I've had the car just over two weeks now - 840 miles are now on the clock
500 of those were a trip up to Scotland with my fiancee (who never had her heated seat off).
Last weekend I noticed a slight issue with the car - smearing windscreen wipers. It looks like something had contaminated the blades (probably wax from the valet or a very liberal application of Rain-X) - every time I went out in the rain, there was some kind of smear on the screen, which was driving me potty. The smearing persisted even after giving the blades and screen a thorough clean with every glass cleaning product under the sun.
In the end, I conceded defeat and picked up a pair of Bosch AeroTwin blades from Euro Car Parts and this looks to have sorted the issue. I'm a big fan of Bosch blades anyway after swapping the blade on my old car for an AeroTwin.
Positives:
- Driving Experience - In Eco mode, it's a lovely cruiser, but in Sport it's quite quick and nippy - surprisingly so at times. The handling is quite good too - no sports car, but nice enough on a back road.
- Space and Comfort - I didn't feel tired after the trip to Scotland - couldn't have said that after the same drive in my old car. Driving position is spot on too.
- Looks - A very smart and understated car that looks expensive but doesn't shout about being flashy.
- Headlights - very bright and powerful. A huge upgrade compared to halogen bulbs.
- Standard Safety Kit - Lane Keep Assist, Blind Spot Monitor and Forward Collision Warning have all proven themselves since I got the car.
- Opening Sunroof - lets lots of light and fresh air in.
- Comparative Rarity - I've only seen two PD i30s in the past month!
Negatives:
- Sometimes Eco mode can be a little bit slow when needing to get a move on - such as pulling on to a busy roundabout.
- The issue with the smeary wipers
- That's about it.
Currently I'm averaging around 35 MPG which isn't too bad for a brand new car with mostly urban driving. I can easily get 40 to 45 MPG out of it on a run, and I had half a tank left when I got to Scotland after filling it that morning.
