After a year of Swift Sport ownership, too many electrical faults prompted a change of car. And marque.

I had never even sat in a Hyundai before let alone owned one, but I had always liked the look of their Coupe and the latest SIII model is their best looking yet. These things are £18k new, but thanks to them being supplied with a 5 year factory warranty, I was happy to buy a 1 year old car with only 11,000 miles on it for just over £12k.

So, what do you get for your money? It's well put together and well equipped, soft-touch plastics on the dash, heated leather seats, cruise control, iPod compatible stereo, climate control, sunroof. The car itself is about the size of a Focus, but low-slung with a low roofline, giving it a sporty look.

That sporty feel carries over to the interior. You sit low down but the driving position is pretty good, but would be a lot better if the steering wheel adjusted for reach. The seats are firm, reminds me of my 2nd Octy, but comfortable, lower back support could be better though. The Swift Sport seats were much better. That low roofline means that you don't get a lot of headroom, I like it as I feel like I'm in a cockpit but not cramped. As a 2+2, your back-seat passengers had better be small, there's no space back there for adults unless you are less than 5'5".

Instruments are clear and logically laid out, the indicator stalk is on the right of the wheel, rather than the left, which takes a bit of getting used to. At night the dash is lit in blue and white and is clear and simple. Well done Hyundai

On the road, suspension is firm but not too firm, it's comfortable to cruise around in, but up the pace and the car reveals more ability than you first thought was there, turning in well and staying very neutral until it will inevitably understeer. Steering actually has decent feel! It's quite heavy at low speeds though. Gearshift is slick, if not as fast-changing as the Swift, and has a short throw so the armrest box isn't in your way all the time. That low roofline makes the car slippery through the air, and crosswinds do not seem to bother it. Well done again Hyundai

The engine is a long-stroke 2 litre four, apparently supplied by Mitsubishi, delivering 141bhp, which doesn't sound a lot for a 2.0 these days, but it has good low and mid-range torque, which means it is very flexible. It needs to be as the car is not the lightest, but it manages a decent turn of speed 0-60 taking about 9 seconds. With the double-exit exhaust, it has a deep throaty sound.

Economy isn't too bad, I estimate I am getting 30-35mpg average, which I am happy with. Insurance is only slightly more than the Swift Sport, but it is in a higher tax band.

Boot space is good and it has a space-saver spare under the floor. The rear seats will fold flat and with them down I got a bicycle in there without a problem after removing the front wheel. You even get a cargo net

So, a really quite impressive car, I am liking it more as the days go on. Definately a keeper!

A nice write up there Mike, and the car looks well on the road

My brother bought a new SIII 2.0 SE new at the beginning of the year, and paid just shy of 15k for it.

Lovely metallic grey, with a bright red leather interior, it sits well and looks impressive.

To me it is a tad bland to drive, almost Japanese, without soul, but it performs pretty well.

Its one major downfall is its lack of headroom, my head brushes the roof lining, making it seem claustrophobic.

All in all I wouldn't dismiss it as a 'not to buy' especially with the excellent warranty, but I wouldn't buy a new one, as I imagine depreciation will be heavy.

The UK doesn't seem keen on Coupes in general, the likes of the Probe, Cougar and Celica didn't do that well on sales or depreciation either and the Hyundai will be no different. It's lost £5k from list price in only a year, which does make it a good "nearly-new" buy with that excellent warranty (covers everything for 5 years)

If the car didn't have the sunroof, it would free up an inch of headroom, I don't know why it's there really, I would be just as happy if it wasn't there. And it would cut some weight.

Edited 21 November, 200817 yr by Mike Wrightson

I had a yellow(ish) mk1 coupe se, and i absolutely loved it, carried out a few mods and i must say that a tear was spilt when i had to trade it in because they just chew up too much fuel,,,,, but yes lovely lovely cars.My fave car that I have owned (just behind the vrs of course) !!

Well, 6 months on and all is well. It's been through it's second service, no issues, running like clockwork.

15K on the clock now and I'm as happy with it as day one

Some pics as I didn't include any in the review:

Nice car in a nice colour I have been tempted, i like the warranty and the build quality is high from limited inspections. I also like the picture with Blencathra in the back ground.

Steve.

And now the final report. I'll be trading the car fairly soon, as the ever-rising fuel cost is beginning to hurt. The good news is that it will be replaced by a Skoda

It's just had it's 3rd service, no issues to report, it has been totally reliable. It has been an absolute pleasure to own and drive.

It's only downsides are high fuel consumption on a short commute, a high tax band and dealer servicing is expensive. On a long trip it is surprisingly economical, I have had more than 400 miles from the 55l tank, but as little as 260 miles when commuting.

If you're looking for a stylish coupe that drives well too, I would recommend one of these, it's the best car Hyundai has produced so far. It's old-shool in that it has no driver aids except ABS. No ESP or traction control getting in the way, suspension is firm but comfortable. Hyundai's replacement for this car, due in 2011, has a lot to live up to!

I still have at least 3 months with it, and I will enjoy every day of that time. I will miss this car when it's gone.

This car looks good, but I prefer my cars to that, fuel consumption is also low

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