Tuners differ from sports cars in many different areas such as price, engine displacement, horsepower and many other factors. They also differ from typical sedans or SUV import cars; they are lighter, faster and have better handling. These cars are usually Japanese made and are sometimes referred to as "import" vehicles. The driver can customize and personalize their car to their liking. The more popular modifications would be to not only tint the windows and put rims on, but to also modify the engine. Almost everything on the engine could be upgraded to a better performing part such as the air intake or the exhaust. Depending on what the car is "tuned" or set up for, depends on whether a suspension or different modification should be next.

The essence of modification of a Tuner Car is an attempt to extract the greatest possible performance from the base motor vehicle through the addition, alteration or outright replacement of parts. Although this largely involves modifying the engine and management systems of the vehicle to increase the power output, additional changes are often required to allow the vehicle to handle this power including stiffened suspension, widened tires, better brakes, improved steering and transmission modifications. Although largely invisible from outside the vehicle certain modifications, such as low profile tires, altered suspension and the addition of spoilers can change the overall appearance of the car.