[Doggie 1]

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.

[Dazzler]

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.

 

Glad to hear all those positives.. thanks for sharing..

The leather wheel seems to be the only backwards step from last years model - Mine and other 2008 cars have a smoother nicer looking leather wheel (But I have no ESP or Cruise) so I'll swap if you like!

[Doggie 1]

No, that's ok. Thanks for the offer though....!!

[Lakes]

Thats great!
just noted your point about leather steering wheel, i have an SX so mine is vinal but i like the feel nice and soft. just wondering what the benifit of good quality leather steering wheel is? i have driven some expencive cars that had leather wheel but have not realy thought about it, just wondering?
cheers

[Dazzler]

Thats great!
just noted your point about leather steering wheel, i have an SX so mine is vinal but i like the feel nice and soft. just wondering what the benifit of good quality leather steering wheel is? i have driven some expencive cars that had leather wheel but have not realy thought about it, just wondering?
cheers

 

I.M.O. THe benefits are a combination of the nice soft feel, the sporty look of the stitching and when they are new... the smell of the leather..

[Doggie 1]

Just the feel of the leather I guess. My other cars have leather steering wheels & my daughter's Accent does too and it is much better quality leather than this one and just feels nice to use. It's only a minor thing and no big deal, but it is a bit of a backward step. I always thought that it was a good feature in her car (for a cheaper-range car) and made it a bit more enjoyable to use, that's all.