Buying a used Hyundai i30 (2012-2016)

Hyundai shocked the compact car market when launching the first-generation Hyundai i30 in 2007.

Prior to that, the Korean brand’s contender in the category had been the bland and conservative Hyundai Elantra, but from 2007 there was a totally new design that drew on European experience for its styling and mechanical advancements.

Worldwide, the new i30 would offer three versions of the four-cylinder petrol engine and two diesels plus five- or six-speed manual transmissions and a four-speed automatic.

Despite several years dabbling with the prospect of international rally success, there was still no all-wheel drive i30 that could be easily transformed into a dirt track or tarmac superstar.

The second-generation Hyundai i30 was announced in 2011 at the Frankfurt motor show. No big surprise there, as Europe was becoming a major market for Hyundai and the car had been developed by Hyundai’s technical centre in Russelsheim, Germany.

In Australia, Gen 2 versions of the Hyundai i30 came in three trim levels, with 1.6-litre diesel or 1.8-litre petrol engines. Initial Australian deliveries were five-door hatchbacks, but 2013 brought news of a Tourer (wagon) version that didn’t survive in local listings past 2015.

In 2016, the i30 was shown (again, in Frankfurt) in third-generation guise ahead of its Australian launch in mid-2017. The styling was modified but not dramatically different and the range would now include a 1.6-litre turbo-petrol option.

Buying Used: Hyundai i30 (2012-16) – Quick Checklist

The second-generation Hyundai i30 was released to Australia in 2012 and immediately launched itself to the top of sales charts, finishing third overall in 2013 with a total of 30,582 cars delivered.

A bright new face with deep air dam and chromed grille bars greeted customers and there were new lights, plus the ‘Infinity’ windscreen that wrapped up and over the roofline.

A ‘Nu’ 1.8-litre petrol engine delivered 110kW against the previous 2.0-litre unit’s 105kW with claimed average fuel consumption of 6.9L/100km from cars with the new six-speed automatic transmission.

Six-speed manual transmission was available in lower-spec versions but only cut average consumption to 6.5L/100km.

That was, of course, unless you chose the 1.6 litre turbo-diesel, with 94kW and 260Nm of torque. In tandem with the six-speed auto, the diesel gave owners an average of 5.6L/100km, with 4.8L/100km available in manual form.

Three levels of i30 trim were initially available to Australia: the economy-minded Active, mid-price Elite and well-appointed Premium. All had five doors with multi-link rear suspension and all-wheel disc brakes.

Elite i30 variants with manual transmission began at $20,990 plus on-road costs – automatics were $2000 more – and still didn’t skimp on equipment.

In addition to air-conditioning, four power windows, a 5.0-inch dash display, cruise control and six speakers, the basic i30 provided fog lights, heated door mirrors, a rear park distance sensor and glove box cooler.

Climbing the price ladder into an Elite (from $24,590) delivered 16-inch alloy wheels in place of steel rims, dual-zone air-con, a larger dash screen with reversing camera, chromed grille, keyless start and rain-sensing wipers.

Further up the line, $29,990 might seem big money for a 1.8-litre hatchback, however Hyundai found space inside its Premium for an array of obvious and more discreet features.

Sit inside and there was animal hide almost everywhere on the seats, steering wheel and gear selector and patterned vinyl everywhere else.

Above you sat a panoramic glass roof divided into sections and below were seats that adjusted electrically and were heated.

Alloy wheels fitted to Premium versions were 17-inch, with lower-profile rubber that helped with handling.

However, the weight of all that extra gear took a toll on performance and anyone wanting quicker acceleration with maximum economy would be best served by an Active with manual transmission.

Diesel versions came in three trim levels too, at prices that began below $24,000 and climbed to $32,590 for the Premium auto.

February 2013 brought the Tourer (station wagon) version, and if Holden was miffed by the clash of model names it never officially complained. Hyundai’s Tourer was built in Europe, not South Korea, and cost pressures were the reason it had taken four years to gain release in our market. Sadly, they also ended its tenure here within a couple of years.

Late 2014 saw Hyundai announce a revamped i30 design that from April 2015 would bring an enlarged range to local showrooms.

The new Active base model deleted a few items in order to hold its price at $20,990 (petrol manual).

Above it came an Active X with alloy wheels, partial leather trim, folding mirrors and steering wheel packed with gadgets. Prices began at $22,990 for a petrol manual with the 1.8-litre engine.

Topping the range was the SR Premium, with a 124kW 2.0-litre ‘Nu’ petrol engine, or the 1.6-litre turbo-diesel. Tourers in diesel automatic form were the most expensive of updated i30 variations and hit showroom floors at more than $34,000 before on-road costs were added.

Parallels will inevitably be drawn between the Hyundai i30 and Volkswagen Golf, the car against which Hyundai’s design was benchmarked.

Differences do exist, of course, including deficiencies in the i30’s interior finish but also its better use of space, including a bigger boot.

Then there is Hyundai’s conventional automatic transmission against the more daunting prospect of a Volkswagen with a DSG dual-clutch gearbox.

Early i30 models with the 1.8-litre engine do their best work when hooked to a manual transmission that helps mask a relative lack of torque. For those who regularly carry a full load of passengers or need to tow something, the 1.6-litre diesel is preferable, developing a few less kilowatts but with almost 50 per cent more pulling power than the 1.8.

The ‘something’ won’t want to be massive though, because a diesel-engined i30 is permitted a maximum tow weight 1500kg braked, or 650kg unbraked.

Electrically-assisted steering can attract criticism for absence of feel and slow response, but the i30 system adds an issue not shared by other systems. For reasons probably best known to the folk in marketing, i30 cars built after 2011 were fitted with FlexSteer which allows drivers to choose how much, or little, the electric motor eases their steering effort.

In theory this could offer big benefits, but people who have driven these cars at speed on second-rate roads say the system is lifeless when set to maximum assist and too heavy at the other extreme. ‘Normal’ seems to be the preferred setting for almost everyone, so why add cost and complexity in the first place?

The all-wheel disc brakes offer plenty of stopping power for a car of this weight but check that someone hasn’t fitted a set of cheap and nasty tyres just to get a pre-sale roadworthy. Tyre quality is critical to handling and braking performance, especially wet-road braking.

People who buy compact cars are right to expect decent savings when parking them beside the petrol – or diesel – pump and here the i30 certainly delivers. Official figures tell us that 1.8-litre petrol cars should average 7.3L/100km, with the 1.6-litre diesel dropping that to a stunning 4.8L/100km. Real-world returns, especially when slogging through urban traffic, will be perhaps 20 per cent higher.

Safety was important to buyers in the category, especially if the car was for family use or a corporate purchase where OH&S got involved in the buying process.

These concerns remain valid today, but in common with virtually every competitor in its size and price category, the local i30 range qualified for a five-star ANCAP ranking.

Higher-spec models further improved the package by including a rear parking sensor and reversing camera.

Providing your family is matched in size to the compact design of the Hyundai i30, then yes it is.

The back doors are big enough to allow easy belting of little kids into car seats and the boot is a relatively massive 395 litres.

Forward vision for those seated in the back is okay as well, with the seat not set too low but still providing plenty of headroom.

A wagon provides even more space and won’t cost much more to buy in the used market than a hatchback that has travelled similar kilometres.

Used vehicle grading for Hyundai i30 (2012-16)
Design & Function: 15/20
Safety: 15/20
Practicality: 15/20
Value for Money: 13/20
Wow Factor: 12/20
Score: 70/100

Also consider: Mazda3, Toyota Corolla, Volkswagen Golf