1.6 CRDi Comfort 5dr

Solid, dependable, low cost, low hassle motoring

I have owned my i30 since new. Nine years and 135,000 miles later and I feel qualified to provide judgement!

Overall, it has been an excellent buy and genuinely looks and feels as if it could do another 9 years and 135k without falling to bits. If you’re after a well built, well equipped, good value, reliable second-hand hatch then this could be the one for you (but you can’t have mine!)

After 10 years of running far meatier machinery, and swallowing the bills that went with that, I opted for the Hyundai as I needed a few years of ‘no surprises’ motoring to cope with a longer commute just as the household bills were ramping up due to the arrival of twins. I went for the Hyundai in particular because, at the time, the reviews were pretty good, the warranty was great, and I was impressed with the equipment, fit and finish of what was still perceived as a bit of a budget brand. As context, I traded in a BMW 530d Sport so I had been used to a higher grade of motoring!

The i30 has almost exclusively been used for a 70-80 mile daily commute, one up, on rural, quiet, A-roads (yes, I do know how lucky I am!). It’s probably a near perfect life for a car: no short journeys, very little urban work and 50-60mph cruise in 6th gear most of the time. This life has, I’m sure, contributed to a very strong record of economy and reliability. I’ve tracked the economy from the start based on my own calculations of fuel volume and miles travelled (although the trip computer has proved to be very accurate) and have averaged 60mpg. This equates to a very useful real world range of over 600 miles before the fuel light is even close to coming on (signalling a 70 mile range remaining)

On less frequent but longer motorway journeys I have found the car to be a perfectly comfortable and capable cruiser, sitting very happily at 70mph / approx 2300rpm. Dynamically, it does not set the world alight but the ride comfort and handling balance are good, refinement is fine, and there’s reasonable mid-range shove for overtaking

Sets of good quality tyres have lasted 50k miles, and my first set of discs and pads lasted 90k miles. It’s still on its original exhaust, clutch, battery etc and the only exceptional expenses incurred have been an air con condenser at 7 years and a rear wiper motor at 8 years. It uses no oil between services and everything still works as it should

I had one zero hassle warranty claim for 2 alloy wheels (blistering from the inside out) after 4 years or so. These were replaced with new wheels although I am slightly disappointed to see all of them are now suffering the same plight. I guess I may be being picky here - I suppose most alloys go the same way at this age.

Given the ‘low stress’ usage I’ve chosen to have the car serviced annually at 15k intervals within the Hyundai franchised dealer network (Gloucester and Stratford-upon-Avon). This has been a very positive experience and I’ve felt the ‘Essentials’ servicing offerings available for out of warranty vehicles has been good enough value to maintain my loyalty to the brand.

Although the car is a workhorse, I have driven it sympathetically and looked after it quite well. It’s only had one polish in its life but still comes up looking really good after hand washing with a deep, even shine to the paintwork and very few paint chips considering age / mileage. The interior has worn exceptionally well and still looks pretty much ‘as new’. It has never let me down and, although I’d love a newer car with a bit more poke and refinement, it’s quite difficult to justify.

If you’re on a bit of a budget and want a mid sized hatch to give years of reliable, low cost service, I think the i30 is well worth some serious consideration.

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