NRMA prefers Hyundai to 103TDI

[chylld]

i30 is a good car no doubt and very like the Mk IV Golf to me at least in the cabin. I have heard of a few problems with i30s even driveshafts snapping but that is probably rare. I'd keep the i30 since its only 18 months old unless depreciation is gonna kill you. You can get a basic Golf for 26,000 on the road.Golf are generally quite reliable and have longevity on their side.

Depreciation will kill me yeah, like Cam above. I expect a golf to hold its value better, but at the end of the day a car is hardly ever going to be a great investment the golf is the sensible choice I'd make if the choice was forced upon me.

And my i30's odo currently reads 888km with 1/4 tank remaining... Hard not to love a car that can do that

[guliver_twist]

Once the 1.6L mk 6 diesel comes out and is a little closer in price to the i30 I think it will be much easier to justify the price difference for all the added features and refinement..the reviewer is probably evaluating the 2 cars from the eyes of a tight arse, and is probably right due to the price difference.

[Transporter]

And also something that needs to be considered, is how well a car will age. My mate had a Kia Sorrento, which was a great car (to start with) and had decent reviews, but then literally fell apart after 12 months. Door knobs coming off, buttons not working, windows not winding up etc My Magna is the same. So to an extent you really get what you pay for and only time will tell whether the i30 is a good car or not. But 13K is pretty cheap, even if turns out to be a POS.

Generally the Hyundai cars especially the cheaper one age quite well. It depends also how fussy one is. In fuel economy department I think that i30 diesel was as economical or even better than Audi A3 TDIe, when tested in OZ.
Of course the VW will age better and is a nicer car to drive and own, but it cost much more.

[mr gee]

I thought the article was quite well-timed, I'm currently considering moving from an i30 diesel to a golf 118tsi.

The i30 is a fantastic car, the only reason why I'm getting rid of it is because it's a manual, and my fiancée only drives auto.

I test drove the 118tsi a few months back, and didn't find the DSG jerky at all. Overall the ride and comfort is better than the i30, but only very slightly.

the diesel has a 6 spd dsg which can be jerky on deceleration, the 7 spd dsg on the 118TSI is smooth as silk

[Highlander]

In Feb 2009 it was time for my daughter to upgrade the 1997 Corolla which gave us over 200K with noting but regular service, brake pads, tyres, batteries and a few light globes. Drove a 130i SLX petrol and it was "nice - looked good and modern interior". Then a 2009 Corolla. She didn't like the looks of the Corolla but it felt more "planted" on the road, especially when the road was less than smooth. Thought the Hyundai was "a bit tinny" by comparison with the Corolla.

Then tried a Mk5 Golf Diesel DSG and a Mk5 petrol DSG. Instantly seduced by the TDI torque and how strong the car felt, especially in mid ranges.

Saw on this site that the Golf 6 was due at the end of Feb 2009 and decided to wait. First of March drove a Honda Accord Euro Luxury and the Mk6 TDI DSG (We each got a demo from the dealers at the same time and did about 30kms each in both cars). Honda were "giving away" Euros but at the end of our drive we both thought the Golf was a better drive. Liked the size better to as the new Euro has become a bit fat in our opinion. Put the money down on March 7 and picked it up June 12. (The dealer's first "ordered" Golf 6. What a wait. Has already driven 3500km in the first month and she is so happy with her choice. (And what a cool party trick is park assist - she loves it - On the rare times I am granted a drive my 45 years of driving won't let me trust it). And no issues with the DSG box except that downshifts on stopping are somewhat more pronounced than in a "normal" automatic.

By the way the NRMA issue with the DSG is interesting. R32 was NRMA sports car of the year in 2007 and 2008 and they were highly impressed with the smoothness and shift speed of the DSG. Go figure.

[rosslm]

Sorry to dig this one up again but I keep seeing these TV adds, i30 best mid size car?

I have just spent time driving a Hyundai i30 CW CRDI Auto 4 speed 1.6 Diesel from our car pool and having previously spent time in a Golf VI 2.0 TDI DSG also from our work car pool I have to say the NRMA must have been sniffing something other than diesel fumes. While the Hyundai is a competent car at around 30K it should be compared to cars in its price range Focus, Mazda 3 and the like. The Golf on road is more of a 40K proposition and the difference between them is immediately apparent the Golf feels 20K more refined in every area that counts, cabin design and finish, ride, NVH, drive train and better fuel economy to boot . The gist of the NRMA story was that in today’s economic environment one could consider an i30 over Golf if only on price. To drive the two and try and conclude they are competitors is misleading, the only similarity is drive train layout and size but that’s where comparisons end. The i30 drives like a 25-30K car the Golf like a 35-50K car. You get what you pay for!

[Cam]

You summed it up quite nicely Ross.
I was very happy with my i30 until I started having major issues with it. As soon as I got into both my Golf (comfortline) and the GT sport I immediately felt the difference in quality though and you can feel that its better built.

I had the MKV Golf as top of my list when looking to buy but it was a tad too expensive, even second hand at the time. After I got rid of the i30 I was just lucky enough to find the bargain that I'm driving today.

[Transporter]

Sorry to dig this one up again but I keep seeing these TV adds, i30 best mid size car?

I have just spent time driving a Hyundai i30 CW CDI Auto 4 speed 1.6 Diesel from our car pool and having previously spent time in a Golf VI 2.0 TDI DSG also from our work car pool I have to say the NRMA must have been sniffing something other than diesel fumes.

and probably not just sniffing.

The i30, can't be compared even to Golf5.
Such comment says a lot about their credibility.