Hyundai i30 v Subaru Impreza v Volkswagen Golf 2017 Comparison

It's the old conundrum; you're buying a small car, but do you stay within budget, or do you opt for something with more kit – and a higher price? There are pros and cons either way. Resale value plays a part, as does peace of mind, knowing you don't have to borrow (as much). But what about the driving/ownership experience? We test three of the latest small hatches head to head to find out.

We decided to pit a popular, but affordable five-door hatchback against an upmarket, but still popular hatch, just to test a theory – that consumers needn't walk past affordable cars anymore. The $20k hatch is not the basic, bare-bones dray it once was.

Enter the Hyundai i30 Active and the Volkswagen Golf Comfortline for the test. And to keep both honest, we decided to throw in Subaru's Impreza 2.0i-S, a car priced between the two, as tested.

The mix of grades means this is not a head to head comparison per se. But with engine and accommodation similarities across respective model ranges, we think this test is equally valuable, showing what’s available in the hotly-contested sub-$30K small hatch segment.

Why are we comparing them?
Many buyers are talked into spending more than they planned for a new car which is safer, drives better or comes with more equipment than the vehicle they were considering. Fewer prospective buyers are persuaded to buy a cheaper car – because to do so is not in the salesperson's best interests.

This comparison presented an opportunity to show how far small cars for 'the cheap seats' have progressed in matching more expensive rivals for technology.

The Hyundai was a natural choice, the i30 notching up some impressive results in our reviews of the newest model. While the Golf – now in version 7.5 – seems to have been around forever, it's still a very capable car and worth inclusion as the representative of the 'top end of town'. And Subaru has been earning plaudits for its holistic take on safety in the Impreza range.

Who will they appeal to?
This is the big question. According to industry statistician VFACTS, the previous generation Hyundai i30 was Australia’s number two best-selling small car in 2016 and, if its sales were combined with the Elantra, would have toppled the all-conquering Toyota Corolla to be number one. Many sold to fleets, highlighting the i30's value and affordability. This new model competes on strengths beyond its mere pricing, however, and i30 buyers are also young singles and families on a budget needing a dependable second car.

Volkswagen Golf's 'fleet' buyers are often workers with a novated lease contract burning a hole in their pocket. There is a connection with i30 in that some buyers are bound to be singles (and occasionally empty-nesters) plus families wanting a second car – one a bit above bargain-basement specifications.

The Subaru Impreza is not necessarily a car for driving enthusiasts, but does appeal to those who pride themselves on left-brain thinking. With its roominess, the Impreza could pass as a main car for families, although it's still small enough to be purchased as the secondary car. We don't see many Imprezas selling to young singles, but it would suit empty nesters and older drivers who look beyond branding conventions.

How much do they cost?
All three of these cars came with the basics for modern small cars: Seven airbags, electric windows, electric mirrors, trip computer, Bluetooth connectivity with music streaming, reverse-parking camera, satellite navigation, air conditioning and alloy wheels. However, the navigation system for the Golf was part of an option pack.

Priced at $23,250 (plus on-road costs) with the automatic transmission option, the i30 was standard other than metallic paint (an extra $495). For a car so keenly priced, it still packed tyre-pressure monitoring, rear parking sensors, an alarm system, CarPlay/Android Auto, infotainment touchscreen and six-speaker audio with digital radio (DAB+). That's the stuff of a $100,000 prestige sedan from four years ago.

The i30 also comes with 16-inch alloy wheels, auto fold-in and heated mirrors, auto headlights and manual air conditioning. What was obviously lacking in the i30 was the sort of driver-assist technology proliferating in the higher-cost Impreza and Golf.

The Impreza, tested here in stock-standard form and priced at $29,190 (plus ORCs, the sedan is $200 cheaper at $28,990), still boasted the following gadgets: LED headlights, tyre-pressure monitoring, six-speaker audio, CarPlay/Android Auto, dual-zone climate control, 18-inch alloys, alloy pedals, leather upholstery, auto headlights/rain-sensing wipers, push-button starting, electric parking brake and heated mirrors.

Driver-assist technology in the Impreza lacking in the i30 comprised Adaptive Cruise Control, autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection, Pre-Collision Braking Assist, Pre-Collision Steering Assist, Blind Spot Monitoring, Lane Change Assist and Rear Cross Traffic Alert.

As tested, the Golf came in at $33,290 (plus ORCs) – nearly $10,000 more than the i30. That figure was inflated by $4300 worth of options. In standard trim, the Golf Comfortline was actually $200 cheaper than the Impreza. But by the time you've added a $1500 Driver Assistance package, $2300 for the Infotainment package and $500 for metallic paint, it jumped well above both the other cars.

In standard trim, the Golf Comfortline was quite well equipped anyway. Autonomous emergency braking, front and rear parking sensors, auto headlights, rain-sensing wipers, dual-zone climate control and 17-inch alloys were all standard, along with electric handbrake and push-button starting.

The two option packages added the following items to the test vehicle's equipment: Adaptive cruise control, Lane Assist, Blind Spot Monitor, Rear Traffic Alert, Park Assist, Proactive Occupant Protection System, Driving Profile Selection, Personalisation Function (all in the Driver Assistance package), plus Active Info Display, 9.2-inch infotainment display, satellite navigation and 400-watt premium audio system.

What do they do well?
Summed up thus, the i30 offered the best ride/handling balance, the Impreza was quietest and roomiest inside and the Golf was ultimately the best drive where performance and cornering were concerned.

In addition to some dynamic driving properties – roadholding on par with the Golf's and lighter steering – the i30's ride was softer than the Golf's and body control was better than the Impreza's. The i30’s brake pedal feel was the best in this group and steering feedback was felt to be at least on a par with the Golf's. Some buyers will appreciate the Hyundai’s full-size spare tyre on a matching alloy rim. Ergonomically, the i30 had a simple but effective infotainment screen, plus logical switchgear placement and operation, and instrument legibility. And don't forget CarPlay/Android Auto.

Added to all its other virtues, the i30 offered a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty and a service plan which matched the Golf's service intervals, but was significantly cheaper for each service over the first five years/75,000km.

The Impreza's EyeSight system has improved with each generation. It worked better with indistinct line markings on country roads than similar systems for prestige European brands, and while it lacked the Golf's facility to steer back into a lane, the Impreza was more 'perceptive'.

Rear-seat leg room was best in the Impreza, although headroom felt a bit snug seated back there. The Subaru's headlights deserve particular mention for casting a white beam well ahead of the car, outshining both Golf and i30. While the Impreza wasn't the sportiest drive, it did muster safe handling and grip when the roads were icy or wet.

The Volkswagen was quite simply the most enjoyable car to drive, and it encouraged drivers who know a little bit about the art to push on before the stability control intervened. Its turbocharged four-cylinder engine was lively and refined right up to the redline, pumping out strong performance despite its power deficit. Quick in a straight line, the Golf also used less fuel than the other two cars. Torque and the DSG (dual-clutch) transmission presumably helped there, but the recommended minimum fuel is 95 RON premium unleaded, so you'll pay extra for that.

For the driver and front passenger, the Golf’s seats were easily the best of the three cars' and the Volkswagen was the only one fitted with adjustable vents for the rear-seat passengers.

What could they do better?
Since the i30's engine was a little thrashy at higher revs, in every day driving many buyers would change up manually or lift the foot for the auto transmission to shift up long before the tacho needle reached 5000rpm. And given the Mazda3 now offers autonomous emergency braking (AEB) across the range, we're thinking the i30 should also.

Knee-room in the rear of the Hyundai was slightly compromised, there was no auto-up facility for the electric windows and the i30 made do with a conventional lever-type handbrake. Lastly, the headlights shone dimmest at night.

Subaru’s latest EyeSight system in the Impreza did get confused on a couple of occasions, one when approaching an armco-protected hairpin. It would misconstrue what was happening, but at least it didn't freak out, as some systems are wont to do.

Flat in the cushion and an uninspiring shape, the front seats in the Impreza were the wooden spooners among this trio. The infotainment screen was busy and moderately difficult to read at a glance, or change settings, until you were fully familiar with the means of doing so.

With more weight and less torque than the other two cars, the Impreza's performance was lacking, not helped at all by the continuously variable transmission. Acceleration was sufficiently brisk around town, but from a cold start the CVT was brutal and slow shifting from Neutral or Reverse to Drive. It was also noisy under high-load conditions, whining quite a bit.

On top of all that, the Subaru’s fuel consumption was the worst of the three and the idle-stop system was rough and ready when restarting the engine.

For running costs, the Impreza was essentially outgunned by the other two cars. It's neither as cheap to service as the i30, nor as economical to run as the Golf. However, servicing the Impreza is cheaper than the Golf for the first three years/37,500km. Where warranty is concerned, the Impreza and the Golf come a distant (equal) second to the i30 – three years/unlimited kilometres versus five years/unlimited for the Hyundai.

The Golf's Lane Assist didn't appear to read the roads as well as Subaru's EyeSight. It was flummoxed by Australian country roads, the lack of line markings, and particularly where lanes merged.

All the driving enjoyment to be had from behind the wheel of the Golf was offset by the firmest ride of the three. It pitched more over lumpy country-road surfaces and was downright unrelenting over suburban speed humps or making the transition from original to repatched bitumen. For target buyers, the steering bordered on being too heavy.

Given its asking price, we were somewhat surprised by the Golf's key-start ignition. And the drive mode selection button was on the wrong side of the gear-shift lever, out of sight from the driving position.

During the test session, the Golf's Bluetooth was subject to occasional drop-outs while streaming music from a previously paired smartphone. A buzzing vibration from the top pulley of the driver's seatbelt was apparent on sections of coarse-chip bitumen.

Which wins, and why?
And here's where it becomes challenging…

As with any three-car comparison test, there's no unanimous agreement on all fronts, although there was no debate the Impreza was the bronze medallist. We liked its driver-assist technology as much as any other car's, but in itself that's not enough. The Impreza's all-wheel drive configuration only really pays dividends in the wet and at other times the Golf and the i30 both surpassed the Subaru for cornering ability.

Priced between the i30 and optioned-up Golf, the Impreza simply didn't really have enough tricks in its bag to be a winner.

As for the other two... hmmm.

There is just one item of driver-assist technology lacking in the base-model i30 – autonomous emergency braking (AEB). And it's missed more so because the same-priced Mazda3 has it, than because a $10,000 dearer Volkswagen Golf has it.

As against that, however, the i30 corners as well as the Golf and rides better, plus it boasts that price advantage, along with an extra two years of warranty coverage and lower servicing costs. Those lower servicing costs might even offset the extra fuel consumption, depending on how many kilometres an owner will travel in an average year.

So we end up with this 'verdict': The i30 wins, but the Golf is a very close second. Spend the extra if you can really afford to, but the i30 is a very acceptable 'consolation' prize for those eking out money on a shoestring budget.

2017 Hyundai i30 Active pricing and specifications:
Price: $23,745 (as tested, plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol
Output: 120kW/203Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel: 7.4L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 173g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star ANCAP

2017 Subaru Impreza 2.0i-S pricing and specifications:
Price: $29,190 (as tested, plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol
Output: 115kW/196Nm
Transmission: Continuously variable
Fuel: 7.2L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 163g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star ANCAP

2017 Volkswagen Golf Comfortline pricing and specifications:
Price: $33,290 (as tested, plus on-road costs)
Engine: 1.4-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 110kW/250Nm
Transmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch
Fuel: 5.4L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 128g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star ANCAP