Item: Used Hyundai i20 2009-2015
Rating: 4
Author: What Car? Team

Our favourite car of this type is the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ford/fiesta/hatchback/used-review/n952">Ford Fiesta</a>, which handles and rides beautifully by comparison with the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/hyundai">Hyundai</a>, and has a slightly higher-quality, if more poorly laid-out, interior.

If you want a car that feels more expensive than either of those options, though, there’s always the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/polo/hatchback/used-review/n17425">Volkswagen Polo</a>. With its high-quality interior it feels like a much more expensive proposition. The problem is, it usually is, meaning you’ll end up with an older, less well-equipped car for your money.

You could also try the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/vauxhall/corsa/hatchback/used-review/n799">Vauxhall Corsa</a>, which has a nice blend of interior and exterior style, driving enjoyment, peppy engines and space – so much so that it was our Car Of The Year in 2007.

But if you want the same sort of warranty as you’ll get on the Hyundai, you’re limited to two options – the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/toyota/yaris/hatchback/used-review/n782">Toyota Yaris</a>, which came with a five-year, 100,000-mile warranty from 2010 onwards, or the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/kia/rio/hatchback/used-review/n17562">Kia Rio</a>, with its seven-year, 100,000-mile equivalent on 2007-on models. Trouble is, neither is quite as good to drive as the Hyundai.

Find a used Mitsubishi Outlander in the What Car? Classifieds <a href="http://www.whatcar.com/classifieds/used-cars/mitsubishi/outlander">here</a> For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? newsletter <a href="https://pages.haymarket.com/whatcar/wcar-form.html">here</a>

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What is it like?

Ownership cost

Advice for buyers

Our recommendations

Alternatives

The i20’s folding key is known to be poorly built, and can fall apart easily. Replacements aren’t cheap, so make sure you keep your key safe and try to avoid dropping it.

Think carefully about buying a diesel version, as many i20s will only have been driven on short journeys. Such use can cause the diesel particulate filter to clog up, which could leave it requiring expensive replacement later on. If you have to have a diesel, make sure it’s been driven on a motorway frequently to allow the filter to regenerate.

It should be. Hyundai consistently finishes high in reliability and dependability surveys, and while the i20 wasn’t included in the What Car? Reliability Index, the smaller i10 and larger i30 models both get exceptionally good scores. And as we’ve already mentioned, if you buy an i20 that’s less than five years old, you’ll have the extra bonus of the remaining manufacturer’s warranty, so if anything does go wrong, there’s a safety net to help you put it right.

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Hatchback

Hyundai has transformed itself from a maker of oddball hatchbacks that sold in small numbers in the UK, to a major rival to the likes of Ford, Vauxhall and Volkswagen.

The Korean firm’s Ioniq Hybrid is particularly impressive, having beaten the trend-setting Toyota Prius when we tested the cars back to back.

Meanwhile, at the extremes of the Hyundai range you find the tiny i10 city car – a four-time What Car? award winner – and the stylish yet family-friendly Santa Fe SUV.

As a bonus, all of these cars come with the reassurance of a five-year, unlimited-mileage warranty, whereas most of Hyundai’s rivals offer only three years and 60,000 miles of cover.

HYUNDAI

Even if it’s not the most enthralling car to drive, the Hyundai i20 offers you a lot of space and equipment for your money

Used Hyundai i20 2009-2015

Not too much, especially if you stick to one of the two diesel engines or the 1.2-litre petrol. The 1.4-litre petrol costs quite a bit more per year to tax than the other three engines, and it’s also less efficient. Note that the 1.2-litre, too, was in a higher tax band before July 2010, so it’s worth finding a car registered after this date to take advantage of the cheaper tax.

Granted, a late-model <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ford/fiesta/hatchback/used-review/n952">Ford Fiesta</a>, <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/polo/hatchback/used-review/n17425">Volkswagen Polo</a> or <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/skoda/fabia/hatchback/used-review/n808">Skoda Fabia</a> will probably be a little more efficient in the real world, but the margins are so slim that it isn’t really worth worrying about.

Keep in mind, of course, that to retain that five-year warranty, any i20 will need to have a full and up-to-date service history, and if those services haven’t been done at a Hyundai dealer, you’ll also need receipts to prove that genuine Hyundai parts were used for each service.

That also means you’ll be beholden to get your i20 serviced at a Hyundai garage, or if not, then at least using genuine Hyundai parts, if you want to keep the warranty going. Despite this, servicing costs will generally be less expensive than for rival manufacturers’ cars.

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Even if it’s not the most enthralling car to drive, the Hyundai i20 offers you a lot of space and equipment for your money

A high-mileage or previously damaged <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/hyundai">Hyundai</a> i20 can now be yours for less than £1500, but if you can, it’s worth paying a little more to get hold of a more salubrious example.

An early, one-owner car with a full service history can be had for £2500 nowadays, while if you want a three-year-old example with similar provenance and a couple of years’ warranty left, you’ll need to up your budget to at least £4500.

Meanwhile, a very last-of-the-line i20 of this generation in a high specification and with miniscule miles should cost you no more than £7000.

The entry-level 83bhp 1.2-litre petrol feels peppy and flexible for a small engine; it’s the one we’d choose, as the 98bhp 1.4 is gutsier but has no great advantage. Diesel buyers can choose a 89bhp 1.4, but frankly, unless you’re doing huge mileage, you’ll probably find it makes more sense to choose a petrol example instead.

A facelift in 2012 brought updated styling and the addition of a 1.1-litre diesel engine, though the rest of the range remained much the same.

Entry-level Classic cars came with air-conditioning, remote central locking and electric front windows, enough for it to be our favourite. The Comfort version, which was renamed Active when the i20 was facelifted, adds masses of kit, including alloys, electric rear windows, Bluetooth and front foglights. Style models get luxuries such as automatic lights and wipers, climate control and a reversing camera that’s integrated into the rear-view mirror.

Our favourite <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/hyundai">Hyundai</a> i20: 1.2 Classic 5dr

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<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Spacious enough for four adults to sit comfortably</li> <li>Logically laid-out interior that doesn’t</li> <li>feel too cheap</li> <li>Mature driving manners </li> <li>Decent-sized boot</li> <li>Competitive buying and running costs</li></ul>

Small cars, or superminis as they’re also known, used to be bought by single people or couples with no children – but the likes of the Ford Fiesta, Seat Ibiza and Volkswagen&nbsp;Polo have grown to the point where they can be considered all-round family transport, albeit with the odd compromise.

The Fiesta remains a star of the class, thanks to its strong Ecoboost petrol engines and suspension settings that are beautifully judged for British roads. However, the latest Volkswagen offers even more practicality, decent performance and a classy interior that has the edge on the Ford’s for quality.

Any of these models will be a competent commuter car – especially if fitted with one of the increasingly popular small turbocharged petrol engines – but just remember that while you’ll be able to carry two adults and two children, it might still be a struggle to get all of their luggage into the boot.

Small

<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/ford">Hyundai</a> i20s are generally pretty well looked-after by their owners, but clutches seem to wear remarkably rapidly on many examples, so it’s worth checking that the clutch works as it should, that it’s easy to select all the gears, and that the gearbox feels smooth.

Also keep an eye out for poorly repaired accident damage, which could cause rust in unusual places. Only very badly cared-for i20s should be rusting by now, so walk away from a car which is starting to exhibit corrosion.

So you want a cheap, cheerful small car. You’re not that fussed about how exciting it is to drive – but you do care that it comes with as much space and peace-of-mind as possible. Step right up, because the Hyundai i20 is the used car for you.

Rivals like the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ford/fiesta/hatchback/used-review/n952">Ford Fiesta</a> and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/polo/hatchback/used-review/n17425">Volkswagen Polo</a> steal more of the limelight because they’re more entertaining to drive or more attractively appointed inside, but the little Hyundai has become a popular choice thanks to its no-nonsense attitude.

The biggest selling point when new was the five-year, unlimited-mileage manufacturer’s warranty. That also makes the i20 a desirable used purchase, of course, because a three-year-old i20 will still benefit from two years’ remaining warranty, where most other cars will have none left. Check you're happy with the warranty terms and conditions before you buy, mind you, because longer warranties like these sometimes fail to cover everything you'd expect beyond the three-year mark.

The i20’s hassle-free way of doing things is even more apparent when you get behind the wheel. It’s easy to drive in town thanks to its compact dimensions, although the steering could be lighter.

That steering becomes too light at speed, mind you, and combined with pronounced body lean, means the i20 isn’t as much fun to drive as the class best. That said, the handling is always stable and predictable, and the ride is comfortable.

You get a choice of peppy petrol or frugal diesel engines, and all are reasonably hushed. Tyre and wind noise are kept to a minimum, too, making the i20 a reasonably calm thing to drive. And inside, while the dashboard is rather bland and the plastics used aren’t up to the standard even of the Ford Fiesta, let alone the Volkswagen Polo, everything does at least feel solid and well-built.

Find a used Mitsubishi Outlander in the What Car? Classifieds <a href="http://www.whatcar.com/classifieds/used-cars/mitsubishi/outlander">here</a>

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Used Hyundai i20 2009-2015 review

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Alternatives

What alternatives should I consider to a used Hyundai i20 hatchback?