Hyundai I30 Problems

Hyundai's i30 has won a stack of new car awards since its introduction in 2007. If properly maintained with regular servicing the small hatchback is perfectly reliable with few major faults found on record in routinely serviced vehicles. As always, if you are looking to buy a used car check its service history to ensure it has been looked after as this will give you a good indication it will be reliable into the future.

Hyundai's beaut little i30 line has been built in several factories around the world, including Ulsan, in South Korea, Beijing, China, Cairo in Egypt, and Nosovice in the Czech Repulic. For the current-generation GD and PD-series, Australian-spec cars will all be built in Korea.

Hyundai’s claim for urban fuel consumption, that is city driving, is 10.1 L/100 km, which is pretty much what you are getting. The claim for extra urban or highway is 5.9 L/100 km, which also accords pretty well with your results, and the combined figure is put at 7.4 L/100 km.

On the basis of what you have reported there isn’t a problem.

Hyundai has spent 30 years building its brand from an entry-level player into the modern premium offering it currently is. What this means for buyers is an excellent range of well-made, well-engineered cars, and the i30 is a ripper. The previous-generation has taken home awards for being the Best Small Car for six years on the trot, and the Korean manufacturer has just launched a redesigned new-generation model to rave reviews. Hyundai consistently out-scores prestigious European brands in consumer satisfaction surveys around the world, and in reliability surveys. So, yes, I’d count the i30 as a good car.

Both are rated at 5 stars by ANCAP, and both would perform similarly in a crash situation.

No, I don't think that is acceptable. The system is faulty and the update is said to fix those faults, so I believe Hyundai should be responsible and fix their faulty product. Keep a record of all correspondence on this matter, so you can prepare a case to present to Hyundai to have the update done free of charge.

No, it’s not, but it does depend somewhat on the way it’s been driven. Diesel engines in trucks and taxis do a lot of kilometres, partly because they are running all the time and rarely cooling down, but a family car driven around town does a lot of sitting around not going anywhere, which means it regularly cools down and warms up again. That leads to engine wear, and lower engine life. I wouldn't expect 240,000 km to be an issue.

 The GTi is a great car; the problem is the dual-clutch auto that has been a running sore for the company. I wouldn’t rule it out, but I would go for the latest model you can afford. If you aren’t sure go for the Hyundai.

Diesel-powered cars are more expensive to service than their petrol-engined counterparts. It’s mostly because they need higher quality diesel-specific oils, and better quality filters, such as fuel filters.

It’s a toss of a coin, both are good cars and should give you a good run for the five years you want to keep them.