subject: Tiburon Suv Or Tiburon Ca [print this page] Ok, I'm not a writer, but I can manage to piece together an article. Though I'm not a car guy, I know how a good one feels on the road. Though I'm not an SUV guy, I know how nice they can be, especially if you've got a family and the last thing you want to do is roll in a mini-van. Though I'm not a rich guy, I can appreciate a vehicle that delivers more for a little more. And though I'm not a particularly smart guy, I know the difference between Tiburon, CA and the Hyundai Tiburon.
By way of disclosure, I'm not shilling for Hyundai -- I'm shilling for every father looking to get an affordable SUV that works for his family. That said, there are a few things that make this car kind of nifty. It's got a decent look -- somewhere between a Saab and a Suzuki Samurai. It's got some decent leg room and trunk area that can accommodate your average load of groceries or carry-on bags en route to the airport. The roof is high enough to accommodate me, a six-foot dude, which is nice.
I couldn't really tell you if the performance is any better or worse than other competing makes and models. When I test-drove it, it felt pretty darn good. It handled well and the manual version shifted beautifully. The suspension was also smooth, taking a set of railroad tracks like they were highway rumble strips. I think it's front-wheel drive, like almost all modern, four-cylinder cars -- and if you're so inclined, you can get a four-wheel drive options, though it doesn't really come across as a rally car or off-road warrior.
Since I'm talking to family men and women, I'd be remiss to not mention the safety of the Tiburon. It earned good marks from Consumer Reports, holding together in all the standard government tests. It comes with the now-standard of front-end and side-impact airbags. These extend to the backseat, so you can rest assured your kids and cargo will be protected. And for those of you old enough to remember the Suzuki roll-over scare, rest assured: the Tiburon passed its roll-over tests with flying colors.
I'm sorry, but I'm not an engine guy. But, I did find out that the car comes with either a two-liter, four-cylinder, 138-horse power engine or a two-point-seven liter, V6 monster that can crank out 172 horse power. For those of you who care, that's an impressive 181 foot-pounds of torque. Of course, you'll be paying for all that torque and horse power. The Tiburon only gets 20 miles per gallon in the city and 28 on highway. Ok, not terrible, but not Prius-style numbers.
