2008 Hyundai i30 Review
November 2, 2007 by Matt Brogan
2007 Hyundai i30 SLX Review
CarAdvice rating: 
Recommended Retail Price: $23,490 (as tested: $26,780)
- Matt Brogan
By now I guess you’ve seen the ad on TV, a cute Jack Russell terrier, pretentious valet, and a ‘stolen’ Hyundai. Its fun, draws a smile, and gets you thinking that perhaps the big H has come of age.
From the outset, the i30’s German design is clearly evident. The handsome, contoured nose leads effortlessly up to a flowing bonnet then down over discreetly pumped guards to a side profile not too dissimilar to BMW’s 1 series.
The shoulder line high over crisp wheel arches then moves subtly aft ward to a taut, upright rear-end with Mercedes A class fashioned tail lights and C pillar window.
Cupped in the tail is a smooth, sculpted tailgate complete with a VW-style hatch release and logo combination offset by a short ‘bee-sting’ aerial mounted on the roof.
Paint finish is first rate (Metallic Paint $300) and matched with superb panel fit and smart sixteen inch alloys, I would go so far as to say that with the badges covered, you would not pick this car as Korean.
Inside, you could almost be forgiven for thinking ‘Golf’. Funky blue backlighting, smooth one touch buttons and simple user-friendly operating controls are not at all typical of Hyundai’s bygone efforts.
I’ve just had my 15,000km service in my i30 sx diesel, and am glad to say nothing has been wrong with it at all so far! Even the service price was fairly reasonable at $193, so I was quite happy. Also went to Qld and back in August for $260 in fuel for nearl 5200km without it missing a beat. Love the little car.
I’ve just bought myself an i30. Pick it up tomorrow. Had a pretty tight budget but managed to get the diesel sx with tints and safety pack for 23000 which I thought wasn’t too bad. Am kind of wishing I could’ve gone for the next model up for all the fancy stuff (climate control, cruise control etc) but hopefully won’t miss all that too much. This is my first ever new car so am pretty excited!
Its sad you have had such a scare with your i30 Geoff and quite supprising you would have such issues, I wouldn’t see this as a reflection on Hyundai directly, more just a case of bad luck. Most new car owners would be very happy if the only incounted 2 problems in the first 7 months of ownership, Its just a shame that the clutch failing almost caused a major accident. I wouldn’t cross Hyundai off your list yet for your next car as this could happen with any make, in fact I know of a couple of examples in BMW, Merc and Honda. I hope your problems are now over.
recente ly took delivery of my vivid blue I30 SLX CRDI manual. Very impressed with the car. Even has cruise control. Would recommend the car and the wife loves it too.
I have just purchased the new i30 slx Diesel Vivid blue, To sum it up in one word FANTASTIC.
I’ve had Falcons and Commodores but must say i can’t see myself ever buying one of those cars again ever. This i30 is rock solid and drives like a big Six with power and great fuel economy.
We have our white i30 SLX CRDI for one month and this car is excellent. Looks small on the outside but is very roomy and easy to get in and out of. Drives and handles really well. Everything about this car is well thought out. The diesel is amazing. No need to rev this thing as it pulls strong from 1500rpm all the way to 4000rpm. We have plenty of steep hills our way and the i30 tackles them better than any 6 cylinder Falcon or Commodore. I have driven company Commodores for the last 12 years and the i30 is better. 5 year unlimited km warranty, economy, 5 star ANCAP safety…..GREAT! If you are wondering why the American government is bailing out Ford, GM and Chrysler from financial ruin, please ask Hyundai as the Korean car maker is listening to the motorists.
I ordered a red i30 SX petrol today! Realy excited! Just wondering if anynoe thought getting colour coded handles are worth it and how much would it be?
Thanks!
Carol
Anti-Carjacking feature in Australia? Is it really that bad in Alice Springs?
hi
i need help, i want to know if there is a problem with my I30 or not, when i mount the mp3 player (512MB) and start playing the songs on it, suddenly it turns to radio system, and when i try to get back to USB mode after a while it comes back to radio mode by itself, what’s the problem? i tried to change to another player and it’s the same, and also it happens when on CD mode it turns back to radio mode… !!!!!
Khader..
Have not heard of this problem before..
Suggest you post your question on our site..
http://www.i30ownersclub.com
Over 450 i30 Owners on that site now…
I test drove a petrol i30 today with a young friend who is buying his first car. I was very impressed with build quality, and the drive was so much fun. This little car felt sporty and willing, it bustled through the traffic with ease and whizzed around corners like a Mini. I didn’t want to take it back to the dealers. The sound-proofing is very good, there was very little engine noise or road noise, in fact it’s quieter than my current-series Mercedes E-class. If I can work out how to get rid of the hyundai badges so the neighbours won’t ask if my business is going downhill, I’ll buy one of these for myself. I suspect that it’s better than a BMW 1 and it’s miles ahead of Mazda 3, in my opinion. There should be a queue for these. I drove previous hyundais and was not impressed, sort of motorised wheelbarrows, but this is something else.
Thanks everyone for your comments. I am looking at getting a new car soon and i30 is high on my list. Good to see lots of positives about it. I have a 12 year old Hyundai Excel and it is still going well.
I was contemplating buying one of these (SLX model), but decided against it after renting one (SX automatic model) and driving it for a week. Styling is great and the range of goodies you get for your money is excellent. The deal killer for me was the bumpy ride (felt every bump in the road) and the really slow acceleration when moving. It takes off through the low gears very well, but in the higher gears It almost felt like the clutch was slipping. You put your foot down and the engine revs up, but it takes ages for the car’s speed to actually increase. Changing from 80 to 100 kph took a full 6 seconds to achieve. Perhaps this car did have a slipping clutch, but there was only 11,000 kms on the clock. Around town it would be fine, but if you need to do some highway driving it falls down a bit and I wouldn’t attempt to overtake without a long run up. At 100 kph the rev counter is sitting just above 2,500 revs which I found odd for a 2.0 litre engine. My previous 2.0 litre cars would sit closer to 2,000.
I just purchased a 2009 I30 SR. The car came with a 17″ alloy spare wheel, and did not come with, nor was I offered, the recommended cable for Ipod connectivity. its only today when I’ve tried to use the regular PC cable, that I’ve discovered I might have to dish out more money to get the required cable. Using the regular PC cable, only about 50 songs out of over 3000 songs, were available to play while driving.
I also have a 15 year old Hyundai Excel….has never missed a beat and is still going strong. The only way I’d give her up is for a new i30, I think it’s a great looking car.
Credit where credit is due…well done Hyundai.
Anyone put off by Mark’s comments should visit …
http://www.i30ownersclub.com
The Manual diesel is the pick of the litter in my opinion but the great majority of our 580+ members are happy with their performance and most of the the cars other attributes too…
are the diesels a bit thin on the ground at the moment? my local dealership didn’t have *any* to offer for a look or drive :(
Very Rare Brian….
I had trouble getting one.
Still having trouble, ordered a couple SLX Diesel Auto’s and have been waiting about 5 weeks now with a further 3 more before the dealer see’s it. Can’t believe on the wait time, funny thing is you see i30 ads every 2nd ad break. Can you imagine someone going yeah i want to go check that out only to be told it is a 4-8 week wait for the car.
Interested to see how the new Holden Cruze CD Diesel goes in terms of sales and stock, definately will take some of Hyundai’s potential sales away me thinks…..
Jase thats actually very quick. You want a couple so easy to imagine alot of other people do too?
Dont look at Golf Diesels then (15weeks) or Hilux diesel SR (16weeks).
Dealers are caring way less stock now because of the downturn, so cutomers have to be patient.
I must admit that the i30 is growing on me [its for her] be nice if the base SX had a trip-computer [like Corolla/Astra etc] in it and also if they had a 5-speed auto in it.[Like the Jizz]
Hyundai Australia have certified a 1.6 engine for this, wonder when/if they are going to start selling it here [Its the normal ULP engine used in Europe]
Whens the update out?
Cheers
F-0
I30
Any Melbourne dealers offering free-carwash-for-life as per Brighton [Elsternwick] Toyota.
I believe thats the *main* reason for wanting a Corolla!
Cheers
F-0
These are great value for the Money.
I haven’t driven one yet but given what I have seen from the commercials This is On the shopping list to replace a 2006 Nissan Tiida Come Mid 2011.
I have seen things like the current Mazda 2 and given the kind of driving I do things like that and Ford Fiesta,Yaris kind of cars are far from suitable but will also consider those If the Budget won’t strech to an I30.
I had a Mazda Astina and a Mazda Metro 121 all before the Nissan both bought by by now deceased father.
Ordered a 2.0L petrol Hyper Silver SLX, and it’s on the ship – I’ve admired the i30 since it first came out and when I test drove recently it put the other contenders to shame. and Hyundai sponsor Carlton, so it’s the perfect car ! :)
Very happy with performance and economy of CW diesel (auto)and a great roomy practical vehicle, Ive had it three months.
BUT it is very noisy on gravel road as the door sills are unprotected hear every stone, like a hail storm!
Something funny going on with the car’s box of tricks with intermittent wipe, and hi/lo beam not working, but its going in for fix next week, the after sales & follow up service is good, so I’m sure that will get sorted out.
The vehicles security system was a nuisance, locks the doors while driving but only unlocks drivers and tail gate when switched off, these settings/features can be turned off by the service dept computer thing, but would be worth getting it set up as you like before delivery, as I had to pay the labour charge for it to be changed.
i have ordered a vivid blue manual sx diesel, 6 weeks wait according to the dealer….23k drive away with driving lights,mud flaps & bonnet& h/light protectors…cant wait
Best car.