RE: Hyundai i30 N | PH Used Buying Guide

[Blackpuddin]

Frimley111R said:

PokiGTA said:

While the i30N was a stunning first offering from the Korean brand, I still don’t understand why the Peugeot 308 GTi 270 doesn’t get a look in as an alternative to the Golf? Lighter, faster, better stuff... .

It's more newsworthy. Nothing to do with the cars themselves. Media sites like PH and all the others are about getting pages read/subscribers etc. To do this you have to attract attention and a new i30N will do it better than a 308GTI. Simple as that.

Well, there is another possibility which is that they might be planning to do the 308GTI later, and they just haven't got round to it yet? Not sure this deserves having one of those dull 'media conspiracy' theories pinned on it.

[Court_S]

GTEYE said:

The N bits of the i30 I like, but the problem for me is the i30 is mediocre base to start with.

Undoubtedly reliable, but it’s engineering down to a price. And it shows in the Interior, it’s justfull of cheapness.

The roads aren’t exactly full of them, that tells a tale.

All cars are built to hit a certain price point. VW are now very obviously penny pinching on the new A3 / Golf. The veneer of German quality is thinner than it has ever been.

All hot hatches start from a mediocre base. A doubt anyone buts a Golf Life and bangs on about the pin sharp handling and steering feedback.

There are a few locally to me including one in the village I live in, but there is a Hyundai dealer not far away. The big issue for them is the badge, in the UK we love our ‘premium’ brands.

Personally I really like these, they look great and sound alright for a four pot. The interior is fine but I don’t get particularly excited about soft touch plastics. It doesn’t feel like a Golf etc, but it’s cheaper. Hyundai did a cracking job for their first ever hot hatch.

[bungle]

These have been on my radar for ages, and will be 100% the replacement for my wife's mk5 Golf GTi at some point. Trouble is, the Golf is still so damn good, reliable, fun to drive (completely standard), even at 13 years and 150k miles, that I just can't justify swopping it at the moment.

But I can't think of a more suitable replacement when we do.

(and I'm possibly secretly hoping that next month's Golf service and MoT throws up some huge issues/ bills that makes re consider swopping! . I always fancy a new (to me) car, and this has always looked a corker )

[snowen250]

For those in the South East think twice before having a 'play' with one of these on the local road network, Kent Police have at least two unmarked examples!

From my chat with the occupants they rate them rather highly BTW...

[SykesAJ]

Frimley111R said:

PokiGTA said:

While the i30N was a stunning first offering from the Korean brand, I still don’t understand why the Peugeot 308 GTi 270 doesn’t get a look in as an alternative to the Golf? Lighter, faster, better stuff... .

It's more newsworthy. Nothing to do with the cars themselves. Media sites like PH and all the others are about getting pages read/subscribers etc. To do this you have to attract attention and a new i30N will do it better than a 308GTI. Simple as that.

Evo did an excellent group test of N vs GTI vs GTi. The Peugeot comes out well, notably much lighter than the others with an excellent chassis.

https://www.evo.co.uk/group-tests/20992/hyundai-i3...

[ecsrobin]

SykesAJ said:

Frimley111R said:

PokiGTA said:

While the i30N was a stunning first offering from the Korean brand, I still don’t understand why the Peugeot 308 GTi 270 doesn’t get a look in as an alternative to the Golf? Lighter, faster, better stuff... .

It's more newsworthy. Nothing to do with the cars themselves. Media sites like PH and all the others are about getting pages read/subscribers etc. To do this you have to attract attention and a new i30N will do it better than a 308GTI. Simple as that.

Evo did an excellent group test of N vs GTI vs GTi. The Peugeot comes out well, notably much lighter than the others with an excellent chassis.

https://www.evo.co.uk/group-tests/20992/hyundai-i3...

This was the key bit of the review though “ By contrast, you’d be forgiven for losing the £28,590 Peugeot 308 GTi by Peugeot Sport in a motorway services car park. A recent spell under the knife has resulted in the same bulbous nose treatment as the brand’s burgeoning range of high-riding SUVs, but in all other respects it looks like a humdrum five-door hatch. What makes the forgettable exterior so hard to forgive is that it hides some choice mechanical modifications.”

[mooseracer]

paddy1970 said:

and you can get the 308 gti brand new for £21k...far better value than the i30n

I must admit I thought Peugeot had quietly removed this from sale like they did the 208. That is a great deal on a really good car.

[SykesAJ]

ecsrobin said:

This was the key bit of the review though “ By contrast, you’d be forgiven for losing the £28,590 Peugeot 308 GTi by Peugeot Sport in a motorway services car park. A recent spell under the knife has resulted in the same bulbous nose treatment as the brand’s burgeoning range of high-riding SUVs, but in all other respects it looks like a humdrum five-door hatch. What makes the forgettable exterior so hard to forgive is that it hides some choice mechanical modifications.”

Absolutely. They were available in that bizarre two-tone 'Coupe Franche' look but the body-in-white just isn't different enough. Same criticism could be directed at the N when it's not in Performance Blue mind you.

[Blackpuddin]

Saw under the bonnet of an i30N at Forge a while back and I agree with the story that it looks 'proper' under there, the Forge lads rate these cars and have done quite a bit of parts development work on them.

[Limpet]

I really like these, having participated in the Millbrook event a couple of years ago, and also had an extended test drive on the road. It's a really well judged car, IMO. An earlier poster commented that it has just the right level of "naughty", and I think that's absolutely true. The humble underpinnings are obvious, but there is a definite vein of silliness that runs just under the surface. It seems to somehow take itself less seriously than a Golf GTI, and is all the more enjoyable for it.

That's not to say it isn't capable, The LSD does a fantastic job when exiting corners, it is engaging to drive, and although it's not going to win the current hot hatch bhp willy waving contest, it goes well enough, and sounds good doing it.

Refreshing approach to spec compared to the Germans as well. You only get to choose colour, with everything else coming as standard.

I'm surprised at how well the used prices are holding up. £19k isn't too shabby at all for something that Carwow was finding new at £23k at the end of 2019.

[bungle]

SykesAJ said:

They were available in that bizarre two-tone 'Coupe Franche' look

I actually liked that

(what I don't think I could hack is the stupid low steering wheel, with the dash viewed over the top of it... mad... not sure why they've stuck with it for so long, everyone thinks it's ridiculous).

[SykesAJ]

bungle said:

I actually liked that

Me too...

[PomBstard]

The right way to start...

[2smoke]

I took a test drive in a fastback early last year (before everything kicked off) as a potential replacement for my Mk7 PP. My Golf was well specified, DCC etc. so easily matched the equipment on the Hyundai. For me the I30N had less steering feel than the Golf and the ride was a lot firmer. Despite the extra power it felt no faster and didn't really impress me enough to trade in my car.
I think as a new purchase they are good value and would make a great daily, but just didn't stand out enough for me.

[boozyjay]

mooseracer said:

paddy1970 said:

and you can get the 308 gti brand new for £21k...far better value than the i30n

I must admit I thought Peugeot had quietly removed this from sale like they did the 208. That is a great deal on a really good car.

I ran a 308 GTI 270 for 3 years. It's a vastly underrated hot hatch and they go for silly money now, brand new and second hand. Mine never put a foot wrong, I even got used to the small steering wheel and the infotainment system. I'd have another no problem at all.

[epom]

Surprisingly only 5 in the classifieds. Those who buy them must be keeping them.

[4BB7]

boozyjay said:

I ran a 308 GTI 270 for 3 years. It's a vastly underrated hot hatch and they go for silly money now, brand new and second hand. Mine never put a foot wrong, I even got used to the small steering wheel and the infotainment system. I'd have another no problem at all.

Hi. I'm looking to buy one next month, do you have an tips for things to look out for? My budget is 15k and there isn't many for sale at all at the moment. Plus there's the reality now that I might not be able to test drive before buying.

I've read about the pistons in the front calipers seizing, did you experience this? Anything else tk look for?

Any advice would be appreciated. Cheers.

[culpz]

I think the statement of the tuning opportunities in these being rife isn't quite correct. I know there's loads of aftermarket bits you can get for them, but going from 275 bhp to 300 really isn't much from just a software tune these days. VW's EA888 can safely go from 300 to around 370 with just a "stage 1" remap.

With that being said, i don't think I'd find the standard power lacking and probably wouldn't bother mapping it anyway. It's just that, if pure tuning is your thing, this wouldn't be the best place to look, IMO. Great cars though and some proper development has gone into these. Can't help but gorp every time i see one!

[Limpet]

CG2020UK said:

5 door models leak, water pump will definitely fail,

These were both common issues 20 years ago on the mk4. Can't believe VW are still struggling with these.

[greenarrow]

SykesAJ said:

Frimley111R said:

PokiGTA said:

While the i30N was a stunning first offering from the Korean brand, I still don’t understand why the Peugeot 308 GTi 270 doesn’t get a look in as an alternative to the Golf? Lighter, faster, better stuff... .

It's more newsworthy. Nothing to do with the cars themselves. Media sites like PH and all the others are about getting pages read/subscribers etc. To do this you have to attract attention and a new i30N will do it better than a 308GTI. Simple as that.

Evo did an excellent group test of N vs GTI vs GTi. The Peugeot comes out well, notably much lighter than the others with an excellent chassis.

https://www.evo.co.uk/group-tests/20992/hyundai-i3...

I've also wondered why the 308 GTI didn't get more praise and coverage, considering its usefully lighter than any other full fat hot hatch on sale and seems to do the business on road and track. I wonder if it is because the 308GTI was a very good car, but not class leading against something like the Civic Type R and the Renault Sport Megane 275 which was still on sale when it was launched and therefore always likely to be overshadowed by its illustrious class leading ancestors such as the 205 and 306 GTIs, whereas the Hyundai was a first effort from a marque with no history of building hot hatches and therefore considered more laudable and surprising as a result?

Certainly anyone considering an i30n should take a look at a 308GTI first.