get it where I have today. Im still finding out weak spots and such. But like you side not much is know about the car so getting professional help is to die for. doing basic show car mods is pretty easy seems like but if you actually want to do performance mods to race the car that will hold up is a chanllenge. I love the look of the car and driving it is a blast.

 

I had someone ask me last Saturday at a car meet "Why if you make that much money, do you drive a Tiburon?"

Simple. I like it- It's beautiful. And it's more impressive to see a slow car go fast, than it is to see a fast car go fast.

 

Yeah, the whole money thing bothers me. It's my understanding that these days people seemingly just want to own [BRAND X] of vehicle, go into a dealership and say hello I have X amount of money, what is the most of [BRAND X] I could buy with that? These days, marketing for vehicles is set up to work that way, so i don't blame the population for purchasing a vehicle in this manner, but what really makes this annoying is when people make the assumption that all people do this. And then you have to explain to them that you are a car enthusiast and you don't think that way. And then they get confused. Of course, I don't expect people to understand car enthusiasm, but it bothers me that people are so driven by money/status. When I drive my car, I am happy.

Oh and yes, 1000x agree on slow car go fast. As mentioned earlier, seeing a fast car go fast is just kinda mundane. It's when the "slow" car beats the fast one when things get interesting

 

Great points everyone, I love how much enthusiasm you each have when it comes to your cars!

I love my car and one of the reasons why I got it was because people told me "Don't get a Tiburon." Which is weird because this car has been great to me and it's super fun. People just assume that it's a bad car and it's sad that they deprive themselves of something awesome. The only car enthusiast that doesn't like the Tiburon has never owned one, they show you why they are fun and exciting and speed has nothing to do with it.

The Tiburon is a car for open minded people who do what they want and I think that's why I like this community so much. We all don't follow the standard route, when our friends told us to get that WRX/STi, The Si, The BRZ, Camaro, or Mustang we gave them the finger and bought a Tiburon because that's what we thought was great not because someone else thought it was great.

Sorry for going a bit deep there, but thanks guys for making me love my car even more. :m_thumlef

 

All those cars you posted are so over played a lot of ppl have them while the Hyundai's can be unique at everything

 

But yet not a lot of company's make tuning parts or aftermarket parts for hyundai

 

A modified Tiburon is a super fun car car. When you are around 300whp it is a really quick car. I like it being unique and rare. Its different and when you see a nicely modified tiburon it can steal a show from the average awd / honda cars. My only complaint is that the gears should be longer in the 6 speed and the fenders should be wider to fit bigger tires

 

Get the 5-speed, DUH

 

Yeah, which gear is it again? from a 2005 maxima or out of the sentra SE-R? If I remember correctly, swapping that out drops rpms in each gear about 300rpm from normal?

Just kidding, I found a thread that outlines it easily with part numbers and important details.
http://www.newtiburon.com/forums/transmissions/131959-nissan-gear-mod-complete.html