Octavia Estate to Hyundai i30 Tourer?

[vRSbeast]

One of our staff at work does 45k per year, but has had an unusual run of bad luck with his last 2 Skoda Octavias. Both of them have been the 1.6 TDI with DSG - one in Elegance spec, and the second in SEL spec. The first one suffered major engine trouble just outside of warranty and had to be moved on, and the second one has had a DSG gearbox replaced 1 month before the WarrantyWise extended warranty ran out! I will add we have run many other Skodas with no issues at all.

 

With the mileage he does, this has made me think about the alternative of a Hyundai i30 Tourer. The main attraction being the unrivalled Hyundai 5 year unlimited mileage warranty! (if we kept if for 5 years it would have done the best part of 250k miles - all in warranty!) In particular the Premium spec model, with the 1.6 CRDI  136PS engine with DCT 7 speed gearbox.  The spec on the Premium model is amazing and includes wireless phone charger, lane departure warning, blind spot warning, heated electric seats, keyless entry, reversing camera etc.

 

If we were to get another Skoda, with his mileage it would be out of warranty in 2 years. (even if we bought the extended Skoda 5yr warranty, as it is limited to 100k miles)

 

I know it probably won't be quite as 'nice' as the Octavia, but for this particular scenario, it is a no-brainer isn't it?!

 

Any thoughts greatly appreciated? Anyone own the current model i30 (hatch or estate 2017 on) or tried one?

Edited 15 November, 2018 by vRSbeast

[Gerrycan]

Standard 5yr/unlimited for Skoda in Australia and 5 years is becoming pretty much the standard for other manufacturers. VW and Toyota holding out at 3yr/ limited mileage. Kia is 7 year and unlimited. 

 

That does not help you much but you should read the warranty  fine print carefully though as any usage that is classified as commercial use is subjected to a limited mileage here. Probably similar restriction in the UK.

 

I'll just say that in my experience Hyundai products were not necessarily that reliable or that good, but I lost faith with them about 5 years ago. The products are reported to be improving at a fast rate as they acquire seasoned engineers/designers from more established brands and they get good reviews.

 

I hired a Kia diesel 1.6d manual last year in the UK and did a couple of thousand miles and it was very economical and comfortable but I would not have bought one because rear and rear quarter visibility was useless.

The current i30 copies the Peugeot 308 styling imo and gets reasonable windows. All you can do is test drive one and make your own assessment.

 

But check that warranty and have a look on Hyundai forums for owners own comments

 

 

 

Edited 16 November, 2018 by Gerrycan

[alfalincs]

As a piece of transport that is well made, well finished, well equipped and reliable its hard to beat Kia/Hyundai. You will lose a little in feel and dynamics, but the thing is they are really quite likeable and to me far nicer than any Nissan I have ever encountered. I ran a Mk1 Kia Sorento vowing to hate it having given up my beloved V6 Alfa, and blow me down I ended up really liking the Kia and kept it for 11 years and 150,000 miles.

 

As a business proposition I can't fault your thinking as VW  group can be a bit flaky round the edges on quality, even though I like the cars. One area where my Kia was substandard to VW group is corrosion protection. I had to have new cills welded onto the Kia three years ago. Our older Fabias (02 and 03 as opposed to the Kia 04) are still fine, if looking a little ratty after 15 and 16 years.  Thats not a problem you should bump into though.

[bigman1976]

We have had a number of Hyundai’s over the past few years with few problems, although they’ve done nothing like the miles you’re suggesting. 

 

My my one suggestion would be to check what is covered by the warrantee. I may be wrong, but my understanding is that what is covered at 3 years isn’t the same as at 5 years. Some items drop off the list of what is covered. 

[WallMeerkat]

We had a Hyundai Getz, was fun to chuck about but the clutch went at 50k.

 

But the Octavia has needed a water pump at 47k, so isn't exactly a shining example, and the long term reliability of the DSG is suspect - I'm dreading it inevitably breaking / clutch going.

 

The new i30 fastback looks alright, from the rear it looks like a Mercedes coupe.

[vRSbeast]

Thank you for the helpful responses - the decision has been made, and the car is ordered!

[Gerrycan]

Which one?

 

[camelspyyder]

Seats in the current i30 are impossible for me. After driving 200 miles in one I had a bad back and neck for days. Otherwise I found it was a reasonable car, apart from the utterly anonymous styling, nasty looking satnav screen, and poor mpg, I'd expect a modern 1.6 diesel hatch to do a lot more than 52mpg on a gentle motorway run.

 

 

Edited 26 November, 2018 by camelspyyder

[Guest]

I'd have to 2nd a few comments above. Hyundai seats never worked for me but obviously that's a personal thing.

 

Re: warranty:  I beIieve warranty in Europe limited to 100,000 miles only for a handful of applications - business use should be unlimited. Something else peculiar to Hyundai is like VW, they can operate on long-life servicing. I say peculiar because it's sister brand Kia, who use the exact same engines must be serviced each year. Again I believe the only restriction with Hyundai is it requires an annual visual inspection (for paint warranty). Surprisingly where a warranty only covers wear and tear items for 6mth or a year, there are certain wear and tear items on Hyundai which are covered longer. Basically it's in a different class altogether from VW Groups warranty.

 

When looking for an small SUV, on paper at least Hyundai Tucson came near top. After having driven it and pushed and proded the interior trim... it felt cheap. The engines were pretty lacking too.  Kia Sportage on the otherhand felt the better car, simply because of the materials used. Same engine issue tho. For a business car it makes perfect sense.

 

If you don't need the space, an Iconiq could be a much better proposition for business use. MPG won't be that far off diesel either.