2008 Hyundai i30 SX from Australia and New Zealand - Comments

Nothing.

First impressions after 1100kms:

I bought the i30 for the five star safety of ESP and six airbags, five year warranty and the economy - the torque was an unexpected bonus. It zooms up hills, has plenty of power to overtake safely, yet the diesel engine is very quiet.

The radio and CD are both excellent, and it has so many storage places, even one for sunglasses. The front and rear wipers work really well, I love how it sprays instead of squirts on the windscreen.

I have driven it on wet and dry dirt roads, gravel roads, in torrential rain, in the dark, on freeways and in the city, and it handles really well in all conditions.

I easily did over 1,000 kms on my first tank, despite driving in lower gears than I normally would to help the running in.

I am the original poster with an update.

I have now done 5,000 kms. It does over 1,000 kms on a tank before the warning light comes on. 5 L/100kms. Still very impressed with everything about it. The only other car I would swap it for is the i30 estate (wagon) which is not available here yet.

The i30 has now done 15,000 kms.

I do mainly highway kms, with quite a few hills, and usually get over 1,100 kms before the light comes on, 1,236 kms last tank, 4.9 l/100kms.

The tank actually holds over 60 litres if you have the patience to fill it right to the top.

The only problem has been the diesel filter light coming on, possibly water in the filter from a bad batch of fuel.

I still love it, and visitors are always impressed, especially with how roomy the back is.

The car has now done 20,000 kms.

Apart from the fuel filter light (bad batch of diesel) which cost me $50 to fix, which is not Hyundai's fault, my only complaint is that the clock runs fast.

I would upgrade to the i30 wagon if they had a manual, just for the extra space.

Still the best car I ever bought.

I driven this model for a few times and I'm totally impressed. It's got an easy clutch and much more usable torque than other small cars and even 1.8L sedans that I've ever driven. I thought it was a 2L model when I drove it.

The console looks quality, it'd be much better if they'd come with the leather gear knob & steering wheel at such a price. The driver's seat could even pump upward for the shortest driver in the world. I actually know a girl who need to sit on a cushion when she's driving an Echo; I don't know if any other driver would encounter such problem, but this feature makes the i30 a more sensible choice for this group of people.

With such fuel economy, it's an unbeatable option on my list, but the problem for me is it's still very rare to see 2nd hand i30 on the market. Even if there's one, it's still about the price of a brand new i30. And I cannot afford that at the moment.

Please keep this review updated! I appreciate that.