Hyundai i30cw Long-Term Update
November 13, 2009 by Anthony Crawford
Test model: Hyundai i30cw SX CRDi, 5-speed manual transmission – $24,390 (manufacturer’s list price)
It’s easier loading my 7 year-old daughter’s mountain bike into the i30cw wagon; than it was in any SUV I’ve driven this year. I figure it’s the low load entry that accounts for this revelation.
Many of the soft-roaders with a manual tailgate operation, require a strong set of shoulders to lift awkward items such as bikes into the rear load area. Not so with the i30cw, my youngest daughter can manage the task on her own.
Easier still, is loading a couple of surfboards and all the gear for Sunday Nippers at the beach, despite the rain.
Remember, this is the base model diesel i30 wagon with a five-speed manual transmission and cloth seats, which we have had in the garage for close on three months now and I can tell you without any reservation, it will be sorely missed when we hand it back next week.
Despite the entry-level badge, (actually there is no variant badge on the car) the i30cw SX CRDi doesn’t feel like a base model car. Never has.
And it’s not any one thing I can rave about, it’s the whole package from Hyundai, everything about this car is above average.
Even the remote key fob is worth a mention. It’s well designed with smooth edges, chrome look inlays, but more importantly, it feels good in your hand and is lightweight for your pocket.
It’s this kind of seemingly insignificant attention to detail, that separates the entire i30 range from almost every other car in its class.
It’s no wonder that the Korean carmaker is trouncing the competition these days, with sales in Australia up a staggering 106 percent in October, alone.
To put that into perspective, overall vehicle sales for the month were down 11.7 percent against the same period in 2008.
That percentage increase, translates into some 53,906 cars sold by Hyundai in Australia this year, and they’ve got two months still to go.
And its not just the i30 that’s making waves, it’s the entire range from the iLoad to the Getz, almost every model in the range is selling like hot cakes.
Talk to any owner of a current model Hyundai, as I have done over the last few weeks, and they’ll tell you categorically, that they will be buying another.
Every driver I spoke with, that’s mostly i30 and iLoad owners, chose their vehicles based on the styling, fun to drive and the level of standard kit on board.
I’ve had exactly the same experience driving the i30cw wagon for the last three months, it’s more fun to drive that any base model econo-box has any right to be.
Just this morning, I dropped off my daughter to school, which just happens to be at the bottom of what must be Sydney’s steepest hill, and decided to see how the diesel would perform on this suburban Everest.
Halfway up in third gear, and I’m already doing our national speed limit, and this, from a 1.6-litre turbo diesel with a bucket load of mid-range torque.
When I say its fun to drive, I mean both the i30 hatch and wagon lean more towards a sporty drive, in that it feels both responsive and well balanced, and that’s with the stock standard steel wheels. Note, the alloys look decidedly better than these plastic wheel caps and are of course, lighter too.
The steering also has great feel and accuracy, not too light as to feel incommunicative, despite the steering wheel’s plastic composition, which I am not overly fond of.
Long term press cars allow us to both seek out problems and to confirm what we like about a car, in a variety of different driving situations.
Take the seat design in the i30 (front and back) the level of lumbar support and side bolster is reason alone to choose it over some competitors.
It’s the same story when talking ride quality, even over some of the roughest patchwork roads Sydney has to offer, the suspension soaks up any harshness that might be transmitted through the chassis.
But one aspect of the car that Hyundai may want to improve, is the level of tint applied to the side windows and windscreen, which is simply not enough.
The heat through the driver and passenger side windows even with an ambient temperature of 25 degrees Celsius, is too warm for comfort.
I had exactly the same issue with the seven-seat Kia Rondo, too much heat through the windscreen (due to its sharp rake) and side glass, exacerbated on our journey to the Gold Coast.
It’s an issue that could be easily fixed by spending a couple of hundred dollars on a heavier after-market tint application, but even better, if applied to the car on the assembly line.
Although the i30cw wagon only has a 53-litre fuel capacity, the additional range from the diesel engine makes that more than sufficient and well proven by our 1012 kilometre run to Brisbane/Tweed Heads, earlier this year.
This month though, I have averaged only 600km per tank of diesel, most likely due to absolutely no highway kilometres at all, and a complete disregard for fuel conservation in and around what is particularly hilly terrain.
That doesn’t concern me at all, as it still works out to just 8.8L/100km or 31.9 miles per gallon in the old school.
There’s also been a $1000 price rise with the 2010 model year i30cw SX CRDi wagon, due entirely to the four additional airbags on board, which I have no problem with given its five-star ANCAP safety rating.
Only after you loose the benefits and convenience of a wagon, where bikes, surfboards, and groceries, can be thrown in the back at a moments notice, do you realise that every family needs one.
Hyundai’s i30cw SX CRDi wagon punches well above its weight on so many levels that it is nothing short of a veritable bargain.
Print it: 
8.8 is damn good for a lot of hills and no highway. May i make one suggestion. I used to work for the Supreme court and saw that photo of your daughter, may i advise you remove it as there are many weirdo’s out there who like those sorts of photos. Just some helpful advice, as i have been through many cases my self.
Anthony, it feel that you should take Shaks advice in respect to removing your daughters photograph, no offence. We would all like to think we live in a sicko free world, however the internet has them on a substantial increase. Post a picture or any information about yourself on the net & you’ve lost all control over it.
Yeah I know the environment you were in, but I would expect that from the petrol version under those conditions, not the diesel
8.8 is quite good in such conditiong Andrew M.
Nice car!
I don’t know how you ended up with 8.8l/100km but something tells me your not using the diesel engine right.
Knowing that you reached the nation speed limit (100km/h, which I also doubt was the speed limit of that road) in 3rd tells me that you would have been at around 4000rpm, which is pointless, the torque starts to drop off at 3000, changed to 4th and keep the revs in the max torque band.
DIESELS ARE NOT LIKE PETROL ENGINES YOU DO NOT HAVE TO REV THE $%&* OFF THEM!
Another thing is if you fill the tank to the very brim the total capacity is more like 60lts, I’ve fitted 57-58 (most ever 58.3) routinely (at many different servos) and I didn’t push the car there!
If you just fill it up to the first click you can only have 40-45ish litres in the tank due to the foaming nature of diesel fuel (which is reduced in the ‘premium diesel fuel’). This might also be why you only got 600ish.
I live in Newcastle and I’m quite often climbing hills, never had a tank go over 6.0l/100km no matter how hard I’ve driven it (albeit mine is the hatch and slightly lighter)
Theres a funny irony when it comes to the transmissions, with every other car company most diesels only come in Manual and everyone complains, Hyundai has Auto only in middle and top spec (for both petrol and diesel) and everyone complains about the lack of manual. Especially considering how much less the Manual consumption and emissions are.
Please Hyundai for the sake of getting more sales put the manual trannies into the mid and top spec, you really are shooting yourselves in the foot.
Regards
Whitbomb07
Easy, I ended up using 8.8L/km driving hard all week in hilly terrain with NO highway kms and only short trips.
Remember, we achieved 5L/100kms on our Sydney to Brisbane run.
The car was still accelerating in third up the steepest hill in Sydney, regardless of when max torque is on the decline.
The point of the exercise was to establish the very worst possible fuel economy you could ever hope to get in the i30cw SX CRDi, and this was the result. It’s certainly not a criticism, more praise in fact.
Yes, I’m well aware of how diesel’s should be driven and you’re right, they don’t need to be reved to the same extent as a petrol powered car, which is why the red-line is always less on a diesel.
Thanks for the info though, sounds like you’re a happy i30 owner.
Anthony
Sorry but I still can’t understand how the consumption could be that high, but that’s the way it is. I just feel that you quoting these figures could taint peoples feelings about the economy. I understand that your intentions were to show a ‘worse case’ figure but driven smartly in even the worse conditions I believe you would not use this much. I cannot recall ever hearing such a high figure from other owners.
I do remember the Sydney to Brisbane run and you stated you needed to drop to 4th to climb hills on the F3, this doesn’t make sense to me as it would again but you above the max torque band whereas in 5th at 110km/h you are just under 2500rpm which is just above the middle of the band. I drive along the F3 regularly and have never even needed to consider dropping out of 5th. Even with aircon on, 2 people and a bootfull of stuff from a weeks holiday.
I’m not an ‘ultimate economy chaser’ but I do apply some basic principles to afford wastage (not just of fuel) but I don’t sacrifice the fun that can be had driving my i30.
Now all I can do is sit and wait for the trolls to claim I work for Hyundai, label me a foolish Hyundai sympathiser, say I know nothing about cars, trash talk etc etc
I’m just telling it how it is from my experiences and perspective.
Regards
Whitbomb07
I did highway kms and in the first quarter tank, covered 450kms. I drive pretty sensibly at about 100km/h most of the time. This was on a manual hatch, without much luggage, only me. Never had to drop any gears, except stopping for a break or traffic condition.
This car is pretty fun to drive, seems to corner better than corolla, without too much oversteer/understeer, close behind focus and madza3.
It pretty frugal and sip sip sip until you go beyond 2500 revs. the trick is to drive between 1500revs to 2100revs.
I must say that below 1500revs, the car is a tortise.
The other improvement is for hyunda to put in a sixth gear for speed above 100kph, and a 2 litre diesel engine.
Looks wise, it took a little time getting used to and once you are used to it, it pretty long lasting.
fuel consumtion sounds a bit high to me too, I have just driven new subaru outback deisel for the last week, and even flogging it and sitting on 130km/h on highway i still couldnt get it to use more than 6.4l/100km, and thats in a bigger heavier wagon running awd and has a bigger more powerful diesel engine!!!!! Yes I probably had more highway use than yourself but it didnt seem to make much difference highway or flogging around town still 6.4l/100km…
100 kph is not the nation’s speed limit. It’s 110 kph …. ever been to WA? It’s the driving force in the nation’s economy too . . . lol
Technically it is 100, even though there are 110 and 130 sections in Australia……..
Reagards
Whitbomb07
Well as this ’section’ of this wonderful land counts for 1/3 or 2.5 million square kilometres, I suggest there is nothing technical about it. It is 110 all around this section known as Western Australia.
I was not referring to WA as a ’section’
What I meant by ’section’ was a individual piece road/highway etc etc
Or are you telling me that every single piece of road in WA has a 110 speed limit?
The nation speed limit is 100, however there are roads/highways etc etc that have 110, 130km/h zones.
Reagards
Whitbomb07
I take your point, but nationally every school zone is 40kph, built up zones are 50kph but open road speeds vary – as we all know. However I wont be sticking to the national speed limit on the open road in WA, and I wont get fined either, so I suppose we agree that with 100kph 110kph & 130kph limits on the open road, except for trucks and cars towing caravans limited to 100kph, there is no standard national speed limit. I’ll leave it at that.
hopefully by the next generation, they might have the lpg hybrid from the elantra in the i30. the elantra hybrid price may not stack up again the camry hybrid but one of those would
I looked at the pic and thought, WOW what a massive load area. Then I realised it was a 7 year old’s bike.
We have done about 4000km in our i30cw and are yet get more that 740km aout of a tank. We could probably get more, but I tend to fill up as soon as the fuel light comes on. Best car I have ever owned.
G’day Paul
How full do you fill the tank? Until the 1st click or soon thereafter? Or do you trickle fill it full?
1 annoying thing with Diesel fuel is that it foams, when filling an empty tank to ‘full’ and the bowser has cut out for the first time your tank is about 1/4 (ie nearly 15lits, which can = 250kms+ lost) full of foam/bubbles whatever you want to call it. If you have the patience, after this first click slowly trickle the fuel in until it’s either fuel or you get fed up.
Personally the most I’ve driven with the light on was about 60-70km, I’ve heard of people doing over 100km but I haven’t had the guts to push it that far. Generally the low fuel light comes on when the DTE says 100-110km (but stops working at 50).
Regards
Whitbomb07
Hyundai makes good cars and there getting better year by year. Honestly, they are comparable to Honda & Toyota at just a much better price. This can not be said for Kia.
Anthony, I think if you drove it everywhere in second gear and rode the brakes for good measure, you should be able to get it up to 10L/100Km before you totally destroyed the engine.