Hyundai i30N - 3 and a half

[D200]

I see autocar performed a full road test of the Hyundai i30N - it gets just 3.5 Stars.

When this car was launched loads of people on the ph forum talking utter nonsense about how this rewrites the hot hatch rulebook, best hot hatch ever, the Korean makers are way better in every way to the German manufactures etc. etc. etc.

Also, in Autocar’s performance car of the year [AND evo mag's, Top Gear's - basically every single publication] it was beaten by all other hot hatches tested - including the Civic Type R and even the Golf GTI [which has been out years and due to be replaced in not too distant future]

So, while the Hyundai i30N is a good car - I am not saying it bad I quite like it and would happily drive one - but all the people on here saying it [and the Kia Stinger] are immediately the best in class better and than all the German rivals but in reality they are far from it.

Kia and Hyundai used to be terrible cars, this is no longer the case, they are now average cars - nothing more, nothing less

They used to be cheap but they are now just averagely priced – sadly negating lots of advantages they used to have.

[D200]

Willy Nilly said:

What's their advertising budget with Autocar?

You tell me?

And also tell me what every other manufacturer’s budget is for all publications while you are it please

If you actually read the test - and the other tests by other mags - they justify and explain why its gets 3.5 stars. 3.5 is good as they say, just not great, which sounds right from reading their test of it [and all other publications]

So say it only got 3.5 stars due to advertised budget is just something only silly a fanboy would say

[D200]

TwigtheWonderkid said:

D200 said:

Also, in Autocar’s performance car of the year [AND evo mag's, Top Gear's - basically every single publication] it was beaten by all other hot hatches tested - including the Civic Type R and even the Golf GTI [which has been out years and due to be replaced in not too distant future]

What does it cost compared to a Type R and the Golf, when those 2 are loaded up with the same level of kit.

Ah, this is the other line rolled out - it's got more equipment

Well, it depends what are are interested in when buying a hot hatch - standard equipment or driving dynamics?

In reality, it is there or there abouts the same price as all competitors - especially in PCP terms

[D200]

DanielSan said:

Evo gave it 4.5

http://www.evo.co.uk/hyundai/i30/N

I actually find evo review strange - it sounds like a good [not amazing car] but gets a higher rating than cars like Lambo's, A45 AMG [+ many others] and same as the new AMG E63 S

But the evo test was the foreign launch test so a limited drive whereas the autocar one was a full UK road test

Plus in the evo ecoty test the Civic beat it

[D200]

kambites said:

Even ignoring equipment differences, it's a fair bit cheaper (in terms of list price) than the Golf GTi - £25k entry for the i30N vs £28500. Add the power upgrades to both and the difference remains similar.

To be put that in perspective, that's the same as the difference between the Golf GTi and the Golf R.

I can't see that ~15% gap staying there once finance is considered though. It might even end up reversed.

Edited by kambites on Friday 5th January 13:58

Exactly, its probably more expensive in real terms

[D200]

996TT02 said:

Snails said:

I have no opinion on the car, but I think it is worth noting that you used the lowest rated review I could find in order to bolster your argument.

AutoExpress
5/5

Driving.co.uk
4/5

EVO
4/5

What Car
4/5

CAR Magazine
4/5

Telegraph
4/5

Car Buyer
4.4/5

Express
9/10

The Car Expert
8.6/10

Car Throttle
"The world beater that came out of nowhere"

TopGear
"make no mistake, this is a great hot hatch."

Haha, that is called being very selective - in several dodgy industries, picking and quoting only the studies that give results that back up your product. Or inversely, as the OP has done

You can quote all the sites you wish, what do mumsnet give it? That would be as relevant as some of those

Autocar’s full UK road test was very comprehensive and they fully explain why they give it 3.5 – which as they said is a good - and as I said 100 times, I fully agree.

It’s just not the 2nd coming and better than all the competition like some here seem to think for some reason.

Plus it’s too expensive for what it is – in real terms same price or more expensive

Show me a proper UK full hot hatch comparison test with all competitors where the I30 wins?

Maybe I missed it but I had a look and I can’t see any?

[D200]

Rob_R said:

It seems like you want to hate on the i130N and won't hear any opinions to the contrary. Would that be correct?

Did you actually read what I said in any of my posts?

I’m simply saying (and I don’t know how times I need to repeat this) it’s a good car but not the holy grail/2nd coming/best hot hatch ever in existence

A good first attempt

Seems to be if you don’t agree with that false analogy that the i30N is best hot hatch in the history of time [trademark] then you are a hater

[D200]

Car-Matt said:

D200 seems very sure of his opinion on the car, so sure it seems he must have driven it himself.

I dont think anyone has called it the messiah of hot hatches or the class leader, comparing to things like the Focus RS, Golf R etc is also silly, these 300bhp plus cars now sit in Hyper Hatch territory,

This is aimed squarely at Focus ST, Golf GTi territory and if its being mentoned as a competitor to the current Golf GTi then frankly that's an achievement because although not a stellar car in any area the golf does everything very well.

This effort from Hyundai appears to be a very good one and hopefully paves the way for more interesting cars giving more chouices to us consumers and hopefully the extra competition means we get a bit better value for money.

Correct I haven’t driven it nor have I claimed to.

Have you?

And has everyone else here who is claiming it to be a superlative hot hatch? There are lots of people here claiming even before any UK test this is the best hatch even based solely on Sutcliff launch review I guess.

I am basing my opinion of it on the full UK road tests I read and a few ‘car of the year’ comparison tests – i.e. excluding the ones were the manufacture flies the journalist out to somewhere nice and warm, puts them up a nice star hotels, wines and dines them etc. – as is standard.

Same with any test of any car – much better to wait for the UK tests of UK cars people in the UK will actually be buying.

Even the journalists themselves say this – if few out so somewhere nice, get the natural high of sunshine, nice hotel, nice food etc they generally in a good mood so best to wait to UK tests of UK car in the dreary UK to get a more comprehensive appraisal of any car

I fully understand what most publications don’t give it higher rating – as someone else said here the engine is the issue. I think the engine is the equal most important aspect of a hot hatch

Even the people who give this the higher ratings say the engine is so so at best. Doesn’t sound that good, makes all power low down etc., doesn’t rev out, a bit diesel-like. That alone would put me off it but each to their own.

As I said 576 times - it’s good, a good first effort

The more the merrier etc

But show me any UK full comparison test with ALL its rivals where this car wins?

BTW - this car is in the circa 30k hot hatch - it’s a couple of k less than 30k, as is the Golf GTI. Some others are 30k, some a couple of K more – but all around 30k. Plus in PCP terms it would be compared to all the ‘big hitters’ as some seem to call them. I would just call them competitors

And I actually think the Focus ST is below this car pricewise – it has been out a long time and you can get one brand new from a broker for not much more than 20k, 8k less than the i30N. Then you can get a manufacture approves mountune kit for a few hundred quid to make it much faster than the i30 if you want to roll out the ‘Hyundai has more power’ excuse