Hyundai i30 2012 onwards - 1.4 petrol - any good? | Motoring discussion | Back Room Forum

What is life like with your car? Let us know and win £500 in John Lewis vouchers | No thanks

Tue 15 Oct 2013 08:59

Hyundai i30 2012 onwards - 1.4 petrol - any good? - Ian71

We are currently looking for a new car and the Hyundai i30 1.4 petrols (in Active spec) look like really good vaule. We have seen a number about 6-12 months old and 8-12k mileage. The car will be used for pootling about, but a number of long (250 mile plus) trips per year three up plus luggage.

Does anybody have an experience of them - are they OK to drive (underpowered at all?), fuel economy, ownership and so on? We did think of diesel, but we probably don't do the mileage to justify the £1,500 jump in cost to an equivalent diesel model.

Any thoughts and views much appreciated!

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Tue 15 Oct 2013 13:26

Hyundai i30 2012 onwards - 1.4 petrol - any good? - galileo

I bought a 1.4 in June 2009, I can't comment on the 2012 version but mine has been faultless, still on original discs and pads, routine services at main dealer have been reasonably priced, urban consumption about 38 mpg, motorway cruise at 60+gives 45 mpg, at 70+ about 40 mpg, will climb the long drag from Rochdale junction to Windy Hill on M62 at 70+ in 5th gear without foot flat down.

My only thought for improvement would be a slightly higher top gear, but I think the 2012 model has a 6th gear which should give quieter cruising. (Not worth the £9 - 10 k it would cost me to upgrade to one though)

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Tue 15 Oct 2013 18:05

Hyundai i30 2012 onwards - 1.4 petrol - any good? - Basser

I've bought a brand new i30 1.4 petrol style nav in march, have only done just over 2000 miles with it. Two M6 240 mile round trips the rest just for locally running about.

Motorway averaged 58mpg, local 43mpg. 6 speed gear box which is brilliant and very slick.

On HJ review about 16 inch tyre noise, on certain road surfaces they can be but on others they are very smooth. The steering has 3 modes light/normal/sporty.

In the 6 months i've had it all i have done is filled the water reservoir and once put some air in the tyres. Up to now I think the car is great.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Tue 15 Oct 2013 21:46

Hyundai i30 2012 onwards - 1.4 petrol - any good? - daveyK_UK

Do Hyundai/Kia still use cam belts in all their petrol and diesel engines?

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Tue 15 Oct 2013 23:17

Hyundai i30 2012 onwards - 1.4 petrol - any good? - galileo

Chain cam drive, as far as I know. I think HJ has a list of chain cam engines in his FAQs.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Wed 16 Oct 2013 09:47

Hyundai i30 2012 onwards - 1.4 petrol - any good? - RT

Do Hyundai/Kia still use cam belts in all their petrol and diesel engines?

The 2.0 diesel has been cam chain since 2009 and the 2.2 diesel since 2010.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Wed 16 Oct 2013 10:53

Hyundai i30 2012 onwards - 1.4 petrol - any good? - skidpan

Do Hyundai/Kia still use cam belts in all their petrol and diesel engines?

As far as i am aware all current Hyundai/Kia engines are chain driven.

Chain or belt is irrelevant in my opinion since only a tiny minority have issues with either and whatever site you look at both can have issues.

Provided the car has been serviced correctly and most importantly in the case of chains the correct spec oils used there should be no issues.

Belts generally need a change at some point, (some chains as well), my new car has a belt and I budgeted for the change when I bought the car.

In the last 39 years I have owned 17 road cars 9 of these have had chains, 8 belts. In that time I have changed 1 belt at the recommended 72,000 miles. I have never had a failure.

On one of my race engines back in the 90's during an end of season check over it was discovered that half the split link on a Ford x-flow chain had come adrift and was in the sump. No idea when it happened, the engine was revved to 8500 pretty much all the time but the chain still held together. Replaced it with a 1 piece chain, sod to fit but theoretically better.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Wed 16 Oct 2013 15:35

Hyundai i30 2012 onwards - 1.4 petrol - any good? - daveyK_UK

They must have changed them over the years.

Around 1999/2000 - all the Hyundai/Kia engine's (certainly the petrols) where belts.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Sat 19 Oct 2013 12:52

Hyundai i30 2012 onwards - 1.4 petrol - any good? - technophobe

I have had a 2013 1.4 petrol classic for about a month now. There is a big improvement over the previous model. Much quieter, better suspension it copes with holes in the roads very well so that you get a smooth ride. The 6 speed gear box is nice to use, far smoother than the previous model. Although it is the same engine as before it seems to better on acceleration which is useful. The only minus is the demister which does not seem very effective. Overall, an enjoyable car to drive.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Fri 1 Nov 2013 16:23

Hyundai i30 2012 onwards - 1.4 petrol - any good? - technophobe

I have had a 2013 1.4 petrol classic for about a month now. There is a big improvement over the previous model. Much quieter, better suspension it copes with holes in the roads very well so that you get a smooth ride. The 6 speed gear box is nice to use, far smoother than the previous model. Although it is the same engine as before it seems to better on acceleration which is useful. The only minus is the demister which does not seem very effective. Overall, an enjoyable car to drive.

Demister seems to have sorted its self out now and working as normal.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Ask Honest John

Sell Your Car

Real MPG

Fuel Calculator