About the Hyundai i30
Blake C purchased this Hyundai i30 new for $27,000 (including all on-road costs). Blake C would buy this car again because: “Great styling with punchy performance from the turbocharged engine, very comfortable, feature packed interior, solid build quality and reliability, and very competent handling on road. Hasn’t put a foot wrong in over 50,000km of driving and definitely offers more bang for your buck than the equivalent European or Japanese competitors”
How reliable has your car been? Tell us about any issues.
Apart from the headlight globe needing to be replaced on both sides of the car, the i30 SR has not put a foot wrong in over 50,000km of daily driving. It’s even survived a track day with flying colours.
Tyres had to be replaced after 40,000km due to standard wear and tear, but it has been practically faultless in the five years I’ve owned it.
What do you think of the ownership experience with your car?
Admittedly, the i30 wasn’t on my radar when I was shopping for a new car, however the sharp, European styling and feature list were hard to go past.
The 150kW 1.6L turbocharged engine offers plenty of punch and the six-speed manual is slick to use, with only a light clutch pedal feel taking away from the overall driving experience, but it is easy to work around. On the road, the ride is firm but compliant and is able to eat up lots of kilometres on a road trip with ease.
How has the purchase and aftercare experience been with your car?
I received a few bemused looks from the sales team when I requested a manual gearbox, however Hyundai was very accommodating and upfront about build and delivery times for the car.
Finance was handled within the showroom, where I was looked after with a very competitive rate, plus the added bonus of three years free servicing with the dealership was a nice touch. Servicing and parts replacement has been uneventful, which is all you can hope for with a new vehicle purchase.
Are you happy with the price and features of your car?
When comparing to other competitors from other manufacturers from Europe and Japan, the i30 SR has most of them beat when it comes to overall pricing and the features included with the model.
With tech features such as integrated Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless phone charging, blind-spot monitoring and digital radio fitted as standard, the value for money was exceptional.
Also the performance figures also go a long way to stacking up well against other cars in its class, such as the Volkswagen Golf and Mazda 3.
What do you think of the performance and economy of your car?
While not a fully fledged hot hatch, the i30 SR still brings plenty of fireworks to the segment, thanks to a 150kW/265Nm, 1.6L turbocharged four cylinder engine.
Putting that power down through the front wheels can induce a little torque steer, but mostly it’s a fuss-free affair, with the i30 hooking up well and driving solidly through the manual transmission. Fuel economy is great on the open road, but can be a little thirsty on the day to day commute with figures above 10L/100km being shown. Expect around 450-500km from a tank of unleaded.
What do you think of the technology in your car?
For what you pay for a Hyundai i30 SR, it really does come packed with gear. As mentioned earlier, the addition of features such as digital radio, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, blind spot monitoring and rear collision warning, while the expected standards these days, were a welcome inclusion when this car was released in 2017.
Stepping up to the Premium version will add heated seats and the option of a sunroof is also available, for an added cost.
What do you think of the ride comfort and handling of your car?
While the low-speed ride on the i30 SR can be a tad fiddly, overall the local suspension tuning has done a fine job of sorting out the compliance on our roads, especially as speed increases. The ride is on the firm side, but soaks up bumps well and handles corners much better than expected, especially on the new set of Kumho tyres fitted.
There is the eventual push to understeer when pressing on, but overall, the i30 SR is a solid performer on Aussie roads, with noise levels kept to a reasonable level.