Hyundai i30 review

The i30 is priced roughly on a par with the Seat Leon and Skoda Octavia, and is quite a bit cheaper than the Toyota Corolla and Volkswagen Golf (you can check out what discounts are available by heading over to our New Car Buying service).

Resale values of the i30 are nothing to write home about, though, with the Corolla and Golf both holding onto a far bigger chunk of their list price after three years, and the i30's PCP finance payments aren't that enticing, either.

The 1.0 T-GDi 48v Hybrid is reasonably efficient, but its official fuel economy and CO2 emissions still aren't a match for the Ford Focus 1.0 Ecoboost Hybrid 125. And the 1.5 T-GDi 48v Hybrid 159 is way off a 1.0 Ecoboost Hybrid 155, which has roughly the same power. If you want a diesel, for lengthier runs between fill-ups, it will take a while to arrive because it's a special order. 

We'd stick with SE Connect trim and try to maximise your value for money. It has most of what you might reasonably need or desire, including 16in alloy wheels, a leather-trimmed steering wheel and gearlever, air-con, automatic lights and wipers, cruise control and power-folding door mirrors.

N Line is the sporty option, mirroring the more aggressive looks of the full-fat i30N hot hatch, plus it brings privacy glass and climate control. Premium trim adds further luxuries such as keyless entry, heated front seats and a heated steering wheel.

Hyundai's five-year, unlimited-mileage warranty is one of the i30’s main selling points. Plus, roadside assistance is included.

Judging by Hyundai’s reliability record, though, you probably won't have to make use of this. It was the 6th most reliable brand (out of 31) in the 2020 What Car? Reliability Survey, below Skoda and Toyota, but above all its other rivals. The i30 itself does suffer more faults per car than the Focus or Corolla, though.  

Every i30 comes with six airbags, tyre pressure monitoring, automatic emergency braking (AEB), lane-keeping assistance and eCall emergency response, which is reasonably impressive but not as good as the haul of safety equipment you get with a Mazda 3.

Premium trim adds blind spot monitoring and rear cross traffic alert, which warns you about traffic crossing behind you as you're reversing into a road.

According to the safety experts at Euro NCAP, the i30 isn't as good at protecting adults or children in a crash as the Mazda 3 or Corolla, even though it scores five stars overall.  

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