2016 Veloster Rally Edition: Oppo Review

"Bytemite" (bytemite) 11/30/2015 at 17:41 • Filed to: review, Veloster, Rally edition

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Since no one else here has driven this car, I felt I had to contribute with a much needed Oppo Review of the Hyundai Veloster Rally Edition! I’m still in the honeymoon phase with this car but I tried to stay as objective as possible, drawing upon Jalopnik reviews and their harsh ratings of several cars.

Exterior: 9/10

Everyone loves this paint. The looks are subjective, but I love it. It looks like a rally car. A rally car you would never go on dirt with because it would ruin the paint. Here are some subjective things I love about this car’s looks.

The ass end doesn’t stick way up high like the car is performing lazy doggy-style like the FiST. It just slopes downward from the A-pillar’s highest point all the way down to the bottom of the hatch in one curve.

The fender flares are huge and meets in-line with the rest of the curvy body.

The Rays racing aluminum wheels are completely flush with the fenders. This car comes from the factory very well stanced. Not stancenation stanced, but stock stanced, think BMW.

The center twin exhaust pipes just look good, objectively. And there is a diffuser below it. Not sure if this is functional, but whatever.

The headlights are a beauty. Look at it. It looks like a futuristic pulse cannon.

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Interior: 9/10

Leather: It feels soft enough and it grips your ass when you go through the twisties. Oh and the perforated leather steering wheel feels way, way too good to be in a budget hatchback.

Blue accents: Would be a dealbreaker if this car did not have the blue accented interior. Looks just right on this car.

Fake carbon fiber dash and trim: It looks pretty good. You can hardly see the fake weaves but it is much better than boring old black plastic.

Driver positioning: The telescopic steering wheel really saved my ass. I don’t know about you guys but I like to position my seat so that the bottom of my knee touches the seat when I am on the dead pedal or fully on the clutch. In order to make that happen, the steering wheel had to be pulled to the most forward and low setting as I pushed the seat as low as possible.

Steering wheel and center console just has a natural look and feel to it. Dials where dials should be, touch screen where touch screen stuff should be.

Front occupant room: A lot.

Rear occupant room: Good amount of legroom but tiny, non-existent headroom. Great, I won’t be back there.

Cargo room: Huge. The torsion beam suspension really saves a lot of room for a low cargo floor.

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Acceleration: 5/10 with 87 octane, 6/10 with 91 octane

The Veloster Turbo seems to consistently get just over 7 seconds 0-60 times while the Fiesta ST takes just under 7 seconds. On paper, for a car that weighs 100 lb more and has a similar HP curve, the difference shouldn’t be there.

The difference in 0-60 time is due to three reasons.

The 1.6 Gamma T-GDI in the Veloster is rated by Hyundai @ 201 hp from 87 octane. This rating is as optimistic as this car’s MPG rating. Speaking of MPGs, apparently I’m supposed to get 25/33 MPG. I get around 22 city and just barely make 30 highway for a mixed driving of 25 MPG...lesson to learn here, real life MPG for Hyundai is likely the city MPG. Anyway, good news is the engine is underrated when running on Premium. Dyno tests have shown 93 octane to be making around 25 more peak HP and torque than the factory rating. I have been launching this car from a stoplight every chance I got, so that I could buttdyno of course. The first tank of gas from the dealer was 87 octane. The power was always there, but as the engine neared its supposed peak of 6,000 RPM, power didn’t increase as much as the noise did. Launching with 91 octane, it’s the same story from 3,000-5,000 RPM, but a different story afterwards. The push keeps on coming up until redline where the stupidly smooth rev-limiter doesn’t ever bounce, but holds steadily at 6,750 RPM if you miss your shift. Lesson for both FiST and VT owners, use premium gas or your engine will retard timing.

I have to knock at least 2 points off the acceleration category for the terrible, K-Mart bargain basement, No-Season Kumho Solus TA31 tires Hyundai put on this car. The FiST isn’t faster than this car, but the summer tires on it are. I am spending 1.5 seconds off the line just rubbing these hockey pucks, and another half second squealing them again from shifting to 2nd. There is still acceleration while this plastic-meets-tarmac ensemble is going on, but I am confident the 0-60 times will be on par with the similar power-to-weight ratio FiST once I stick some real summer performance tires on the front. Huge mistake by Hyundai by putting No-Season tires on their enthusiast targeted car. It could have been 7/10 acceleration.

Another thing that really hurts the Veloster turbo is wheel hop. If the tires weren’t so bad, the wheel hop could be tamed, but because the tires are crap, the change in front suspension geometry during launch is enough to cause violent wheel hop. Not good for acceleration, 0-60 times, and certainly not good for the car. Wheel hop tends to occur during even the weakest of launches, at 3,000 RPM, clutch drop and WOT.

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Braking: 6/10

It stops well for a front heavy 61/39 weight distribution car. There is no dive due to how stiff the suspension has been set up at the front. But because the tires are crap, stopping distance is going to suffer compared to its competitor, the FiST.

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Ride: 6/10

Surprisingly good, it must be the comfort tires and soft rubber bushings. After driving a Miata and a LS400, it rides the worst of the three. The Lexus is like driving a cloud. The Miata is stiff but the double wishbone allocates the shock of each bump throughout the chassis. The strut front of the Veloster just slams all the force into the top of the strut tower which is really close to the cabin. But I really don’t mind, in fact I actually like the harsher ride since ride comfort is for 50 year olds and James May. Feeling the bumps of the road is part of driving. I’d rather have a jarring ride than a lumbering, pitching and wallowing ride.

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Handling: 7/10

Again, tires limit this car from being the proper FiST fighter it could have been. Handling, vehicle dynamics and steering feel is all well sorted for a budget chassis, but tires limit the grip that the suspension is working so well to sustain. The Rally Edition comes with the best handling suspension of all Velosters. The spring rates, damping, and swaybar are stiffer. The car feels light, and it is a good 100 lbs lighter than regular Veloster Turbos. Most importantly, the often complained about ass-shimmy is gone. I don’t know how Hyundai did it but the torsion beam rear end no longer shimmies when you hit a bump on a corner. I know other Velosters do, but this Rally Edition’s stiffer and more dampened suspension fixed that.

For spirited driving, turn in is sharp, mid-corner corrections are effortless, there is no body roll and the whole chassis is just stiff enough to handle road imperfections. But of course because of these tires, tracking or driving at the limits will quickly reveal the car’s low cornering G limit. But tire grip is not what fun, spirited driving is about. Cheap, comfort tires may ruin all the performance numbers on paper, but driving fun comes in the form of a well controlled chassis and driver feedback.

The steering rack has very little assistance and it leads to a confident on-center feel. The vibration and feeling is not there though. Compared to the Miata’s steering wheel, this wheel feels dead. There are no vibrations or packets of road information running through it and while the effort is there, it doesn’t feel linear or natural. But then again, it isn’t fair to compare a modern car to the Miata. Compared to other modern steering racks, this is pretty communicative.

The Torque Vectoring Control, better known as fake-ass LSD, really does help the car during fast U-turn maneuvers and low-radius cornering. It’s no real LSD and it certainly doesn’t seem to be helping with the traction off the line, but you can really feel it individually braking the inside wheel and pulling the car through sharp corners.

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Gearbox: 8/10

Holy crap, this has a lovely shifter, feels great and intuitive. It feels like a gated shifter just covered up by a leather boot. Honestly, this is the one thing all Oppos need to try on this car. Just go to the showroom and flick this baby through the gears, and it will just schwick and snick. I would give this gearbox 10/10 for daily driving. Good work B&M, and good work Hyundai for putting this in.

But the drivetrain as a whole loses 3 points for its lack of rigidity when executing redline 1st to 2nd gear shifts. Shifting from 1st to 2nd in a hard launch takes way more effort than it should because the engine mounts are too soft on this car. The whole drivetrain seems to buck and heave as you floor the gas pedal. While putting these soft rubber engine mounts help with ride comfort, it allows the engine way too much movement. Drivetrain rigidity: 5/10 for an overall Gearbox rating 8.

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Toys: 6/10

The Rally Edition doesn’t come with all the tech as the regular Turbo models do. It is the stripped down edition. There is a real turn-key ignition instead of push-button start. No auto-up driver’s window, just auto-down. No huge panoramic sunroof. No heated seats. No automatic headlights. No remote start.

It has a back-up camera, instant MPG meter, and cruise control. It is a modern car, so it still comes with a ton of goodies we don’t ever need. The most important thing though is that traction control can be turned off with just the push of a button anytime you want. Yay.

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Audio: 6/10

The engine growls at low RPM, the turbo whistle is prevalent, although no blow-off valve “pshh” noise. The engine doesn’t really sing as you reach redline but the sweet spot of the noise is between 3000-5000 RPM. The Dimension 8-speaker + Subwoofer is a delight. The bass seems to rattle the trim and dashboard though, so minus few points for fit and finish there.

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Value: 9/10, 0/10 if Tavarish’d

For almost $20,000 I could have bought a FD RX-7!!!

Yeah whatever, you can still get the car for $5000 off MSRP, with its limited production appeal, and exotic paint. Amazing value for money. Try to think of a new car under 20k to compete with this. Solid 9/10 value, would be 10/10 if it was a 5 year old Mercedes S class.

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Total: 72/100

I suggest everyone shopping for a hot hatch at least test drive the Rally Edition before you just go buy that Fiesta ST. The whole package and all the things you get for the money might just blow you away. The 9 point jump from Jalopnik’s 2013 Veloster Turbo rating of 63 is justified. It is much better value for money, better handling, fitted with an incredible B&M shifter with manual transmission, and amazing looking inside and out. You are also driving one of just 1,200 of these. Just make sure you upgrade the tires and engine mounts to really make this car perform. You can also just keep them for the nice ride. It won’t be a GTI or a Focus ST, but leave those for the dads who really wanted a sports car but needed to take their kids to school. The Veloster is in a size class lower than those anyway and the rear seats and low roofline show the lack of intent in catering to babying ability. Hyundai targeted the Veloster for the enthusiast in his 20s to take on anything life throws at him. Whether you’re slaying corners in the mountains, commuting, crawling and parking in dense urban areas, or packing up your stuff in the giant cargo area and taking a road trip, the Veloster Rally Edition will do it all, with style.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Bytemite 11/30/2015 at 19:37

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I can’t believe that is a factory color. It’s awesome!

ciscokidinsf > Bytemite 11/30/2015 at 19:47

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“Dyno tests have shown 93 octane to be making around 25 more peak HP”

whut? How? This one seems too optimistic. Otherwise every Jalop would be pumping 93 octane in their four-bangers. This engine is the same as what you get in the Accent, so this octane business seems strange to me.

It seems everything post interior/exterior (and that is subjective) was a compromise that could’ve been bested by any other competitors at the same range.

I wanted to like the Veloster when it came out, but it’s really another generation away from being a true competitor in the Hatchback wars.

Jonee > Bytemite 11/30/2015 at 19:54

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That’s one of the most thorough reviews I’ve ever read on here. Well done. Now I really do want to drive it. It does sound like it’s a hell of a deal. It looks like nothing else out there, no one else has one, and it’s a fun car. What more do you want at that price point? You don’t expect it to be a McLaren. Congrats. Drive the wheels off of it and then get the good tires.

Bytemite > ciscokidinsf 11/30/2015 at 19:59

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The Fiesta ST engine is also underrated on 93 octane. For turbo four bangers that allow both 87 and 91, the difference is actually big.

Levitas > ciscokidinsf 11/30/2015 at 20:09

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I’ve driven my FiST with both 87 and 93. There’s a notable difference between the two, with the 87 making second/third gear pulls take longer. Still quick, but theres just this lack of oomph above ~5k where the engine seems to take forever to spool any more.

Even on my old NA Mini, premium really helped out especially with AC running. Made the car functionally fast, at least.

Caleb "If a rally car can do it, so can my Malibu" M. S. > Bytemite 11/30/2015 at 20:35

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Love the blue accents

daender > ciscokidinsf 11/30/2015 at 21:01

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Higher octane works best with boost and/or high-compression engines. Even the NB2 Miatas with their 10.5-to-1 compression HATE anything less than 91, it’ll pull timing once the knock sensor gets triggered.

Ash78, voting early and often > Bytemite 12/01/2015 at 14:18

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Spelling of “Rally”: 3/10.

Everyone knows it’s supposed to end with an “e” for full points.

Nice review!

Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras > Bytemite 12/01/2015 at 14:18

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I missed the post of when you bought it, that thing is SUPER FUCKING AWESOME!!!

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > Bytemite 12/01/2015 at 14:21

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The color combo on this car is absolutely perfect.

Party-vi > Bytemite 12/01/2015 at 14:29

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“It won’t be a GTI or a Focus ST, but leave those for the dads who really wanted a sports car but needed to take their kids to school.”

Shots fucking fired.

Party-vi > ciscokidinsf 12/01/2015 at 14:31

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Hyundai has stated in writing the 2015 Genesis makes 420hp on premium and only 407hp on regular. The last gen model also make something like 400hp on premium and only 380hp on regular.

Edit: I doubt the Veloster Turbo makes more than advertised power on premium. More than likely the advertised power is on premium gas.

Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero > Bytemite 12/01/2015 at 14:34

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As awesome as that color is I wouldn’t want it for a DD, way too hard to maintain and look good on a day to day basis

Bytemite > Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero 12/01/2015 at 14:40

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It actually interacts with water and dirt differently. Instead of sticking onto the paint, water beads off with no wax, and dirt doesn’t seem to embed itself. Vandalism however is a different tale altogether.

gin-san - shitpost specialist > Bytemite 12/01/2015 at 14:54

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Other reviews I’ve read about VTs is that the tire makes a huge difference, and that there is a Pilot Super Sport summer tire option available from the factory. At least you can remove the Kumhos once they’re spent and put on a proper tire.

Sweet Trav > Bytemite 12/01/2015 at 15:02

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I test drove a Turbo modem on a whim. The wheel hop was pretty bad, but I agree that this has one of the nicer interiors in its segment. My biggest complaint was that the car never felt that settled at any point leaving the corner with hard power on. The cheap Korean engine mounts and roll restrictors don’t help with this.

jjhats > Bytemite 12/01/2015 at 15:07

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great review that addressed all questions I had about this car. don’t ask me where I heard this but its really dumb/bad to redline a 1-2 shift. most turbo cars make peak power a few grand back from redline so instead shift at 5k then feel free to wind out 2 and 3 to higher rpms if you want smoother acceleration and less strain on your engine as first gear isn’t intended to be a performance gear.

Bytemite > jjhats 12/01/2015 at 15:10

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Good idea. I thought of doing that just so the thumping wheel hop could be avoided but I really wanted to get the best acceleration out of it.

Takuro Spirit > Bytemite 12/01/2015 at 17:27

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I don’t know about you guys but I like to position my seat so that the bottom of my knee touches the seat when I am on the dead pedal or fully on the clutch

YASS

ciscokidinsf > Party-vi 12/04/2015 at 02:03

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True, but 20HP in the Genesis represents a 5% gain with 93 octane over regular gas. Here in the Veloster (according to the OP) would be a 12.5% HP boost??? C’mon... does not compute.

Party-vi > ciscokidinsf 12/04/2015 at 09:09

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There is one specific dyno sheet that shows an 87 octane run at like 157whp, and then on 93 octane 176whp and on the second 93 octane run 186whp or so. Also remember a turbocharged engine is going to respond to higher-octane gas better than a naturally aspirated engine.