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Friday 9 January 2009

Value for money

How far will the proposed road tax changes influence what we actually buy in the new car market? Not as much, perhaps, as the government likes to think.

To start with, this car comes with Hyundai’s across-the-range unlimited mileage five-year warranty. It’s worth dwelling on that for a moment. When it first came out rivals quipped that you needed every month of it. But Hyundai is a world-class heavy engineering concern, producing million-ton oil tankers and heavy earth-moving equipment. It knows how to make things, so when it turned its attention more seriously to cars you could reckon it would make those pretty well too. Its five-year warranty is based on the actuarial calculation that its cars are well enough made for such an offer not to prove expensive. Kia offers a comparable warranty on some models — seven years, limited to 100,000 miles — but then Kia is 70 per cent owned by Hyundai.

The standard safety and comfort equipment levels of the i30 — including ESP, active head restraints and iPod connection — should shame more prestigious makers such as BMW and Mercedes. The looks are unobtrusively stylish, there’s plenty of interior space, cabin materials are perfectly acceptable, the seats are excellent and fully adjustable, the gearbox is easy and precise, the foot rest is a surprising comfort and the ergonomics are well thought out. The diesel 1.6CRDi I tested performed quietly and well and was satisfyingly frugal; it proceeds smoothly in fifth at 30mph and runs at 2500rpm at 70mph. Another driver recorded 55.6mpg on a motorway run down from Edinburgh, averaging 69mph. My only criticisms were the headrests, which may seem a little too intrusive for some, the slightly too-firm ride and the noticeable tyre noise. This was on 16-inch wheels but there are 17 or 15 inch; unless low-profile tyres matter to you aesthetically or you corner at the limits, I suspect the 15 inch would be a smoother and quieter ride. And make allowance for the A pillars — they’re quite thick.

More articles from: Alan Judd | this section

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