[Dazzler]

I thought it might be a good time to post a short summary of my feelings about my "new" i30 PD SR DCT after 8 months and nearly 17,000 kilometres of mixed driving.

This won't be as comprehensive as one of Alan Ho's reviews but I will try and cover as many areas of the car as I can.

Styling

When the new PD was first released I had mixed feelings about the more conservative styling but it has certainly grown on me.
On the positive side I don't think it will date like something like the new Civic certainly will.

I never really liked the two tone wheels on the SR (silver with black centre caps) So, as most of you would be aware I got the wheels sprayed satin black by a friend after curbing the front left hand side wheel. I think it looks heaps better now. I initially thought I perhaps should have gone with a white one, but love the red and black wheel combo.

I love the LED tail lights on the SR.



Features

Most of you also know I had a top of the range Holden Calais V before the SR and I thought I might miss it, but the new SR has some features that I love which the Calais didn't have which offset the few things I lost. The only thing I miss a bit is the 100 odd litres of extra boot space in the Calais.

I don't really miss the Heads up display as much as i thought I would. The fact that the SR has a digital speed readout in the centre of the dials and Automated cruise means i don't really need to be as aware of my speed as I did in the past.

Talking of automated cruise, I love that feature just as much as I thought I would. I really miss it now if I drive Trish's car or a rental. The other feature I really like and use a lot is Android Auto.

I made this video fairly quicky without much planning, but you get the idea.

Android Auto - YouTube

Fuel Economy

I haven't bothered to do a brim to brim calculation, but the economy seems to have improved from initially averaging 7.5 litres per 100 kilometres (according to the trip computer) for the first 5000 or so kilometres of mixed driving, to now sitting at 7.2 litres per 100 kilometres over the last 4,500 kilometres or so. I did fit a K&N air filter after that initial 5000 kilometres and have a feeling that may have helped combined with a general freeing up of the motor.

I am aware the Trip PC may not be entirely accurate, but happy if it is 7.5 or better in reality. I do notice a worthwhile reduction in the amount I am spending on fuel compared to my Calais which was averaging around 9 L/100kms.

After owning two Hybrid Camry's prior to my Calais I believe I drive reasonably economically, but tend to drive at the posted speed limits in the city and on the highway and am not scared to give her a bit of stick occasionally.

Driving

I am amazed how much like the Calais the SR fells on the road. The Calais had 19" wheels with low profile (40) tyres so it was also a bit firm riding and slightly jittery (and generated some tire noise) on course or rough surfaces.

The SR is nicer around town though as the steering (and obviously the whole car) was heavier in the Calais.

Performance of the two acceleration wise is also similar, although the SR with DCT feels a bit more sluggish off the line unless you select sport mode which definitely improves standing start pick up.

The brakes are excellent in the SR. Probably the best combination of feel and stopping power of any car I have ever had, although the Calais was pretty good in that regard too.

I've had a couple of minor intermittent issues with the Blind Spot monitoring shutting down, which has yet to be fully resolved but aside from that I've had a trouble free run, touch wood as you would expect in a new car and certainly don't regret swapping cars in June 2017.

One small negative. Although better than the entirely unworkable 7500 kilometre service interval in the earlier Veloster, I find the 10k service interval a bit restrictive. I have done one longish mainland road trip and intend doing more. I'm used to 15k service intervals which are a lot easier to work around.
I may edit this and add more comments as I think of them.

[eye30]

Short..........can't wait for the long version

[AlanHo]

Nice one Dazz - you must really like the car - you used the word "love" quite a few times.

The only thing you love and I don't is black wheels - they are like marmite - you either love it or hate it. Having said that red and black go well together - but I still prefer red and silver.

I have tried android auto in my car but it is wasted on me because I have poor hearing and find it distracting. I rarely listen to music in the car and have yet to use the radio - I keep a memory stick in the car with a mix of music just in case I ever feel like it.  With music on loud enough to enjoy it - I would not hear emergency vehicle sirens.

Like you, I am impressed with adaptive cruise - it makes for such restful driving on long journeys, especially with line keep assist activated which makes steering so light.
One thing I find a mystery - is how the line keep assist knows that my hands are not firmly at ten to two on the steering wheel. I cannot fathom whether it is a fancy sensor or whether the alarm sounds if the driver has not made a steering input within a certain time.

I don't know whether it's the same in your car but I don't like the fact that the head unit/sat nav screen stays on until you open your door. I sometimes get fed up with shop browsing,  leave Libby to it and go back to the car to sit comfortably and read my Kindle while she gets on with it. If I turn the ignition on and then off again for any reason the head unit stays on and if the engine isn't running warns you that you are flattening the battery. You have to open, then close the door (or turn the engine on) to get rid of the warning.

[beerman]

How do you find the DCT downhill? We live on a hill, the Toque converter on the auto was happy to let the car roll, the DCT wants to use the transmission to brake the engine. I have overcome this by using N to coast down the hill. Stopping at the end of the street and selecting D. I don't want the cold engine having to work so hard when it is not necessary. I hope this is ok for the transmission.

[AlanHo]

Coasting in itself is not an offence in the UK, furthermore on a modern car it actually uses MORE petrol than keeping the gear engaged with the throttle completely shut.

When the car is moving and you take your foot off the accelerator, the electronics allow only the tiniest amount of fuel to be injected into the engine, to to keep the combustion process going. When the car's in neutral, either because your foot's on the clutch or you've taken it out of gear, there has to be enough fuel going into the engine for it to 'idle' at 700-800rpm, whilst also driving the power steering, alternator, aircon pump etc. If the car is rolling and in gear, all that is taken care of by the momentum of the car, which is why it does slow down eventually.

I never coast a car - I see no purpose and in some circumstances is considered unsafe. Hence it is considered to be a bad practice. if the car slows too much on a downhill road - tickle the accelerator a touch to maintain the speed. This will probably use no more fuel than coasting and retains control of the car.

[Dazzler]

@AlanHo My centre screen turns off pretty quickly after the battery warning so I don't find it too annoying. I recently took some friends of my brother on a 350 kilometre tour of the north west coast. They loved the car despite him once owning a limo business.  He said it is obvious you love it too!

@beerman Either I haven't been down any hills as steep as yours when she's cold or she doesn't hold gears as aggressively. I use the automated cruise as often as I can and this holds speed with gears and brakes I believe.

[beerman]

I'm not worried about the diesel, just the wear and tare on an engine that is still cold and goes to high revs the moment I hit D. The hill is quite steep and all my previous autos would coast down it. There are a number of round abouts to slow vehicles going down the hill so I need to use the brakes either way.