- Doors and Seats
5 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
1.8i, 4 cyl.
- Engine Power
110kW, 178Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (91) 6.9L/100KM
- Manufacturer
FWD
- Transmission
Auto
- Warranty
5 Yr, Unltd KMs
- Ancap Safety
NA
2012 Hyundai i30 Elite Review
I have owned this car for 2.5 years and have covered a modest 32,000 kms. I must say that these 2.5 years have been excellent and trouble free.
- Quality, Durability, Reliability, Fabolous interior quality and design, Best Air Con ever, Refined and quiet cruising (to a point), Sublime 6 Speed Auto
- Urban Fuel Economy, Firm Ride, Tyre Noise on Coarse roads (only)
This is the the only car I have ever owned (amongst Japanese, Australian and Euro cars) that I have never had to raise any issues at service time for warranty or ever needed anything looked at, adjusted etc. I hope I have not just jinked myself.
I'm not going to go into feature details as the Elite model pretty much has ever convenience covered - eg: Auto wipers, headlights; Navigation that never fails in CBD; Keyless start; Auto folding mirrors; night puddle lights; 7" LCD; Reverse Cam + Sensors... OK that's enough.
The audio system is excellent with Bluetooth streaming, USB playback, CD, AUX and the sound quality is pretty good also and have had no need to go for the EQ settings.
I have to say I so impressed with the build quality of this car. You only have to do the walk around and admire the consistent narrow panel gaps. The interior fit and finish is also very impressive with stylish touches and quality material throughout. The air conditioning system is the best I have ever used in a car and easily dispenses of a 40 degree day within a few minutes.
I am also impressed at the refinement and lack of any dash rattles etc. The 6 speed auto does an amazing job of keeping this refinement at a high level.
The only point that I don't like is what Hyundai has done with the ride set up. Frankly it's too firm and can get jiggly on concrete roads and jarrs on road expansion joints. I don't understand why it needs to be like this other than to get good ratings by car reviewers for handling. Do people really buy these sort of cars for handling? Also, tyre noise on the OEM tyres was an issue and after 30k I got sick of these Hankook Eco tyres and bought some Bridgestone Turanza Serenity's which has been a major improvement.
Fuel economy in urban hustle and bustle can sit on 9.4L/100 which is a little disappointing but improves significantly if there is some good stretches of road mixed in and normally get 8L/100 during the 2 hour return drive to work each day.
Would I buy another? Probably not because I'm not the sort of person to automatically buy another of the same car despite how much I like it because I enjoy trying different makes and models.
However, if I was asked for advice, I would certainly recommend the i30 to anyone that was looking for a new or used car that was well made, extremely reliable and had a refined hushed engine/GB combo. Frankly, Hyundai are equal and probably better than Toyota, Honda as an ownership experience for anyone needing a long term purchase. I personally, would be looking for a more supple urban ride on my next purchase but that could also have something to do with my age.
I would love to hear from others on their impressions of the same car.