Hot Take: The 1st Gen Hyundai Veloster is the next Cult Classic

"Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available" (whoistheleader2) 12/17/2019 at 14:30 • Filed to: Hot take, Hyundai, Veloster, Car Culture

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The 1st gen Veloster is just quirky enough and just bad enough that it might just make it to cult status. It left enough of an impact on the public psyche that some appearance in a movie somewhere down the road can get people to remember them fondly (see: Aztec). It was a failure in its own day, but how will it fare now?

It was in interesting enough design, if just a bit ungainly. The Veloster was not quite refined enough for the car buying public, coming across as a little too juvenile with its lavishly asymmetrical layout and over the top trim.

Take this interior for example. It looks like it was taken from a Sonata except for the blindingly colorful inserts. It even has TURBO stitched on the seats in bright blue! I actually love it despite its idiosyncrasies.

It almost, but not quite, works together, much like the AMC Pacer, Pontiac Aztec, Delorian, and a heap of other cult classics. It didn’t quite have the performance to be a true hot hatch and it was too weird to be a family car. So close. Fortunately, the new Veloster N finally has what it takes (or so it seems).

I got all the pictures from this add. Tell me what you think.

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MKULTRA1982(ConCrustyBrick) > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 12/17/2019 at 14:38

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This is a good take especially with the Aztec comparison. I would think these already have a somewhat cult following, but at the same time plenty of people pick them up as cheap disposable transport. When that kind of transport has some kind of character (Yugo, Chevette, Honda Civic, Pontiac Aztec) whether it be good or bad, I think lots of people end up with lots of nostalgia for them in spite of them being disposable 

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 12/17/2019 at 14:38

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The problem with the Veloster is that, de spite everything it has going for it, it just isn’t fun.

I test drove a Turbo Spec R, which should be the best one. And it want fun. It was boring in fact . Everything felt numb. To give it a base line, it was about as engaging to drive as the Prius C I drive for work.

Also the interior feels worse than it look. Add to that no heated seats and no sunroof, and it was a no go for me.   

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 12/17/2019 at 14:45

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I would own one, no question! Then again, I like more basic cars, and even the non-turbo would be fun enough for me. :)

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > MKULTRA1982(ConCrustyBrick) 12/17/2019 at 14:46

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Yeah right no one would love a bad car just because of nostalgia.

Going to delete the 88-91 Civic search from my Craigslist and market place searches. 

i86hotdogs > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 12/17/2019 at 14:51

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Melon baller up my ass

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > i86hotdogs 12/17/2019 at 14:54

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Ah! Believe it or not I wasn't writing an editorial for this video nor had I watched it recently.

nerd_racing > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 12/17/2019 at 15:09

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They are so terrible to drive though.  Steering is numb as they come, suspension is soggy, power is low, visibility sucks, and the dual clutch trans that most of them got is horrendous.  

Sammyno55 > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles 12/17/2019 at 15:10

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In 2012 I cross shopped a Prius C with a Veloster. The steering was numb on both and the base Veloster had a terrible shifter feel. I’m glad I went with the Prius C because a month later, I was transferred to Atlanta. I still had a manual car in the garage, I just knew better than to commute in it.

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > MKULTRA1982(ConCrustyBrick) 12/17/2019 at 15:14

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That’s exactly what I was thinking. Everyone I have met who has or who has had a Veloster was really disappointed with it.

412GTI > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 12/17/2019 at 15:27

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All I know is when I took one in on trade and drove it for a couple of miles. For being the “Sporty” Turbo, it was garbage. Incredibly numb steering, crashing suspension, and didn’t feel that fast for being a turbo. Made my 5 year older Civic Si feel like a way superior product. Could tell it was a tarted up Accent.

Maybe it’ll have some sort of nostalgic in the future as a car doesn’t have to be good to gain respect, but I don’t see that happening soon. 

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > 412GTI 12/17/2019 at 15:40

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That is the point! In 10 years, a Veloster make a great casting as the car of an eccentric loser in a movie , thus gaining cult status. In these cases, trying is good enough.

The Delorian is still every bit as bad as a Bricklin, but people only recognize the one. 

E90M3 > Sammyno55 12/17/2019 at 15:59

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So you’re telling me you don’t love riding the clutch on 285? 

Jay, the practical enthusiast > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 12/17/2019 at 16:05

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The thing about the Velosters is their price. My brother loved his because there are not many new cars with a manual and a turbo for less than $20,000. 

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Jay, the practical enthusiast 12/17/2019 at 16:16

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Wow, didn’t know they started so cheap. They couldn't possibly be worse than the other stuff you get at that price in the early 2010s.

Jay, the practical enthusiast > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 12/17/2019 at 16:24

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My brother paid $17,000 for his (no options and lots of incentives). It was so much cheaper than a Civic Si or Golf GTI that the performance difference just didn’t matter. It’s not in the same class as those cars.

Sammyno55 > E90M3 12/17/2019 at 16:52

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What I really ended up doing was just leaving it in  1st and not stopping. Like the truckers do. 1st gear sufficed up to about 2000 RPM past VTEC, yo! That made traffic tolerable. 

E90M3 > Sammyno55 12/17/2019 at 17:28

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I sat in traffic on 285 in my M3, never again.

UnknownMember > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 12/17/2019 at 17:56

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You really need to call-out the Turbo (shown in the picture) vs Non-Turbo Veloster here. One looks fun, on one IS fun.

I’m still rocking a ‘13 Matte-Grey with the straight 6.

A new car with the features I want is $ 30k... This one is paid... ¯\_()_/¯

MKULTRA1982(ConCrustyBrick) > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles 12/17/2019 at 20:01

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It should be a crime to make a disposable car that genuinely fun (not just beat in it rental car fun) 

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > MKULTRA1982(ConCrustyBrick) 12/17/2019 at 20:05

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Thanks  to modern crash safety requirements, it is.

MKULTRA1982(ConCrustyBrick) > TheTurbochargedSquirrel 12/17/2019 at 20:12

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I think that’s because it seemed like it might be an enthusiast car, and Hyundai wanted people to think it was (BIG swoop y turbo badge, velocity-er, ‘two door’ ‘hot’ hatch lines) but it simply wasn’t.

Wiki says the turbo made 200hp and 195ft/lbs and weighs around 2600-3100lbs so I can’t imagine it was startlingly quick, and others have said they aren’t fun to drive.

The people who will be interested in these as cult classics won’t care if they lived up to that enthusiast feed, they’ll care that they’re quirky, niche, unique and that they were the hero car in some movie. They will likely  be   accessible yet hard to find, and of no particular value to anyone until people start liking them in spite of their shortcomings.

MKULTRA1982(ConCrustyBrick) > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles 12/17/2019 at 20:15

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I call them “the ugly stick” (it’s truly astounding  what modern cars can withstand)

FauxGuy > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 12/17/2019 at 20:54

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I have a 2012 nonturbo and I genuinely love it. It was/is cheap as hell (to buy and drive), stick shift, and drives like an oversized go-kart. I put 25k on in the first year and (have it to 150k now) and it’s still on its first clutch with no real wear, second set of brake pads, third set of tires because I’m a cheapass about tires.

I’ve also taught 2 teenagers manual on it and a refresher course for someone that hadn’t driven one in 25+ years, and have open offers to many others with no worries about the clutch because it literally doesn’t have enough power to slip it.

People should give it it’s due as the world’s best starter car for teaching stick.

The auto though? Yeah I test drove that and it was extra trash.

Edit: Also to mention, try finding a sub-20 k 2012 new car that fits a 6'4" 350lb plus dude with comfortable head and legroom. I couldn’t find one.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > FauxGuy 12/17/2019 at 21:34

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That is basically everything I like about them. Everyone complains about the steering feel though. Is that a deal breaker though?

A 2012 sub 20k car for big people? Chevy Cruze, as long as you aren’t too wide. Loads of legro om ad headroom in mine. Also, how on Earth did you get in the grays on Oppo?

Icbog > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 12/18/2019 at 05:10

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Paid $16k for my 2016 Turbo.

I’ve never loved a car more.

I tell people whenever asked that it absolutely isn’t for everyone and you have to want it, but if you do, there’s a lot to love.

I should mention that a set of Michelin AS/3+ makes a huge difference. The rubber that came on mine was absolute shit.

And I'll throw in that I'm 6'6" 275, and it's comfortable. I'd been driving SUVs for the longest time just because I never thought I'd find anything fun that I could actually fit in.

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 12/18/2019 at 09:52

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The Veloster is to the Accent as the Scirocco/Corrado is to the Golf/Rabbit/Jetta. We will come to appreciate it in the same lens.

Webran61 > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 12/18/2019 at 11:52

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Ive had a 2015 base model, a 2016 turbo model, and now a 2019 turbo ultimate model.

The second generation is leagues better in every regard, specifically driving dynamics, but it does feel a little less special and quirky than the first generation. My base model was orange. People working at fast food drive thrus loved that car more than I did. People still compliment the 2019 all the time. I think more and more people appreciate not seeing yet another Civic or Corolla on the he road. 

SmugAardvark > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 12/18/2019 at 20:14

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I thought the 1st gen Tiburon would achieve a similar status. It was a relatively well-powered car in its segment, and very affordable right off the lot. Didn’t really pan out for that one...

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > SmugAardvark 12/18/2019 at 22:31

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But wasn’t that wrong wheel drive but looked rwd? It’s all about expectations, and no one expected much from a Hyundai so no one looked for it.

SmugAardvark > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 12/18/2019 at 22:36

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Sure, it looked like it could be RWD, much in the way that the Honda Prelude did. But I recall that it was one of the first Hyundais that looked the part of an enthusiast vehicle (the Scoupe, while kinda neat in its own sort of way , looked very cheap to me ).

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > SmugAardvark 12/18/2019 at 22:42

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But it looked like a bargain basement BMW to the kind of people who make their ignorant opinions known loudly, so many came to regard it as such. I rather liked it, but sporty non premium coupes are dying. L ess people can afford an non practical vehicle.

TRivet > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 12/19/2019 at 09:48

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The new models are actually pretty nice car s, and the Veloster N is a genuine performer as well. True, the early models were a little “unrefined”, but one of the best things about them is they are different than their competitors. They don’t look like “every other hatch” on the market. The look is unique without being weird.

My son has a 2012 base with an auto. Looks great, great mileage, good safety ratings - great car for a 21 year old. The fact that it’s slow is a huge PLUS here. He just wanted a “cool” car that got good mileage he could drive year round (Michigan winters can be brutal) so snow tires an the FWD Veloster make for a perfect choice, and we are both happy with it.

However, he is coveting my WRX now that I let him drive it.......