[wbm00]

I'm considering either an i30 or a Toyota Auris. Had a test drive in an Auris today (1.6 petrol 7-speed auto) and was amazed at how smooth it was. I could not feel the gears change and neither could I feel a loss in power even when using the paddle shifts. I felt strangely comfortable behind the wheel of the Auris whereas there was a slight feeling of apprehension with the i30.

The only reason I took the CVT semi-automatic for a drive was because the manual wasn't available.

Auris Advantages over the i30

Felt more comfortable to drive.
Excellent insulation from road noise.
Icon spec has a high quality reversing camera. i30 (Active and above) only has sensors.
Climate control as standard.
6 speakers for audio (only 4 in the i30 equivalent spec)

i30 Advantages over the Auris

i30 has a space saver as standard. No spare wheel on the Auris, just a can of useless sealant.
Hyundai engine is almost silent at idle.
Cost saving over the Auris (approximately £1500)

What I don't like about Hyundai is multiple reports of poor customer service from dealers and worryingly from their central customer service department. It seems every warranty claim is a battle. Toyota on the other hand seem eager to keep customers happy.

Any thoughts would be welcome.

[Shambles]

My 2014 GD Style Nav has a high quality reversing camera plus a very tidy climate control system with dual climates. I also find it quiet and very comfortable. So I've no idea why your test driven i30 let you down in those areas.

The Auris I test drove felt like a 3d printed toy car and I didn't like it one bit.

I'll concede the points about customer care though.

[Wingerdave]

I can only laud my dealership, but that won't help you, coming from Birmingham. Maybe that's a culture problem.

As for the cars themselves, I wouldn't touch a Toyoto with a barge pole (maybe an RPG). I agree with Shambles, not very inspiring and a design studio the makes Polski FIAT look like Pininfarina. Toyotas are just butt-ugly.

Also, automatics, and certainly ccvt's, are not as economical as manual boxes (here in Holland you pay more eco tax for automatics).

The i30 is a far beter choice with beter thought out option packages (the "hidden" camera is a case in point).

A few years ago you wouldn't have gotten me in a Hyundai with a crowbar, but recently they hav certainly upped the anti and put some really nice kit on the road. True, they have Some catching up to do with the competition, but i don't see Toyota as competitive.

So........ BUY AN i30 

[Lorian]

I find the dealer chargeable services like servicing expensive, but I don't think that's just Hyundai (For example the labour cost at my local Peugeot garage is £108 an hour!)

Whilst there are some stories of poor customer service, you must remember that many members only come here when they have issues. Personally I've never needed to contact customer services in 5 years of ownership. The local dealer has done much free of charge warranty service items even in the last year of the warranty.

Contrary to WingerDave's view I think the new Auris looks quite nice, but perhaps a bit too feminine for me.

How happy are people on the Auris forum, do you have a feel?

[Dazzler]

  to our friendly and helpful forum! Another advantage in favour of the i30!

I have rented a couple of 1.8 Ltr 7 Speed Auto (CVT) Corollas (as the Auris is known as over her in Australia) Just happened to be what was available at the time. I don't think fuel economy will be an issue with the Toyota, even the 1.8 was extremely economical with the CVT and as you say, very smooth and quite zippy (reminds me of a Skoda Octavia TSi to drive)

On the negative side I found the Corolla seats to be a bit thin and hard on longer drives and I think the i30 has nicer styling in the hatch (the Sedan is more attractive than the hatch IMHO, but not sure if you get that version)

It appears you get a 5 year warranty on Toyotas in the UK (we only get 3 years over here) so that is a plus.

the i30 is generally very reliable and has more character than the Auris/Corolla (again IMHO) which explains why our members become so attached to them!

[Wingerdave]

I just checked the Auris out again, and i had a good hard look at the interior and exterior, and i stand by my comments. It looks like a 5 minute design job. Not feminine, a pink Suzuki Splash is feminine.

This is in a league of it's own, and not a Premier League.

I remember seeing the i30 for the first time in the showroom and thinking "    Where did that come from" i fell in love with the Kim Kardashian rear end, the spec level and the driving position.

But, and i'll be the first to admit it, that's my take on things 

[Dazzler]

Thanks Dave, I forgot about the interior styling! The Corolla over here has a very stark and dated interior compared to the current i30!

[wbm00]

Thanks for the replies, much appreciated.

I found that road noise reverberated in the i30, though I have just realised that the Toyota dealer took me on a route that was mostly recently laid tarmac whereas the Hyundai was on rural roads which were in poorer condition. I'll set aside the road noise concerns for now.

In truth, I would like to stick with a manual as I like the control that it brings. I liked the six-speed gearbox on the i30. Around Birmingham, however, it can get tiring constantly engaging neutral/first gear in traffic. Perhaps I'm just getting lazier.

From Auto Trader it's clear that the Auris holds its value better than the Hyundai. Interesting to hear Dazzler say Toyota only offers a 3 year warranty down under. What I found odd about the Auris interior design was the random digital clock that looks like it's been glued onto the central console by a forgetful designer.

Lorian, did you have to point out the warranty items, or were they detected and reported to you by the dealer? Good suggestion to have a look at the Auris forum.

[Lorian]

Sorry  I double checked, its the Yaris that looks feminine 

[Lorian]

Lorian, did you have to point out the warranty items, or were they detected and reported to you by the dealer? Good suggestion to have a look at the Auris forum.

Both. I reported a noise, they replaced the flywheel and clutch when the car was 4 years and 10 months old to get rid of the noise for me, no arguing.

I booked the 5 year service 1 week before the warranty expired, and they said the condenser was leaking, no attempt to blame it on stone damage or anything, they booked it in the day before the warrant expired and replaced it.

I have no experience with Toyota, but compared to the issues I have with Peugeot its very good service.

I'm some way south of you so it would be a different dealer.

[Wingerdave]

And i just checked the mileage figures and their projecten figures for the 1.6 cvvt are worst than my real world figures up to now.

The i30 is starting to look like a very good choice 

[Lorian]

You know there is a new Auris due in a few months

NEW TOYOTA AURIS

[bumpkin]

Let me chuck you a spanner 

Kia Cee'd, same mechanicals as the i30 and in my experience so far a MUCH improved experience at the service desk.  Mine has a host of gizmos and toys if that is your bag and in my opinion the current Cee'd is a sportier looker than the i30.

Now don't take that the wrong way,I think the i30 is still a great car, just highlighting that there is another option, it is down to preference but if you feel more swayed by the i30 than the Auris, I would make sure by looking at the i30’s very close relative before committing to the purchase.

[Doggie 1]

Buy what you're happy with.
I love my i30 but if we all liked the same things it would be a boring world.
I drove Dazz's hire care (Corolla) recently and within a kilometre had a sore back, so I wouldn't buy one.
I agree that Hyundai needs to lift its game with customer service and balance the costs associated with keeping consumers happy with the cost of repairs, etc.
Good luck. 

[Surferdude]

I don't have any problem with Corolla seating. I did in my wife's  last one -about a 2005 model.  Also ddidn't have a problem with Dazz's hire car up here.
I have an i30 because it's great to drive and a little bit different.
But we've had 4 Corollas and they've been economical,  reliable and comfortable. Even th one which gave me a back ache was driveable all day without any lasting problems.

[Dazzler]

I don't have any problem with Corolla seating. I did in my wife's  last one -about a 2005 model.  Also ddidn't have a problem with Dazz's hire car up here.
I have an i30 because it's great to drive and a little bit different.
But we've had 4 Corollas and they've been economical,  reliable and comfortable. Even th one which gave me a back ache was driveable all day without any lasting problems.

We are truly a unique forum! Not many other forums would be so open and even about a competing brand!

Mention on a Holden or Ford forum that you are considering the alternative brand and you would be drawn and quartered AND called horrible names!  out:

That is the worst thing so far about buying a Holden and being a member of the Marcos Ambrose fan club (mainly Ford Fans) Way too many agro bogans!

[Surferdude]

^^^^
It comes from having supreme confidence in our main brand of choice. 

[Doggie 1]

 

[wbm00]

We are truly a unique forum! Not many other forums would be so open and even about a competing brand!

This is an excellent forum, I was a little hesitant to mention the Auris and only mention the i30. Your responses have been excellent.

On Friday I tried an i30 Active 1.4 Manual (18 months old). The ride quality was excellent compared with what I remember about the Classic spec.

The rear side windows of the i30 are very narrow and weren't great for shoulder checks on a busy roundabout and junction. The larger wing mirrors help a bit. I imagine this is something to get used to. I didn't find the rear parking sensors very useful, so may go back to looking at a Classic spec.

While in Hyundai I noticed the new i20 which has lodged itself in my mind...

[Lorian]

We could be tempted with the new i20 to replace they Peugeot 207, but I haven't tried one yet. Not sure it would be big enough to replace the i30.

[Dazzler]

While in Hyundai I noticed the new i20 which has lodged itself in my mind...

The i20 sold in Australia is assembled in India and the feedback I have had from friends is that it not as well built and quite downmarket compared to the i30 (but a test drive wouldn't hurt) 

[wbm00]

The i20 sold in Australia is assembled in India and the feedback I have had from friends is that it not as well built and quite downmarket compared to the i30 (but a test drive wouldn't hurt) 

You're right, it looks like it's made in Chennai. i30 meanwhile is made in Europe (Czech).

A question to anyone with alloy wheels - where are the weights for wheel balancing mounted on your alloys?

I thought they should be stuck to the inside of alloys, but Hyundai seem to simply clip them onto the outside of the alloy which looks rubbish

[Lorian]

I doubt any of us would allow them to be put on the outside, certainly not in the UK anyway. Mine came balanced from the factory (nosovice in Czech Republic, built 5 years ago) with stick on weights on the inside, and I don't think many fitters would do anything other than do the same for a new set of tires, gone are the days when you had to ask for it especially.

[Surferdude]

Toyota has, for many years used clip on weights on the outside of their factory fitted alloys.
But some wheels don't have a lip you can clip weights onto.
However, sticking them onto the wheel inside the lip DOES have an effect on the accuracy of the balance.

[cruiserfied]

While in Hyundai I noticed the new i20 which has lodged itself in my mind...

The i20 sold in Australia is assembled in India and the feedback I have had from friends is that it not as well built and quite downmarket compared to the i30 (but a test drive wouldn't hurt) 

I'd like to see the new I20 in Australia. Our current is getting a little old compared to the rest of the line up me thinks (not including IX35 which is getting the new model soon)

[CraigB]

A question to anyone with alloy wheels - where are the weights for wheel balancing mounted on your alloys?

I thought they should be stuck to the inside of alloys, but Hyundai seem to simply clip them onto the outside of the alloy which looks rubbish

My weights are placed on the hub as pictured below, if Hyundai put clip on weights on the outside lip of my factory alloys I'd be asking them to replace the wheels as once you renew the tyres the weights will be replaced in a different spot leaving visible damage/scratches where the old weights had been

[eye30]

I doubt any of us would allow them to be put on the outside, certainly not in the UK anyway. Mine came balanced from the factory (nosovice in Czech Republic, built 5 years ago) with stick on weights on the inside, and I don't think many fitters would do anything other than do the same for a new set of tires, gone are the days when you had to ask for it especially.

My factory provided wheels have weights clipped on the out side not inside stickons

[Dazzler]

I doubt any of us would allow them to be put on the outside, certainly not in the UK anyway. Mine came balanced from the factory (nosovice in Czech Republic, built 5 years ago) with stick on weights on the inside, and I don't think many fitters would do anything other than do the same for a new set of tires, gone are the days when you had to ask for it especially.

My factory provided wheels have weights clipped on the out side not inside stickons

Could you post a photo at some stage please Lester.

[eye30]

Ok will sort out later.

[Lorian]

  yuk!