Helli Alanovich, thanks for your comments... with regard the rear seats, so far the only comments have been complimentary, with particular praise from the occasional middle passenger, as there is virtually no tunnel intrusion, with a nearly flat floor.

Another good feature is the reclining rear seatback, only a few degrees, but enough to make a difference. Minor niggle is that the rear outer seatbelt sockets are recessed into the seat squab, but the centre belt socket is on a strap, and sits "out" on the seat, meaning at night, passengers naturally grab that one first, and are puzzled when it won't plug in. Not a problem on a family car, as users will quickly become familiar.

Big load area, but spoilt slightly by sloping rear window, and rear seat backs don't fold quite flat when lowered, although in practice this has not been a problem... (we have just moved house, and the car proved it's worth).

Just a quick add-on...I forgot to mention.... You say you are looking at getting an auto, so obviously the manual gearbox problems will be removed from the equation as you say, leaving what should be a reliable car. I would agree, as a friend has a higher spec diesel engined auto i40 tourer, and he has found no trouble with it.

An interesting point I picked up on while reading another forum, is that in just about every other market worldwide, the i40 is sold as an auto, with very few manuals being specified.

I do note from the brochure though, that there is a slight penalty in fuel comsumption, which suggests maybe the auto is not a particularly modern design???

I have had a manual 1.9tdi passat, then replaced it with a 2.0tdi auto(dsg), and it was a revelation... having driven plenty of autos in the past, I was astonished to notice, in real-world figures, that the DSG auto, despite being mated to a bigger, more powerful (140ps) engine, returned better fuel consumption figures than the 1.9 (105ps) manual, despite being around the same mileage/condition/use.

Regardless, the auto option would save you from having to deal with any of the silly manual gearbox/clutch issues that every user knows exists with the car, but the manufacturer appears to pretend does not.

One other note to consider... before buying a new hyundai of any persuasion, give the salesman a list of random replacement parts, and ask him to check and write down the delivery times for each part. Presumably he will not lie if he is writing the results down and signing his name on the information. You may be surprised. They appear, for instance, to order batches of clutch kits in bulk every couple of months, to avoid being stuck with a broken car and a three week wait for a clutch kit to make the voyage from Korea. Parts you would expect to be held in stock are frequently "Special Order"....

Even a touch-up pen has to be ordered. Maybe not all dealerships are the same, but if you are buying a new car with your own money, make sure you ask the questions, it may not be a deal-breaker, but it's still useful information to have on the table, at that special moment, the pause, while you look the salesman in the eye before signing the order form. I suggest maybe a glance from the blank dotted line, to the salesmans eye, then to the parts list delivery forecast, then back to the dotted line, and finally back to the salesman's eyes..... and.... hold! If the silence persists, then keep glancing back at the parts list! (Take as long as you need, it's your money!). I guarantee the salesman will crack first!

CG

Hi Rob,

Thanks for your post. I will definately be forthcoming with the good and the bad stuff, as it occurs... and despite being an owner-driver, I will attempt to be as impartial and accurate as possible. I have no axe to grind either way, if there are warts I will share them, if it shines, you will know! :-)

Regards..

Excellent info on a car which is on my radar as a replacement diesel for a 75 mile each way (150 total) commute that I perform on a daily basis.

Also interested in anything else (make.model) you may have considered and discarded and (excuse this one) how is the taxi run business nowadays!!

Hi All,

A newbie to the group and car too

Have gone through the thread and like the positive and negative points. I am looking for a used car 2-3 years probably under 40-50K miles and family car. Would the car be a good one to buy ?

i have other brands in the list Volvo V40/ Cross country, BMW 3 series. both having 4-5 years as I am unable to find these in my budget. I was able to find a Hyundai though.

Your inputs are highly appreciated.

Thanks

Jay

>> Honda are going down a different route, using DSG but ditching the clutches and using a torque converter,

I thought DSG and DCT are same mechanism. If they are using Torque Converter, then how come it is still DSG?

May be they are just adding flappy pedals to electronically shifting gears only?

Honda patented an 11 speed triple clutch gearbox in 2016, a claimed benefit being uninterrupted torque (though why that matters on a road car I have no idea).

I can't find any more description than that.