NRMA prefers Hyundai to 103TDI

[tdi guy]

In their comparison between the i30 and the 103TDI in the current edition of Open Road, the reviewer did not like the DSG (too jerky) and decided the price difference did not reflect the difference between the two cars.

Each to their own...

[anarchycamp]

my old man just bought a diesel i30 and i have to admit (it was hard at first) that they have made a damn good car there. for the price, amazing.

wouldnt stop a vw fan buying the golf but anyone whos comparing based on what you get for your money and not biased like us the hyundai would win hands down (ok shoot me now )

[Cam]

I had an i30 before I had my golf.
They're a lovely car, and for what you get they're exceptional value.

I was unlucky enough to get a lemon though, which ruined my whole experience with hyundai.

But I'm much happier with the golf, its a lot more powerful and much better built. As soon as you get into the vw you can instantly feel the difference in quality. Door trims, dash, gear stick, plastic panels, doors, boot and steering to name a few.

In my opinion, its a no brainer. The vw is more expensive purely because its a better built car. People will disagree that the i30 is just as well built as the golf but until you've owned both and driven each....its clear that the VW is a much better car.


VW for ever!

[chylld]

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.

[docjames]

The DSG is really the way to go if you want manual and the other half wants auto. I was an "only manual" person, had xr6T and XR8 in manual (much to mrsdoc's disgust!) but am so so happy with the DSG. Sure it's not a "real" manual, but it's a pretty good compromise, so much better than a standard auto.

Oh, mine isnt jerky either. Unlike some of my manual gearchanges in the T or 8.

[PassatB6]

I am betting the price difference is made up for by the safety and other features that are missing. Only 2 airbags in i30 base model.

[Zed!]

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.

[chylld]

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.

Only time will tell, for sure, but in my experience it's the other way around. A friend at work got a golf (mk5) around the same time as I got my i30 and it's just been problem after problem for her. On the other hand, my i30's been rock solid

I'm still considering 'upgrading' to a golf, but reliability is one of the main concerns for me. The i30 after 1.5 years has no rattles or anything, works the same as the day I bought it, and I'm worried of losing that reliability and sturdiness moving to a golf.

[Cam]

Resale value is a huge factor as well.
I bought my i30 in July 2008, didn't receive it until November 2008 (had to get built and shipped over). It had a September 2008 build date on it.

In January when I was wanting to get rid of it, the best deal I could get was 22k trade in on a 2005 + Golf. A few yards only wanted to offer 18k. Keep in mind this was for the SLX CRDi which isn't the base model, but the top of the range for the diesel.

I mean...I know hyundai's don't hold their value that well but I was shocked that a car I had paid $31k for (with extras) had depreciated nearly 10k in a matter of months. Very disheartening.

[PassatB6]

I'm still considering 'upgrading' to a golf, but reliability is one of the main concerns for me. The i30 after 1.5 years has no rattles or anything, works the same as the day I bought it, and I'm worried of losing that reliability and sturdiness moving to a golf.

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.

[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]

130i vs Mk6 TDI

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.