This is from the Saturday Courier Mail (Brisbane) insert but I suspect it would also appear in other State Capitals.
There's no need to go into the full two page report but Carsguide tested three new Hatches.
Subaru Impreza 2.0i
Honda Civic VTi
Hyundai i30 Active.
All three weighed into within a smidgin of the $25,000 drive away mark.
The summary is as follows.
Verdict
This was the closest contest in some years; each of these cars is worthy of consideration.
The Subaru and Honda have badge appeal, an up-market look and resale value on their side. But the sweet spot in the new Impreza line-up is the next model up which comes loaded with advanced safety features.
The Civic feels the most secure in corners, has the roomiest cabin and cargo hold, and a stunning hi-tech instrument display. Its engine and CVT detract from the daily driving experience.
The new i30 may look and feel like a $20,000 car with added extras. But for the same $25,000 or so as the others tested here, it has more standard equipment, zippier engine, smoother transmission and the clear advantage of a five year warranty and cheaper running costs.
Some comments from me.
1/ The handling thing came up a couple of times in the testing. However, I am sure the Subaru and Honda would have had Bridgestone or Yokohamas as standard. And I personally believe those to be better OEM quality than the Hankook/ Kumho/ Nexen options on the Hyundai. In addition comments were made that bot the Honda and Subaru displayed some hesitation when accelerating out of tightish uphill corners. The i30 had mo such issues.
2/ The two opposition cars had space saver spares, the i30 a full sized alloy wheel.
3/ Only the Hyundai had built in navigation (with the 10 year updates also getting a mention)
4/ The i30 alone has a lever handbrake. (IMHO, a plus, not a minus)
5/ No push button start at this level for the Hyundai but the Subaru has it. (again, no loss in my opinion).
6/ Surprisingly (or perhaps not, given the more powerful engine), the i30 was the thirstiest of the three.
7/ Neither of the others could match Hyundai's 8" tablet style touchscreen.
8/ Service costs on the Hyundai were close enough to half that of each of the other two.
