Getting Real About the 2013 Veloster Turbo
I spent about three years working with these cars at a dealership before I started steering my friends away from them. The 2013 Veloster Turbo is genuinely interesting on paper, but the reality of owning one is messier than the brochure suggests. I am going to walk through what you need to know before you pull the trigger, and I will be straight about where things break. The 2013 Veloster Turbo came with a 1.6-liter turbocharged direct-injection four-cylinder making 201 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque. That was paired with either a 6-speed manual or the 7-speed dual-clutch transmission, which Hyundai branded as the DCT. The manual version was actually the better buy for most people, frankly. The DCT had shudder issues that showed up around 30,000 to 50,000 miles, and fixing them meant dropping the transmission and replacing the clutch packs, which ran you somewhere between two and three thousand dollars at a shop. When it launched, the base MSRP for the Turbo was right around $23,500. With the DCT and the Technology Package added, you were looking at roughly $25,500 to $26,500 out the door before taxes and fees. Today on the used market, a clean one with under 80,000 miles typically lists between $8,000 and $12,000 depending on condition and location. Cars with over 100,000 miles on the DCT are often priced below $7,000 for a reason.
Features on the Turbo trim included the larger turbo engine obviously, but also 18-inch alloy wheels, a power sunroof, ventilated front seats, a touchscreen infotainment system with navigation, and a Bose premium audio system. The interior layout was unconventional with one door on the driver side and two on the passenger side, which worked fine until you needed to fit anything wider than a grocery bag in the back seat area. The real issue nobody talks about is the timing chain. Hyundai had a known problem with the 1.6L Theta II engine where the timing chain tensioner could fail prematurely. I saw this on at least four separate vehicles in my time, and it usually presented as a rattling noise on cold starts that got louder over time. If the tensioner fails completely, the engine drops into limp mode and you are looking at a $2,500 to $4,000 repair depending on how much damage the chain does to the cylinders. Some owners replaced the tensioner proactively for about $600 in parts, which I would strongly recommend doing if you buy one used. Here is the workaround I found that actually works. Before test driving any used Veloster Turbo, you need to check the service records for a timing chain tensioner replacement. If it is not documented, treat that as a $700 line item you need to budget immediately. Also pull the dipstick and look at the oil. If it looks like chocolate milk, the head gasket has failed, and that is an engine-out job. Walk away from that car regardless of the price.
The DCT transmission has its own quirks. It learns your driving style over time, which sounds nice until you realize that means if you drive aggressively for a few weeks, it shifts harshly and you have to drive politely for another few weeks to recalibrate it. There is also a known shudder during low-speed acceleration, usually between 15 and 25 miles per hour, caused by wear on the dual-clutch assembly. Hyundai did extend the DCT warranty in some cases, so check if the vehicle is still under that extended coverage before buying. Fuel economy from the factory was rated at 25 mpg city and 33 mpg highway with the manual, or 26 and 32 with the DCT. Real world numbers tend to run a couple of miles per gallon lower than that, especially if the turbo is being used regularly. The car handles well for a daily driver with decent steering feel, but the suspension is on the stiffer side which means potholes are felt thoroughly. I replaced two control arm bushings on a customer's car within the first year of ownership because they'd been hitting curbs regularly. If you are set on a sporty small car in this price range, the Mazda3 MPS or even a older Ford Focus ST are alternatives worth considering, though they come with their own lists of problems. The Veloster Turbo is not a bad car if you go in with your eyes open and a budget for maintenance. It is fast enough to be fun, gets decent mileage, and the unique styling means you will not see many of them on the road. Just do yourself a favor and get the manual transmission version if you can find one in good shape.
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