Hyundai Coupe

Hyundai has an exceptionally rare talent for producing good cars that are cheap, reliable - and shed their value like leaves from a tree in autumn once they leave the showroom. Happily, its pretty Coupe is no exception.

Porsche had a hand in tweaking the suspension of the previous model which arrived in 1996, so it’s no wonder there’s plenty of grip, fluid handling and great stability at speed. The only proviso when buying is to pick the 2.0 16v over the lifeless 1.6, and don’t get distracted and pay good money for the lazy auto. Also, because interiors don’t last well, choose the SE which had leather along with aircon, cruise and a CD player.

Coming up-to-date, the stunning post-2002 Coupe is a revelation to drive, with loads of grip and beautifully fluid steering making it a truly fun machine to pilot. The 2.7 V6 has stacks of torque, plus you get the six-speed box and leather, but the 2-litre is actually more fluent and nicer to drive. Don’t even think about the 1.6.

The Hyundai Coupe is good value new, and even better used (in V6 guise - the 2.0 holds its value better) - so there are deals to be had if you search for them. The new, sharpened-up face lift model (introduced in January 2002) is also likely to hit used values, but not as hard as you might think. Just make sure you check there’s a complete service history before parting with any cash.