Faults:

In only two years and relatively low miles this car has needed;

Starter motor.

Clutch and flywheel.

Paintwork peeling badly.

Oil leak, cannot source location.

Driveshaft noise.

Grinding brakes even after new discs and pads.

... and yes, I drive carefully and service it on time before anyone says I didn't take care of it.

General Comments:

I thought buying this low mileage well looked after full history i30 example from Hyundai would be a winner in regards to just needing a modern run about, but this car has been terrible and costly to put right.

It was trouble free the first six months, and all of a sudden problems started. Used warranty of course ran out by then, Hyundai did not want to know - but luckily I know a good local mechanic who helped out but obviously part cost was expensive.

When running OK it was OK to drive. Nothing special, but a decent car. "Classic" was a basic specification, no fancy features, the car is very dull. Grey interior. Power was OK but miles per gallon figures were a work of fiction. 70 mpg average? Maybe on an endless motorway at 65 mph with the car empty, the best I ever got was 47 mpg and I drive carefully, I was expecting more from diesel. My friend has a VW Passat with the 2.0 diesel and he gets over 50 mpg and it is much bigger heavier car, so why can't Hyundai get good economy from this smaller diesel?

White paint-work started peeling (I thought this issue only affected USA sold cars) so decided to sell it recently - would not buy Hyundai again. Yes they are better than they used to be, but still very overrated. Even my old 2006 Renault Clio was better, despite it having issues as well, but none as bad as this car!

Faults:

Not very much, but I have only had it eight months.

General Comments:

A great alternative to a Focus or Astra, this i30 is a great family hatch.

Good to drive and economical (well over 40 mpg from petrol!). Not very fast though - but you cannot expect too much from a 1.4 engine.

Very modern looking for over a decade old.

Not quite as spacious as you might think - I am going to upgrade to an i40 next. But this i30 will do for now.

Love it so far, modern reliable and practical. Not bad looking either. Active model has enough extras. Well worth a look, priced well compared to rivals on the used market.

Faults:

Nothing so far.

General Comments:

Lovely relaxing car to drive. Very smooth. Auto box delivers very smoothly on changes. The dual clutch option is nice to have, but 99% of my driving is in full auto. My only gripe would be that there is a slight delay between pressing the accelerator and getting a response. Slight, but annoying. My previous car was a 2.0 D4D Toyota Corolla and it had instant response and strong delivery of power over a very wide rev range.

Back to the Hyundai. No squeaks, rattles or creaks. Everything still works. Love the Bluetooth connectivity and the MP3 player. The steering has 3 levels of resistance to suit driving style. Parking sensors are wonderful and I love the daytime running lights. Passenger cabin could do with more practical and economic use of storage space. There are quite a few wasted spaces that could have been better utilised. Inside the top of the centre arm rest, for one. Some areas in and around the dashboard could also be made available.