[clueless]

I'm looking for a new car to commute to work in, and the i30 diesel seems to be a good fit.  Looking around at the usual online car sales sites, I notice there are quite a number of high mileage examples out there, 250k Km or more.  These being 2008 or so models.

Given I am looking at manuals, I avoid any issues the auto may have, and these vehicles are at least $3-$5k cheaper than ones with lower km's I'm thinking about it...

Has anyone had any experience with high mileage examples of these?  Am I likely to be just buying problems?

Spending more if I need to is doable, but given I myself will likely be putting quite a number of miles on it, if there is no reason not to consider these cars these i'd like to consider it!

Thoughts?

[Dazzler]

   Clueless (you don't sound so clueless to me)

Manual CRDi's are pretty bullet proof ...

I would get an RAC check though...'

Things that come to mind are a noticeably noisy turbo (loud whistle) which could signify worn bearings...

and uneven tyre wear on the front (suggesting sagging suspension or poor alignment)

also check the gear change when cold (Not too recalcitrant into reverse or 2nd when cold)

The quality of the gear changes improved in 2009/10

Good luck with your searching .. great little car and motor 

[Phil №❶]

Like ANY car, @ 250k there has already been a bit of work done by the car and it's components. Dazz has pointed out the few problems that have eventuated with that type of vehicle, but like all things, you must be prepared for failures in areas that are not so common. Door lock solenoids will have been cycled many times by now, Driver's window channel, possibly, etc. Try to buy the best car you can at that mileage and have a RAC check before purchase. You will be out of warranty of course, so the cost of replacement parts will also be your expense. Make sure the clutch is good.

Good luck with your search.

[Lakes]

 
Well i've ono owned them up to 100k & trouble free, & was doing 35k per year private. so i'd say any more than say 210k would be business or people that commute very long distance. it's good for a car or motor to always be warm & running they last longer. but you need to check they had the right service scedual changing oil every 7,500k minimum no matter, changing fuel filter @ 30k maximum ( most people with diesels i know change that at 20K ) as the injectors very expensive , not an issue as much for people in warranty & only doing low k. so check that out. & would be good to have car inspected by a professional with good rep. & never attempt to drive it in reverse up a hill, you will cook the clutch. they will go up any hill with no throttle , but they won't reverse up a hill, they will revers on a flat no problem, just not up a hill.
good luck

 Dazz we don't use RAC in NSW , NRMA but i've seen some very good solo operators as long as garranteed

[Doggie 1]

 

Service history and thorough mechanical and body check will be the key, but no reason why the right car won't do as much again.

[beerman]

My 2010 has done 112,000k.

It spends its time going up and down the highway at 2500rpm in top gear, the 4 lane highway is pot hole free...

It uses the auto locks once, changes gears a few times before doing many k's in top gear.

My wife's car starts in the morning, drives the kids 15k to school in heavy traffic, walks them to class, starts again drives 15k home it sits in the garage before doing the same again in the afternoon. If its really lucky it gets to stop at the shops and sit in a carpark before being started again....

Excluding the pain of the kids in the back seat, which one does more work?

If I was you, I would be looking at one with 100k on it, there is only a couple of grand in it, and that two grand is nothing when you consider the extra 100,000k you could put on one.

[Craig00071]

250000km was a bad number for mine.
Many issues but each one was not overly expensive. Although the auto transmission replacement was $2000.

Soon after 250000km I've had to replace a rack end, water pump, drive shafts, engine pulleys and now the harmonic balancer bearings and AC compressor bearings are very noisy.

My front control are bushes are split but at $700 to replace, I'm not going to bother.

[beerman]

Have you tried ebay?

[Craig00071]

Most parts are available on eBay but I can't find the idler pully assembly for our 1.6l. They are $300 from hyundai.
The control arm bushes are $60 original. The rest is labour.

I got the drive shafts from a wreck. They were half price 

[Lakes]

some makes of cars go for a long time no problem. depends on quality of build. i've only owned i30 up to 100k. could see they are light duty in some area's. but am8 always gets used cars never owned new. he has a honda prelude  & 360k up prob 15 year old i drove it when i was in ydney last drove perfect.

[beerman]

Other thing as pointed out is that there are plenty of low K donor cars out there to source cheap parts from

[marti30]

My 6 speed December 2009 1.6 u2 crdi is now on 148,000 miles. There have been no major issues. In the last year under warranty and free of charge to me the noisy alternator and corroded air conditioning condenser have been replaced. Under a maintenance regime of 'benign neglect' the oil and oil filter have been changed by an independent garage every 20,000 miles and the air, fuel and pollen filter at 100.000 miles. After a wheel alignment adjustment at 74,000 miles the front tyres have worn evenly (lasting up to 38,000 miles). The rear tyres are the originals and last over 100,000 miles (I've rotated the proper spare wheel with the original rears). Brakes, clutch, turbo, suspension and exhaust have never been touched. It's not used every day but the days that it is it goes at least 100 miles, sometimes considerably more. Even before adjusting for the under reading odometer the average fuel consumption from new works out to 63mpg. Whilst there's no knowing what's around the corner it's been pretty good so far and is looking promising.

[Dazzler]

My 6 speed December 2009 1.6 u2 crdi is now on 148,000 miles. There have been no major issues. In the last year under warranty and free of charge to me the noisy alternator and corroded air conditioning condenser have been replaced. Under a maintenance regime of 'benign neglect' the oil and oil filter have been changed by an independent garage every 20,000 miles and the air, fuel and pollen filter at 100.000 miles. After a wheel alignment adjustment at 74,000 miles the front tyres have worn evenly (lasting up to 38,000 miles). The rear tyres are the originals and last over 100,000 miles (I've rotated the proper spare wheel with the original rears). Brakes, clutch, turbo, suspension and exhaust have never been touched. It's not used every day but the days that it is it goes at least 100 miles, sometimes considerably more. Even before adjusting for the under reading odometer the average fuel consumption from new works out to 63mpg. Whilst there's no knowing what's around the corner it's been pretty good so far and is looking promising.

That makes for a fairly impressive read.. not many, even dearer brands, could match a CV like that after 148,000 miles...

[Lakes]

Well done Mati30 , you must have good road surface? i could not get tyres to last that long on my i30. the last set i put on seemed to wear out very quickly only 75k kilometers on the car two sets & took it to wheel alinement was out of alinement so that could be it, just my first i30 5 speed never needed a wheel alinement & 97k when sold it second set tyres ok. only difference is i moved & drive on dirt roads a lot.

[Doggie 1]

My 6 speed December 2009 1.6 u2 crdi is now on 148,000 miles. There have been no major issues. In the last year under warranty and free of charge to me the noisy alternator and corroded air conditioning condenser have been replaced. Under a maintenance regime of 'benign neglect' the oil and oil filter have been changed by an independent garage every 20,000 miles and the air, fuel and pollen filter at 100.000 miles. After a wheel alignment adjustment at 74,000 miles the front tyres have worn evenly (lasting up to 38,000 miles). The rear tyres are the originals and last over 100,000 miles (I've rotated the proper spare wheel with the original rears). Brakes, clutch, turbo, suspension and exhaust have never been touched. It's not used every day but the days that it is it goes at least 100 miles, sometimes considerably more. Even before adjusting for the under reading odometer the average fuel consumption from new works out to 63mpg. Whilst there's no knowing what's around the corner it's been pretty good so far and is looking promising.

That makes for a fairly impressive read.. not many, even dearer brands, could match a CV like that after 148,000 miles...

 

[clueless]

ok, thanks for the feedback guys, it sounds like as long as I go in with my eyes open, I shouldnt have too many drama's.

Having said that, it may now be possible for me to spend a bit more in a month or so, so I'll keep passively searching and if the right one comes along, I will jump....

[Dazzler]

ok, thanks for the feedback guys, it sounds like as long as I go in with my eyes open, I shouldnt have too many drama's.

Having said that, it may now be possible for me to spend a bit more in a month or so, so I'll keep passively searching and if the right one comes along, I will jump....

Sounds like a plan! (slow and steady wins the race) 

[beerman]

Reading your initial post again the fact that you intend to do a large number of k's in it jumped out at me.

I like your thinking that you want to get a cheap one that has already been hit with depreciation.

I personally would be looking for a good one around the 100k mark and bargaining hard. You might do more footwork, but eventually you will get one...

As an example there is a 2007 SLX manual with 131,000 for $8750 in Qld, and a few more not quite as good value around the country...

2007 Hyundai i30 FD SLX

[Dazzler]

Bargain! Big drop from $11990 on windscreen...

[The Gonz]

Some aesthetic damage under the rear right door is visible but a steal at that price nonetheless.

[Dazzler]

Some aesthetic damage under the rear right door is visible but a steal at that price nonetheless.

Driver's seat has worn bolster (as per Rusty's scenario) Still a seat cover would soon fix that.. 

[Craig00071]

My crank shaft pulley/harmonic balancer and bolts looks like $300 for an original part as there is no after market yet. The mechanic says it's an easy enough install though.

There is excessive noise at idle with a minor vibration and only a faint whine when driving.
I'm up to 270000km now.

Even my learner driver students, who are all oblivious to the cars operation, are starting to ask what the noise is