Julessy's Hyundai i20N + Previous Car History
Discussion
Hi guys, after some lurking over the years I've decided to come back and post here again. I last posted here when I was talking about my MK5 Golf GTI, unfortunately I embarrassed myself by thinking it was a 5 cylinder and have been quite frankly embarrassed to post here again.
At the start of 2024 I decided I'd had enough of buying somewhat older hot hatches that constantly broke on me and finance a 'new' one. This wasn't the first time I'd done this, I'd financed a new Polo GTI in 2020, unfortunately this was a rushed purchase due to my MK5 GTI falling apart. I didn't enjoy the Polo due to it not handling very well compared to the Golf and the DSG not being as sharp as I'd hoped. After this I owned a MK6 Golf GTI which was nice but again cost me lots to repair. I then owned a MK7 Fiesta ST with a few mods and the mountune 215 kit. This car was an absolute blast to drive, I loved owning it but my bad luck with cars meant it spent too much time in the garage being fixed, so after a nearly a year and a half of ownership I sold it.
Originally I had my eyes on a GR Yaris but after crunching the numbers on a PCP deal, plus the running costs, i decided that it was too much of a stretch of my budget. Unsure of what to do next, I started to look at i20Ns as I didn't want a MK8 Fiesta ST. i wasn't sure about the Ns at the time, I really didn't like the rear end... but after a test drive I was hooked. So in March 2024 I bought/financed a Hyundai i20N.
My MK5 GTI next to my friends JCW
My Polo GTI at the dealership when I bought it
My Fiesta ST in Wales with my friends Glanza
My i20N on pickup day
I'll add more to this thread at some point with my adventures so far.
At the start of 2024 I decided I'd had enough of buying somewhat older hot hatches that constantly broke on me and finance a 'new' one. This wasn't the first time I'd done this, I'd financed a new Polo GTI in 2020, unfortunately this was a rushed purchase due to my MK5 GTI falling apart. I didn't enjoy the Polo due to it not handling very well compared to the Golf and the DSG not being as sharp as I'd hoped. After this I owned a MK6 Golf GTI which was nice but again cost me lots to repair. I then owned a MK7 Fiesta ST with a few mods and the mountune 215 kit. This car was an absolute blast to drive, I loved owning it but my bad luck with cars meant it spent too much time in the garage being fixed, so after a nearly a year and a half of ownership I sold it.
Originally I had my eyes on a GR Yaris but after crunching the numbers on a PCP deal, plus the running costs, i decided that it was too much of a stretch of my budget. Unsure of what to do next, I started to look at i20Ns as I didn't want a MK8 Fiesta ST. i wasn't sure about the Ns at the time, I really didn't like the rear end... but after a test drive I was hooked. So in March 2024 I bought/financed a Hyundai i20N.
My MK5 GTI next to my friends JCW
My Polo GTI at the dealership when I bought it
My Fiesta ST in Wales with my friends Glanza
My i20N on pickup day
I'll add more to this thread at some point with my adventures so far.
Thanks for the comments everyone! The drive back from Poole back to the southwest was overwhelming due to all the buttons, and also quite painful as I'd had a small operation to take some skin off my arm around a mole that needed to be checked out (the test results came back fine). So my arm was already a bit painful from this and heavier steering than I was used to (especially in N mode without customisation) did take its toll a bit on the drive. The next few weeks were really just spent customising settings to how I liked them, and getting used to all the buttons (I still learn things about buttons now tbh). I did get out with a friend to take some pictures of our cars together and compare noises in our local tunnel, though I quickly discovered the sound is too much in it's noisest mode with the fake pops and bangs.
After comparing the N with the ST, the only thing I really prefer about the STs is how hot the heated seats can get, though I do wish I'd found an N with the Bose stereo. Unfortunately I've not driven a MK8 ST in anger to know which is a better drive but I do think the N looks 10x better than the ST, and it helps that its less common too.
I'd prefer lighter coloured wheels, and just different wheels in general but I don't really have the money, and don't think it's worth it considering I've badly curbed the standard ones anyway.
After comparing the N with the ST, the only thing I really prefer about the STs is how hot the heated seats can get, though I do wish I'd found an N with the Bose stereo. Unfortunately I've not driven a MK8 ST in anger to know which is a better drive but I do think the N looks 10x better than the ST, and it helps that its less common too.
I'd prefer lighter coloured wheels, and just different wheels in general but I don't really have the money, and don't think it's worth it considering I've badly curbed the standard ones anyway.
By the end of my first month with the N I had started to use the car on longer trips, and car show season was starting up. The first port of call was a cars and coffee meet in Morwhellam Quay. For me this meant a drive across Dartmoor for the first in the N. It was a lot of fun but I did learn the standard Pirellis aren't that great in anything under double digits °C, and in my just over a year ownership I've also learnt they don't last long, and have changed all 4 Pirellis for Michelin PS5s.
Parked at Gordano Services on the way to the April Scramble last year.
Morwhellam Quay for the second time
Portsdown hill
Parked at Gordano Services on the way to the April Scramble last year.
Morwhellam Quay for the second time
Portsdown hill
My son has just done similar - he had a 6C Polo GTi but has now changed to an i20N (I bought the Polo off him to use as a runabout - I quite enjoy it.. )
The I20 is streets ahead of the Polo in just about everything.
I can highly recommend doing a track day in the I20 - he did his first ever one yesterday and the car really impressed me as to how good it was.
He’s now got the bug and will be doing many more..
It was also very good in the wet (on PS5’s )
The I20 is streets ahead of the Polo in just about everything.
I can highly recommend doing a track day in the I20 - he did his first ever one yesterday and the car really impressed me as to how good it was.
He’s now got the bug and will be doing many more..
It was also very good in the wet (on PS5’s )
July last year I embarked on my seemingly now annual trip to South Wales. A great couple of days on epic roads. 
My only complaint really was the weather. Traffic wasn't too bad considering the time of year, but the weather was even worse than the same sort of time the year before. As soon we got to Rhigos Mountain it lashed it down with rain and we saw about 10°C at the top.
My only complaint really was the weather. Traffic wasn't too bad considering the time of year, but the weather was even worse than the same sort of time the year before. As soon we got to Rhigos Mountain it lashed it down with rain and we saw about 10°C at the top.
My next adventure was Scotland. From the Southwest of England to the Fort William resulted in a 12 hour drive each way after stops for fuel and food were included. Unfortunately on the way to Scotland in a well known service stastion up north I had an incident. I was reversing out of a space and checked several times to see if anything was coming, didn't see anything so slowly reversed and then ended up scraping a BMW X5 that was turning into my direction faster than they should've been (in my opinion). I'd never been in this type of situation before so was pretty shook up, I took insurance details and after polishing most the damage out and gathering myself together I carried on my journey, with my confidence having taken a knock. I phoned my insurance company the next day and admitted fault, the driver of the X5 had already put me at fault anyway and I didn't want the incident to linger more than it already had and to be honest it probably was my fault anyway legally speaking, even if it didn't seem like it from my perspective.
Other than that the drive up was mostly boring until I got off the motorways and deep into Scotland. By the time I got there I was absolutely exhausted and also anxious.
The views were incredible and the roads flowed nicely but I think I went to the wrong part of Scotland for the twister roads that I was looking for. Unfortunately this combined with the long trip there, plus the incident on the way and the general anxiousness of driving so far away from home and not wanting to get caught speeding either made the trip a bit of a letdown for me. I'd like to visit the Highlands again someday, maybe with a different car and experience it properly, knowing what I'm getting into and being a bit less anxious about driving so far. Next time I head Scotland way I'll probably be heading towards the Scottish Borders.
Other than that the drive up was mostly boring until I got off the motorways and deep into Scotland. By the time I got there I was absolutely exhausted and also anxious.
The views were incredible and the roads flowed nicely but I think I went to the wrong part of Scotland for the twister roads that I was looking for. Unfortunately this combined with the long trip there, plus the incident on the way and the general anxiousness of driving so far away from home and not wanting to get caught speeding either made the trip a bit of a letdown for me. I'd like to visit the Highlands again someday, maybe with a different car and experience it properly, knowing what I'm getting into and being a bit less anxious about driving so far. Next time I head Scotland way I'll probably be heading towards the Scottish Borders.
Interesting to read your experiences with the i20N. I've had mine since September 2023 and I'm still loving it. Like you, I've gone to the PS5 from the standard P Zeros which I changed over today after 6800miles . Not had a chance to really try them out yet but first impression is the ride has vastly improved. Dont know if yours was the same but my steering wheel was slightly set off centre to the right from the factory so had that sorted today as well . I've heard this is quite common. 
2172cc said:
Interesting to read your experiences with the i20N. I've had mine since September 2023 and I'm still loving it. Like you, I've gone to the PS5 from the standard P Zeros which I changed over today after 6800miles . Not had a chance to really try them out yet but first impression is the ride has vastly improved. Dont know if yours was the same but my steering wheel was slightly set off centre to the right from the factory so had that sorted today as well . I've heard this is quite common.
I definitely noticed a difference in ride quality since the PS5s were fitted but I’d definitely like to do something more about it at some point as sometimes the bumpiness is too much when trying to make progress down a bumpy B road. I can’t say I’ve noticed the steering wheel issue, that could just be me not noticing/adapting to a different car though
So since I’ve last posted not much has happened. I’ve taken the N on some great drives such as over Exmoor and Dartmoor, had new tyres on the rear (the Pzeros gave up at about 10k) + alignment and taken it to a few C&C events. After getting a new phone I now no longer have all my old photos saved to the device but on Google photos. Anyway this makes it a hassle to try and get the photos on my device as iOS doesn’t seem to like downloading from there. So here’s some more a recent picture from a C&C event near me.
There was also an ioniQ5N at the event which looked massive in comparison. I’ve got a South Wales trip coming up in the next few weeks, and for now I’m saving to pay the balloon payment at the end of the PCP deal in just under 3 years. Once that’s paid off I *might* start doing a couple of modifications to the car but I don’t want to go mental as it’s my only car
There was also an ioniQ5N at the event which looked massive in comparison. I’ve got a South Wales trip coming up in the next few weeks, and for now I’m saving to pay the balloon payment at the end of the PCP deal in just under 3 years. Once that’s paid off I *might* start doing a couple of modifications to the car but I don’t want to go mental as it’s my only car
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