I've had the pre facelift of this car for almost 3 years now. Best car I've ever owned hands down and I've had some pretty expensive euros as well. Can't recommend it enough. It is extremely quiet and comfortable at all Australian speeds. With a light foot and not too heavy traffic 6.5l/100km is easily achievable. However this car really hates heavy stop start traffic, it will easily push 9L+, if thats your commute, get a hybrid. On long trips it will dip into the low 5's. I'm 187cm and I can fit adults behind me, I think Paul might like he's seat a little further back. It's no camry by any stretch of the immagination, but I think it's probably a leader in it's segment for interior and boot space. The Hyundai dealership has also been fantastic to deal with and services are reasonably priced. Honestly, can't fault it
@@IsaacLoven Our experience too. My wife's late '16 (PD) SR Premium is loaded (in fact some seems deleted even on top spec models now). Dealer in Melb's east is the best I've ever had. Re higher spec models as of '21 the new "Lane TRACE Assist" has been said to be a 'game changer" by keeping one in the middle of the Lane, & NOT like the LKA as Paul said (it was off putting for Paul also) - and our experience as well, is that LKA has a tendency to drift towards the left (or right in RHD countries) into the grass/ or passenger side lane. Take Away. If I was Hyundai, I'd lengthen the Wheel base by about 5 to 7mm for that craved for rear seat legroom, of little real world consequence except, then I reckon they'd have real family car for city and 'the bush'! Love the i30.............. [ps. thanks for the fine review Paul.]
Hi Paul. We bought a brand new i30 Active, with the six speed manual gearbox in early 2018. 80,000 kays later, still going strong and not a single issue. We are a family of three, with a dog. We go camping and there is plenty of room, especially with roof racks. Great car. I wouldn't say no to a smidge more grunt, but in most situations, it's perfectly fine. Pretty good on fuel as well. On long drives, gets less than 6 litres per 100 kays. Overall, great little car.
When I read internet comments I always add "In my opinion" to everything I read. In my opinion, :-D, Hyundai have certainly come a long way. There is a lot of love for Toyota, and rightly so, they make good cars. In my humble view a better Hyundai will ultimately mean a better Toyota - everyone wins.
Got an early build PD i30, a 2017 Premium (now discontinued) with the 1.6CRDi (also discontinued). Bought in February 2018 and it’s now a shade under 90,000kms. Been a great car, outside of regular servicing have had two minor quibbles mended under warranty. I feel the interior has a few lost opportunities for making just that little bit nicer and to set it apart from the much cheaper entry level models and there were a few equipment oversights given the price of the Premium but those minor things aside it’s been a great ownership experience, this was my first new car and it very quickly went to the top of my already small shortlist of cars I was looking at. Hyundai aren’t alone with this but their fuel consumption claims are a farce, they claim something like 4.1L/100kms on the highway and somewhere close to 5 as a combined figure and I’ll rarely get the combined figure on the highway, it’s not a deal breaker and my actual combined figure around 6 is still pretty good but a 1.6 diesel should do better. As a Premium it’s full of gear and you’re not left wanting for much, a better sound system and the LED taillights would have been nice but this was rectified as a running change in early 2018 and the lack of front foglights at any level is a curious omission. The open road is where this particular car comes into its own however, quiet and comfortable cabin with the well sorted suspension takes everything in its stride, 300Nms from the engine make light work of overtaking or even stretching its legs through the Outback at 140km/h (sometimes more) in 35c heat while managing 1100kms from a tank without even trying. I couldn’t have asked for a better travel companion with my Outback trip last year. I bought this car new with the intention of holding onto it for somewhere between 7-10 years and I’ll be at a loss to replace it when the time comes, I’m not ready for an EV as they don’t suit me in their current form and diesel is rapidly being dropped from lineups, especially in this category. Not an aspirational car, not a perfect car but definitely something that rates highly everywhere it needs to.
I love watching you guys argue when I know my GR is far better than any car you folk are crapping on about and will be worth at least 50% more in a decade's time
I bought the current i30 Elite in Amazon Grey a month ago. Beautiful car, great to drive and I'm so so happy with it. Hoping that in 5 years time when it's time for a refresh that the i20N has a DCT option 😉
I have the PD SR Premium and love it. Just waiting for the i30 N with DCT to arrive. Loved this review and am most impressed with the level of equipment on the entry level car. Not convinced about the new grill and DRLs though.
Definitely like what this i30 is offering, looking at my 2nd car atm as my 2nd hand 2003 Elantra is a write off due to its age and damage but this may be my first new car to buy
I’ve had the I30 for a year and half now and it’s a great car. I would highly recommend it to anyone in any circumstances. It’s got plenty of room and storage, plenty of grunt and get up and go. What’s not mentioned in this review is the fun factor... I’m a 21 year old bloke and this car is a JOY to drive. It’s handling is incredible, it’s sport mode is shmic and it’ll get you of the line quick if you want it to. It also looks like a boss of a car and honestly a year and a half in and it still puts a beaming smile on my face to drive. Couldn’t recommend this car more ! Great review 🤙🏽
I've got an i30SRTurboPremium and in my opinion, the latest iteration grille looks like a lady on a bad hair day. I love the base model with radar cruise control. Excellent review. Thanks Paul.
Can’t believe the fuel economy on the i30 though compared to my 2015 Kia Cerato (is claimed at 7.1km/100L but I get 8km/100L). Would like you to review the new Kia Cerato though!
I just bought one today for a mate of mine and his family. Got the upgraded version with leather seats. They don’t know about it yet. Going to surprise them when car is ready. Got the Intense Blue colour. Their vt commodore is just about dead! Lol
Just bought one biggest pain in the bum is the lane keep assist ( very annoying ) you have to turn it off every time you start it if you don't want it unlike the older models that can be disabled forever with one button..
Pointless to have a digital dash that is so small and doesn't add anything in terms of customisability. A circular digital screen built into the centre of an analogue dial is more useful and easy to read.
You have a lot of equipment in standard back there in Australia, here in eastern Europe even the basic engine is a 1.5 self aspirated with 110 hp (the pre facelift had 1.4 100hp). Nice review.
Enjoyed review, bought run out model a few months ago, auto Active model with safety pack love it. Nobody seems to mention you can drive the automatic in Six Speed Sequential Manual Mode can be handy. Leaving out a couple of the safety options and GPS as standard a mistake I think.
Had a 2019 i30 base model last year for a month, I really hated it. I drive a 2016 Mazda3 Neo (Base model) and its a far superior vehicle bar the lack of infotainment screen. I found the i30 was too thirsty. The traction control would send the car into limp mode as I tried to get up to speed on a main road after pulling out of a driveway, I actually had to swerve off the road to avoid getting cleaned up once after it refused to accelerate past 60. Also you can't close the petrol door if the car is locked.. Terrible.
Okay Karen, I personally would’ve done the 0-60 on a empty road. I wouldn’t try anything in a car that I’m just not used to. The fuel cap feature is actually common in most cars, anyway I’m off. Time to go and be a evil homophobic narcissist xoxo 😉
Guess that’s what make the human race so diverse, I had a Mazda 3 neo as a company car and hated it, when I left the company i bought an i30 (2017 sr premium) and simply love it. I’ve got a friend with the basic i30 and I’ve driven that a lot, (in fact that car persuaded me to get one although higher optioned) personally they are both head and shoulders above the Mazda. Regarding your incident on the road that’s probably more a reflection on your judgment than the car.
I had the same issues with it, the traction control did similar to me. Pretty fuckin dangerous. its not a terrible car but its just a joyless fleet car.
Excellent review,as always! But... i am 182 cm tall i adjusted the driver's seat and when i sat on the back a had plenty of room! It seems that you have the front seat waaaay back... Plus: 400lts WITH a spare tyre is a total win!!
Not specific to the i30 but how do these dash mounted infotainment , Apple / Android displays handle the heat of being parked in the Australian sun ? Any plastic warping or device failures experienced by owners ?
i waited for this and the sedan version, just disappointed they got more expensive and no blind spot monitor and rear cross traffic alert on the base model, not even as an option, so i went back to kia cerato sport in black with safety pack for $26k d/a, (it's even dearer now compared to early this year)
Do you get to pick the trim of the vehicle that you review? Would be nice to have a view of the top-end variant that is on offer. Like always, wonderful video. Kudos
I love the i30 and Hyundai Motor Group in general but really annoyed by this new model, they got rid of the Go, the new alloys look horrendous on the base model and I hate the half digital speedometer because it looks so cheap and nasty (I prefer the basis screen in the middle with the nice gauges on sides or even better, a fully digital one as on i20, i30 sedan etc). I prefer hatchbacks but the i30 sedan is just so much nicer than the hatch on the interior, especially on higher specification models. Surely they would give a next-gen i30 like the sedan.
We have the first gen PD i30 and it gets 6.1L/100km combined on a country trip. I think the updates are good on the i30, but they stuffed up with the N-line i30. I wish they updated the outside look of that one too, instead of going with the same look. The Euro version looks great.
It’s because it’s a Hyundai/Kia car. They rather put on a facade of style than offer true quality. Corolla and Mazda3 have LEDs as they don’t skimp on a key part of night driving to get the price down. So many Hyundai/Kias have super sleek designs but have ugly dull halogens in the tail light cluster and headlights.
Hi Paul, Love your reviews. Would love to get your opinion on the ZR corolla sedan and the I30 n-line premium sedan when it comes out later this month. Thanks.
Cerato is more coupe like in profile (by comparison) but still has decent rear headroom. Cerato slightly longer with more boot space (428L) and a simpler (slightly less powerful) Multi point injected (versus direct injected) motor. Slightly longer (seven versus five) year warranty for Cerato. Other than that, find a colour and bodystyle that you like the best.
why are all dashboards today convex? i have a 2003 micra and its dashboard is concave shaped - free additional storage in the front!? why is this not a thing anymore?
Any issues with the engine on the newer generation i30. I heard about a lot in Kona. And guessing Kona and i30 have the same engine. Would like to know from people already owning it. Cheers.😊
That's a great car actually but Toyota Corolla Hybrid with the 2.0 engine and Sport model variant looks much nicer on the outside, with great interior quality and sporty sets, you get great consumption and 185 horsepower (7,5 secs from 0 to 100km/h). And, also you have the Toyota reliability. Great review anyway, as always!
@@CarExpertAus Thanks for the response! Yeap, totally agree with the downsides of the Corolla. But if you are a young couple with no children at the moment those won't be a problem I guess. It's a shame that you guys don't get the 2.0 Hybrid! I own a 2.0 Hybrid (GR Sport looks, only available in Europe also) with different suspension and much better sound isolation (acoustic windshield, and isolation around the engine), and it makes my ride so much fun! I agree that 1.8 hybrid is slow and therefore maybe it's a little bit boring...
Yes but that corolla trim cost a lot more than the i30 base model. I30n line has 200+hp and even better interior and exterior. Hyundai is winning in rally and touring championships worldwide. Their car built well and they improved a lot in the last 10 years.
Got a 2018 i30 trophy for $22k.... the price hike on this one doesn’t really seem justified. Everything is still the same or less. Although it has the safety feature of lane dept, radar cruise and EAB... there annoying features that if you can drive you don’t really need. But I love my i30 the handling, ride and power are well balanced for such a great value car.
Do you know if the wireless CarPlay is a feature that upper models are capable of but need a firmware update? I just tried the N line premium and could not get it working...seems odd that it would be on entry level only then all the higher spec DONT have it. The official Hyundai spec sheet on their website doesn’t say anything about wireless whereas on the spec sheet for the Venue it’s listed as “wireless capable”
Did you ever find out? I recently bought a 2021 Hyundai i30 N-Line Sky Full-Option (so that has the bigger 10.25 display), and I am trying to figure out if the car even has some way of doing Android Auto wirelessly. Because as it stands, I can only figure out how to use it wired, which makes the wireless charging pad useless, as it makes the phone run too hot...
Agreed! Especially as car prices creep up they’re bloody dreadful. LED headlights, LED tail lights, LED interior lights. They’re plain better, brighter, use less power and last forever.
I went for the Mitsubishi ASX cause it's cheaper, more safer as an SUV with the greater view from inside the cabin, and the ten year warranty/capped price servicing persuaded me over this. The ASX's backseat space is also more roomier from my experience.
It would want to be cheaper with no radar cruise control and no lane assisted steering (only alarm) and no wireless Android auto/Apple Car play, only wired.
It’s cheaper because it’s an older car with less technology and been sold since 2010 basically identical. That itself is based on the 2007 CJ Lancer. Don’t be under any pretenses you’re getting a better or safer car than a 2006-7 era car you paid 2020 money for.
True, the ASX is older design technology but remember newer is not always better. The I30 is an excellent product, I’ve had 2 of them but the ASX is underpinned by Mitsubishis 4B11 petrol engine, which is renowned for its reliability and longevity. And being of AWD origin, it is more versatile in off road and bumpy conditions, an Achilles heel with (low clearance) I30. Both excellent vehicles in their own right.
Toyota infotainment is bad. And quality of interior is pretty bad. But if you are after going from Point a to b in efficient and reliable way it ticks all the boxes
@@pummyy Corolla interior quality is bad? Ya, sure mate ;p hahaha Corolla 2.0 Hybrid Sport all the way - looks angry and sporty on the outside, amazing consumption, great sporty seats and stitching everywhere with leather, and 185 horsepower with 0 to 100km/h in 7,5 secs. Thanks, but Corolla all the way again! Plus you get the Japanese reliability. I like Hyundai but come one it had a bad reputation before 7 years. Ok, things got better now but Toyota is Toyota!
@Voltron that actually does not really apply to the 2.0 hybrid model variant that I own! (I know that Australia does not get the 2.0 hybrid...) but that model variant gets much better noise isolation! You get isolation on the top of the engine, acoustic windshield, and acoustic side windows! Those prevent the road noise which I agree that can be observed on the 1.8 hybrid model. Classic Toyota, haha
@@pummyy i own new corolla so maybe im bias however, agreed with voltron, in terms of resale value, corolla still in the lead. infotainment unit in corolla looks much better, less tacky compare to this hyundai. So far i have zero complain using latest toyota infotainment, not laggy and responsive. Corolla also win for fuel consumption, toyota claim is around 6l/100k, my real world combine motorway and heavy traffic parra rd 7.6l/100k, meanwhile this hyundai gets 8.7l and has less power than corolla.