THE Hyundai Coupe is a good looking, accomplished sports car which depreciates slowly and is excellent to drive.
And a real plus for buying any recent Hyundai is that it will come with at least a couple of years left on its five year warranty.
Reliability is good and, despite the fairly high price, this makes a great second hand sports buy.
The smallest engine is a 103bhp 1.6, and then comes a 2.0 litre with a healthy 136bhp. At the top of the range is a 165bhp V6 and, while the others have a five speed manual gearbox, many of these 2.7 litre models have a good four speed automatic worth around £550 more than manuals.
The 1.6 has reasonable performance, but the best is the 2.0 litre for its combination of a great drive and decent economy.
It has quick acceleration, even in fifth, and always has immediate urge under the right foot.
Interior
The gearchange is pretty good, the clutch light and the ABS brakes are excellent.
It's only a 2+2, with very little legroom behind a six footer, but it is practical in other ways, with a rear hatch and a 50/50 split folding rear seat.
Equipment includes leather upholstery in SE spec, plus an electric sunroof.
FAST FACTS
Price: Pay about £2,600 for an '01 51-reg 1.6, £6,300 for an '03 53-reg 2.0 SE, or £9,700 for the same car on an '06 06-reg
Mechanical: 141bhp, 1,975cc, 4 cyl petrol driving front wheels via 5 speed manual gearbox
Max speed: 129mph
0-62mph: 9 secs
Combined mpg: 35
Insurance group: 10
Marks: 9/10
Main Rival: Peugeot 406 Coupe