Hyundai i20 Hatchback (2009 - 2014) 1.4 Comfort 5d (2009/09) Owner Review

What does this car say about you?

I am a middle aged man who wanted an efficient reliable new car for work purposes

What do your friends / family / neighbours think of the car?

My children love it - the down side being that they want to travel in it rather than our more roomy and practical Toyota people carrier. My wife is not so keen due to her problem with gear changing. People who have travelled with me have liked it and are impressed with what you get at this price

Would you buy this car again and why?

Ask me again when the 5 year guarantee runs out

What are you likely to buy next?

Dont know

Type of dealer you bought from?

Independent

Did you buy this car new?

Yes

What price did you pay?

£10,800

When did you buy the car?

January 2009

Did you get a good deal and why?

Yes I feel I did. Although I paid list price, Hyundai paid an unexpected £2000 towards the scrappage scheme in addition to Gov't £1000 so my lovely Ford Focus earned me £3000, when it was only worth £500-£750

Is there any special reason why you bought this car?

Needed a more efficient model to my lovely but aging Focus. Used the scrappage scheme to good effect

What was the dealer like?

Fine - it was all quite straightforward and no problems

What's it like to drive?

I like it. The one concern I had reading the reviews prior to purchase was the oft mentioned firm ride. However, I use it mainly on the motorway and, yes it is quite firm, but no better or worse than out Toyota people carrier which never seems to get criticised for that. Gears are very neat, although reverse next to first does take a little getting used to. It is very nippy at lower speeds, and accelerates and cruises well. I never hammer a car so the more heavy footed amongst you may need to give it more oomph going up inclines, rather than change down as I do. My wife also drives it but only occasionally. To be fair, I must say that she is not as keen on the driving experience as me. She says that she finds problems when changing gear with her shin coming in contact with the

What's it like to park?

Easy - small car and no vision problems through rear windscreen

Have you had any problems with the car?

Radio went after a few weeks, but it was only a fuse and put right within 5 minutes. The dealer did mention that this was not the first car it had happened to. Had a cracked windscreen but that was down to large stone One little quirk; the front number plate fell off! It turns out that they are stuck on not screwed on. According to the dealer, Hyundai have always done this, but a quick straw poll reveals that they seem to be the only main dealer who fasten it this way. I will keep an eye on this to see if it happens again.

What's most practical about your car?

Good consumption. I never expected the unrealistic official figures, but it is doing over 50mpg and that is based on largely motorway driving. Overall, it is what I wanted; an efficient, pretty comfortable ride, with a 5 year guarantee and I think itlooks good as well

Favourite gadget, option or accessory?

I like the electric folding wing mirrors - hopefully goodbye to damage from arseholes who cant judge gaps. My daughter loves the Ipod Accessory