[Tristan60d]

First time poster! Wow have just spent the night trawling through pages on here... such. Huge wealth of information. However I am still having a little trouble narrowing down my shortlist.



Hopefully my image is large enough for you to see... but gives a general idea of where I am at with thinking. My current pick is the i30 elite 1.6l diesel for its features across the board but in particular the fuel economy. However my current situation is deciding whether I should opt for the $5,000 cheaper vw golf that has almost the same features when upgrading to their safety package as well (aeb, lane assist, blind spot detection etc). Oh and they are running a 1.8% finance option currently too!

Which of the four would you choose (trophy, sr, elite or golf) and why? I will be doing my best to get the price of the elite on a comparable level with the golf in which case I will buy it straight away. I appreciste any insight you can give me!

[Dazzler]

  Tristan,

You should get an honest and unbiased opinion on here.. 

We are obviously (mostly) one eyed i30 converts. Just watch a few Auto Expert Videos on YouTube, because he is very impartial about which one to buy out of your choices. 

As you say it does depend a bit on the relative best price deals you can get on each version. I am a bit amazed at the $5000 difference although the diesel motor does add nearly $3000 I think.

If you can live with the average fuel economy the Trophy might be a good compromise. 

[CraigB]

Just going by the picture the Golf would be kicked to the curb

1 Expensive servicing and repairs

2 Only 3 year warranty

3 Requires premium fuel

3 Cloth seats, not that cloth bothers me but leather is a bonus...even though it's pleather

Diesel would be better if you do many high km runs or towing and the SR is nice if you'd like something with more sportyness/better handling ( my personal choice ), Trophy is a good balance but no safety pack.

[Tristan60d]

I wouldn’t say I do a LOT of high km runs... bout 15km to work but do drive into the cbd (40min) or down the coast roughly every fortnight or so... would the diesel still be suited? Just lookinh for the most fuel economy as possible! I know it is superficial but I wish I could get the beige leather in the SR instead of the red stitching. I was surprised to find that the sr is actually cheaper than the elite or premium... does anyone have a reason for this?


For every postitive there is another negative every time I think O have decided on what model to get haha!

@Dazzler ... yes I was waiting for very unbiased reviews ... that’s ok... i need convincing!

[Dazzler]

I wouldn’t say I do a LOT of high km runs... bout 15km to work but do drive into the cbd (40min) or down the coast roughly every fortnight or so... would the diesel still be suited? Just lookinh for the most fuel economy as possible! I know it is superficial but I wish I could get the beige leather in the SR instead of the red stitching. I was surprised to find that the sr is actually cheaper than the elite or premium... does anyone have a reason for this?


For every postitive there is another negative every time I think O have decided on what model to get haha!

@Dazzler ... yes I was waiting for very unbiased reviews ... that’s ok... i need convincing!

Are we talking manual or auto. I can't see where you have stated that, but I could be going blind, my mum said it was on the cards if I didn't mend my ways... Because the manual SR misses out on part of the safety suit which account for about $3000 lower price than my DCt which is still $4000 less than the SR premium which gets the sunroof, heated and cooled seats and a lot of extra niceties. Which in hindsight would have been nice to have... Not that I'm unhappy with my SR (I love it) 

Your proposed driving of the diesel should be adequate to avoid DPF issues but probably makes the extra cost of a diesel engine hard to justify. Doesn't sound like you would do much more than 15k a year? Be aware that the SR is 10k service intervals where as the diesel and Trophy are 15K . The 2.0 petrol is still a very nice drive. I think if you drive all four or cars with a similar mechanical spec that are available to test drive your choice will fall into place. It needs to be a circuit with a good mix of city and country roads though.

[Tristan60d]

Thanks for your quick replies dazzler! I am looking at the auto versions.

The cooled seating would be nice with qld summers and black leather seats. Just dont think I can justify the price! And yes, probably only doing around 20,000 per year (although new car will probably= more road trips).

Tomorrow afternoons job will be to drive the sr and diesel versions... i have had a drive of the 2.0l version and was pretty impressed (although it did have less guts when comparing it to the golf).

[Hati]

I compared (test drove) one of the Golf models and the i30 SR on the same day and found the Hyundai to be within a hair of the Golf in quality, way better in features for the price. Then I drove the Elite (the diesel) that made it a no brainer what to get (see my signature ). The gearbox (dual clutch) of the i30 is way better than the VW, despite VW doing it for a lot longer. My mechanic also advised me against the VW for 2 reasons: problems with reliability and higher cost of spare parts.

The diesel with only 20000 km/year usage is only worth it if you keep it for longer. BUT only if it costs more to purchase. Guess what? The Elite is the same price as the SR, and the Elite Premium is the same as the SR premium. That removes the "recover purchase price difference" factor, so it just wins outright. Just make sure once a month you take it for a 20 minute, half hour drive on a motorway to get the particulate filter "serviced".

[beerman]

Against the higher purchase price for the diesel, don't forget they attract a premium when selling.

It comes down to personal choice. I am surprised to hear that the Golf is cheaper.

And I wouldn't be too concerned about the 'front aircon' in the Trophy. In reality the vents are just hidden under the front seats. My kids have never complained about being hot whilst riding around in the FD. They do take every opportunity to play with the vents in the rear in the i40.

The only thing I would say about VW is you don't see too many old ones around.

[Hati]

Against the higher purchase price for the diesel, don't forget they attract a premium when selling.

There is NO higher purchase price for the diesel i30 models. Same as the SR and the SR Premium for the Elite and Elite Premium. As mentioned in my post above

[beerman]

Sorry I live in the poverty pack world, where there is. 

[Hati]

Sorry I live in the poverty pack world, where there is. 

You know what? You are right. When I bought my PD, the diesel variant was only available in Elite and Elite Premium, no Active or Go. At that time the price of the Elite and SR was the same at my dealer and the Premium versions were the same as well. Now doing a price check on Hyundai's website it shows a $1400 price difference on the Elite v. SR, so my experience must have been a promotional deal. Seeing the OP had an Elite on the spread sheet I didn't even consider the Go and Active options. Either way, I was wrong. Standing corrected!

[Tristan60d]

Went to have a drive today but unfortunately wasnt able to... but have to say I loved the look of the SR (thought I was going to hate it!) think i might have made the choice... gotta try and get the price down to meet the 27,000 i have been offered for a new golf... the games begin.

[Dazzler]

Went to have a drive today but unfortunately wasnt able to... but have to say I loved the look of the SR (thought I was going to hate it!) think i might have made the choice... gotta try and get the price down to meet the 27,000 i have been offered for a new golf... the games begin.

You'll get a manual for that or maybe go close with a demo?

[Tristan60d]

Happy with a demo and have found a couple that are getting close... will keep you posted on how i end up (going to drive the sr soon and pretty sure i will fall in love with it more).

[Dazzler]

Happy with a demo and have found a couple that are getting close... will keep you posted on how i end up (going to drive the sr soon and pretty sure i will fall in love with it more).

I'm sure you will. I replaced a 2014 Holden Calais V with mine and the only thing I've missed is the 100 litres of boot space I lost, and that was a great car.

[Tristan60d]

Sorry for all of my questions! Just trying to go through every possible outcome in my head before i commit.

Does the SR have a lower profile between the base of the car and road? I do live on a relatively steep driveway so a lower profile could be an issue. Might need to take it around during a test drive.

[Dazzler]

Sorry for all of my questions! Just trying to go through every possible outcome in my head before i commit.

Does the SR have a lower profile between the base of the car and road? I do live on a relatively steep driveway so a lower profile could be an issue. Might need to take it around during a test drive.

It has lower profile tyres but bigger wheels,  so pretty sure the ride height is the same. They cope quite well with a bit of gravel. I don't like taking my cars on gravel but scored a 20+kilometre section of gravel road on a mainland road trip in March and another on a recent road trip in Tassie. 

[GaKu]

Wow. Out here, you'd go for the golf if you could afford it.
I wanted one but they were costing at least 50% more in the used car market than an i30 with similar mileage and model year.
Although, to be fair, 10 years ago a new golf also costed twice as much

[Tristan60d]

@GeeKv2 Yes it was a really hard choice between the two...  i was given a really good price on a golf with 1.8% finance deal they are xurrently runnng it was hard to walk away. In the end the hyundai had more features than the golf that I wanted plus a better warranty and cheaper servicing costs. The vw golf is still a more expensive car, however I was comparing a lower end model with the upper specced hyundais.

[GaKu]

@GeeKv2 Yes it was a really hard choice between the two...  i was given a really good price on a golf with 1.8% finance deal they are xurrently runnng it was hard to walk away. In the end the hyundai had more features than the golf that I wanted plus a better warranty and cheaper servicing costs. The vw golf is still a more expensive car, however I was comparing a lower end model with the upper specced hyundais.

I agree its always a difficult choice between more toys and better brand. The golf has a legacy and although servicing costs are high, I assumed fewer things would need mending over a 10 year period, otherwise how do you justify a high price? But I may be wrong.

[Dazzler]

@GeeKv2 Yes it was a really hard choice between the two...  i was given a really good price on a golf with 1.8% finance deal they are xurrently runnng it was hard to walk away. In the end the hyundai had more features than the golf that I wanted plus a better warranty and cheaper servicing costs. The vw golf is still a more expensive car, however I was comparing a lower end model with the upper specced hyundais.

I agree its always a difficult choice between more toys and better brand. The golf has a legacy and although servicing costs are high, I assumed fewer things would need mending over a 10 year period, otherwise how do you justify a high price? But I may be wrong.

From what we hear, Golf's percieved superior quality isn't really there in the long term. Some cosmetic interior trim might be better in the Golf but long term reliability is suspect and warranty / service costs are worse.

[AlanHo]

If VW are that good - why don't they offer a 5 or 7 year warranty. The reason being - with reliability - they are not that good.

They once were market leaders in their class - but the Koreans have poached their best people and are now overtaking them in value for money and reliability.

In the UK, Black Golfs with fancy wheels and dark tinted windows - including the windscreen - are the favourite wheels for Asian and perhaps other criminals. That and the emissions scandal would be enough to put me off.

[CraigB]

@GeeKv2 Yes it was a really hard choice between the two...  i was given a really good price on a golf with 1.8% finance deal they are xurrently runnng it was hard to walk away. In the end the hyundai had more features than the golf that I wanted plus a better warranty and cheaper servicing costs. The vw golf is still a more expensive car, however I was comparing a lower end model with the upper specced hyundais.

I agree its always a difficult choice between more toys and better brand. The golf has a legacy and although servicing costs are high, I assumed fewer things would need mending over a 10 year period, otherwise how do you justify a high price? But I may be wrong.

VW simple sell at a higher price due the name they used to have, they're definitely not up there with quality anymore over the last several years at least and are very overpriced for the features they lack.

The VW DCT gearboxes are one of their biggest failures

[GaKu]

If VW are that good - why don't they offer a 5 or 7 year warranty. The reason being - with reliability - they are not that good.

They once were market leaders in their class - but the Koreans have poached their best people and are now overtaking them in value for money and reliability.

In the UK, Black Golfs with fancy wheels and dark tinted windows - including the windscreen - are the favourite wheels for Asian and perhaps other criminals. That and the emissions scandal would be enough to put me off.

Looks like I am wrong about the Golf's reliability but I dont think the offered warranty in any way reflects the quality. Because that would mean a Hyundai is better than a Merc (2 years).

[Dazzler]

If VW are that good - why don't they offer a 5 or 7 year warranty. The reason being - with reliability - they are not that good.

They once were market leaders in their class - but the Koreans have poached their best people and are now overtaking them in value for money and reliability.

In the UK, Black Golfs with fancy wheels and dark tinted windows - including the windscreen - are the favourite wheels for Asian and perhaps other criminals. That and the emissions scandal would be enough to put me off.

Looks like I am wrong about the Golf's reliability but I dont think the offered warranty in any way reflects the quality. Because that would mean a Hyundai is better than a Merc (2 years).

Have you seen where some of the latest Mercedes rank in reliabilty surveys in both the USA and Europe  (it is certainly not on the top) 

[GaKu]

If VW are that good - why don't they offer a 5 or 7 year warranty. The reason being - with reliability - they are not that good.

They once were market leaders in their class - but the Koreans have poached their best people and are now overtaking them in value for money and reliability.

In the UK, Black Golfs with fancy wheels and dark tinted windows - including the windscreen - are the favourite wheels for Asian and perhaps other criminals. That and the emissions scandal would be enough to put me off.

Looks like I am wrong about the Golf's reliability but I dont think the offered warranty in any way reflects the quality. Because that would mean a Hyundai is better than a Merc (2 years).

Have you seen where some of the latest Mercedes rank in reliabilty surveys in both the USA and Europe  (it is certainly not on the top) 

Well I did not mean that literally but it got me curious.
lexus which is on the top in UK offers 4 years/50k miles.

[CraigB]

Starting to drift way off topic here, comparison is between the golf and an i30.

Trying to compare vehicles that are 50k to 100k more expensive is unrealistic and just a status symbol that has nothing to do with affordable and reliable motoring with a quality standard feature set.

[Dazzler]

Starting to drift way off topic here, comparison is between the golf and an i30.

Trying to compare vehicles that are 50k to 100k more expensive is unrealistic and just a status symbol that has nothing to do with affordable and reliable motoring with a quality standard feature set.

Sorry "boss" I'll keep that in mind... 

You are right though. Comparing the i30 with any other vehicle /brand in the same class I am extremely confident that the i30 (all versions) holds its own and in most areas outperforms the others.

There used to be a comparison tool on the Hyundai Australia website? I just had a look, the comparison feature doesn't appear to be as comprehensive as it used to be unfortunately. 

[CraigB]

Sorry "boss" I'll keep that in mind... 

Wasn’t directed at you Dazz, but I don’t mind being the boss for the day 

[Tristan60d]

Thanks for all the help everyone... I am now a proud owner of a hyundai i30 PD2 SR Premium in orange... happy chappy!
$34500 drive away price.... probably could have got better but couldnt stomach having to talk to another salesperson haha