A random test drive in the 2019 turbo Veloter

Hey, what's up ladies and gents?! So today I was stuck in traffic in front of my neighborhood dealership and there sat the new 2019 Veloster. My affinity for the Veloster has faded over the years,  but there was something about this white turbo that just called out to me. I decided to pull in and just take a look, but little did I know that not even ten minutes later I would be out on a test drive. This is by no way a full review but a quick snip it of my first impressions. And sorry, I do not have any pictures. Shout out to Nick over at Major Hyundai here in northeast PA for tossing me the keys. Looking forward to my phone call when the N comes in...

So without further ado, my quickie review.

Exterior...

Lets get to right to it...this is a gorgeous car! This is the second generation of the quirky asymetrical hatch. Everything on the outside is complete different from the previous generation. Walking around to the front of the car you can see the sharpened headlights, better proportioned grill, and very large crooked H. The bumper also has vents on the sides to help aid air to the brakes. Down the side of the car are indented body lines that make the car look bulkier and wider than it actually is. The sided skirts are also more integrated into the body lines then the previous model with "turbo"in red at the rear of the skirt. It is pretty sharp! The rear is large and appears wide. The tail lights help with this perception because they are stretched out on the rear. Gone are the rounded all in one tails of the previous gen. The stand out feature for me was the two tone roof. Being that I had a white car and black roof, it make the difference that much more dramatic. The car I drove was the ultimate and the moon roof is huge. Overall, vast improvement over the last generation.

Interior...

I need to start this by saying that I am not a fan of leather and really not a fan of Hyundai's leather. I am a fan of the older style cloth seats, sort of like the the GK Tiburon. I will say that the seat was very comfortable with good lateral and lumbar support. I wish the lumbar support was adjustable though, I normally like it extended fully. The dashboard is very appealing with the center console angled and facing the driver. The display was nicely laid out and very easy to read. All buttons were satisfying to the touch and you know you turned on or off something because you would get a satisfying "click". Did I mention it has a huge moon roof? damn near the whole roof I glass. Visibility was good, save maybe out of the small rear window. A quick look over your left shoulder and you can see everything same goes for the right shoulder as you look out the rear door window. This does have the normal electronic wizardry that we have all come to expect with new cars. Lane assist, which beeped at me when clipping the apex or if you put a tire even near the yellow line. Heads up display. Eh, not a fan. I turned it off almost immediately. Roll assist, back up camera with cross traffic warning system, and the usual power everything. The materials were nice to the touch and felt more expensive than the previous generation and gone are the cheap silver accents that just simply chipped or rubbed away after time.

Drivetrain...

So the turbo is using the gamma 1.6 turbo. making 201 hp and 195 lb/ft of torque. Essentially the same motor from the previous generation, though I have a feeling that the ECU as been reworked because it felt much better than other turbo's I have driven in the past. The 6spd was slick with pretty short throws. One odd thing was the reverse ring seems to be placed too far up the shifter and it feels weird while rowing through the gears. The ratios appear to be on point and the motor is happy to rev. I dare say that I hit redline atleast once due to the rpms getting away from me on a couple of spirited pulls. The electric differential was on point and the traction control was discrete. Save the light coming on, I would have never known it was coming on.  Though perhaps it is because I had it in "sport mode". Turbo lag was minimal and really it should be with such a small turbo. It will show its ugly head if you short shift it and then get back on it again but for the most part you are almost always in boost when you foot goes down to the floor.

Suspension...

This is definitely where the new car out shines its older generation. The front is using the stardard Macpherson strut with spring. The rear however, *rubs hands together* is an independent rear set up with separate spring/ damper combo. This makes the car more stable in the twisties and under hard braking especially on bumping PA backroads. The car is will sprung and dampened. It is very stiff but not punishing. Body roll is kept to a minimum. The improvement here is insane. This is how it should have been when the car was released the first time. I don't even hate the new 18 inch rims especially since they are wrapped with Michelin pilot sport tires. Yum.

Overall...

This car in short is a marked improvement in handling and driving impression. It does have me looking forward the release of the N edition. While the engine and tranny are a nice combo and definitely a capable pair, the chassis is screaming for more power. The additional 75 hp will be very welcomed and should scoot this sub 3000 lbs car along very nicely. This would be a nice commuter car for sure, but the thought of a 2.0 turbo stuffed in the engine bay from the factory is he thing of every Hyundai fan boy's dreams. Me included.

To be continued.

dilema....

Ok guys and girls. I think it is time to get serious about this. So a couple of questions to put out there...

1. If I started a youtube channel or started Vlogging that you all would watch? I have been contemplating this for some time now. This would be car reviews, builds, and even how to videos. Also track days or scca days. Let me know what you think!

2. Different cars. I have been wanting to get my hands on a Genesis coupe for sometime, but I drove something the other day that might take me in a complete different direction. No its not a Hyundai but rather a Mazda Miata. So do I go for the smaller, lighter, and cheaper to build or stick to the Hyundai family?

I'd really like some insight from readers and potential watchers as we move forward. Let me know in the comments!

Well, to say the least... it has been awhile!

So...where do I even begin after such a long hiatus? I guess really it has to start with what I have been up to and really what I have NOT been up to. The last 6 years have been quite eventful to say the least. Bought a house, finally started a full time career outside the car world, and spending time with my family of course.

Yes, finally bought a house. it even has a two car garage that currently has NO cars in it. It sits with building materials, a lawn mover, snow blower, and all of my random tools that I have accrued while working on the house. The 2003 Elantra GT that I had for some many years finally when to the junkyard. After hitting 4 deer, almost all in a row, rust galore, and the motor having 297,000 miles it was time to say goodbye to it. I then took over my wife's 2004 Elantra GLS AUTOMATIC. My heart breaks a little every time I drive it. Its not that bad of course, I did manage to swap over the whiteline rear sway bar to it.  The break from the car world has not been completely devoid of car content and I have been trying to take the next step and get back into the car world. My house, however has taken up quite a bit of my time and money. This has left little room for new cars, hell no room for used cars either. To be honest new cars now are just not doing it for me,  but that is a conversation to be had on another day.

Why am I starting this blog back up if I don't even have a car to work on or even review? Honestly, it is for my own sanity. I need and outlet to kind of express the lack and frustration of not having a car that is fun to drive. I watch others on youtube and friends with their own cars. Hell, I even when to a track event with my buddy and his 2006 Porsche cayman race car. I think this track event reignited the fire that had been hidden by working too many hours and too many house projects. I am hopeful for a change soon.

When I graduated in 2011 with, I'm sure is my third career, I had three simple goals. First was to actually find a good paying job and begin the infamous life's journey of working 9 to 5 and having weekends and holidays off. Being in the medical field I should have known better. This could not have been further from the truth. I have been through three different per diem jobs. A weekend job and now finally in the last year or so a full time job. Second, was to find a house suitable for any car that I might take home. It needed at least a two car garage and some working space. Living space and a yard was a definite plus, but as a car guy my focus was my work space. This was obtained in 2013 and has been draining my pockets since. It needs it and will be an awesome little place for me and my family. Even if perhaps what I have in my head does not come to fruition, it will be close. Third was to get my hands on a Genesis coupe. I have been eyeing it since I worked at the dealership and saw them hit the showroom floor. I waited and waited then the 2014 R-spec came out in that pearlescent white, brembo package, limited slip differential and finally an upgraded transmission. But, alas my saved money went down on the house and new home for any car that I might have taken home. Years later and life as yet to give me the ability to obtain one. That is okay, because I think I might be going in another direction...

stay tuned...more to come!