Hi all, just a quick post to give my early impressions on my i30 which I picked up yesterday afternoon at 5pm. It's an SLX diesel manual, the only option being floor mats. Had 9 kms on the clock, now has 201 kms (so early days). I traded a VE Commodore Omega & BA Futura so have down-sized but have thoroughly enjoyed driving it since I picked it up.
Even though the engine is obviously very new & tight, it has quite a bit of "punch" and the gear change is positive & pleasant to use. Turbo lag is just noticeable, but slight, & presents no problems at all. The quality & fit/finish is better than both of my previous Australian cars without a doubt. It is fun to drive and I certainly take every opportunity to drive it!
This will be my everyday drive car so will be used in a variety of conditions. The best fuel economy on the trip metre so far has been 4.9 l/100km & is currently on 6.2 l/100km (metro use).
My daughter's 2006 Accent has a leather steering wheel which is of much better quality than the i30's, which feels decidedly like vinyl, but otherwise I find the general quality of the interior to be very good.
I will post pics as soon as I get them taken but there is nothing new there, it's just a white SLX.
My intentions are to re-trim the interior in leather, fit a sunroof & window tint.