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Reliability of Hyundai i30 N

teezteespring

New Member
Feb 21, 2019
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USA
What is the most reliable used or new Australian grand prix 2019 or European sporty, fast car $35 to 40,000 new? What is your opinion of the track speed and reliability of the Hyundai i30 N that's not yet offered for sale in the US? Is it comparable to the 2017 GTI?
 
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Don't know how to answer this knowing I have a bias towards the i30N! Granted reliability is going to show for itself in years to come. When I did my search around for hot hatches late last year I wasn't interested in the Focus ST after driving one. The GTI without a front LSD really seemed lack luster but I still believe they are brilliant cars. My mate has one with the special order LSD front and it HAULS but it throws you well outside that price bracket with his modifications... I couldn't afford a Type R Civic, Focus RS or Golf R (would love to own an R and risk the DSG auto wet clutch in the 7.5 version) so I ended up going for the i30N. If money wasn't an option I'd consider an A45 but I am yet to drive one for myself, only play with them on the road!

I would add that the GTI's new or used from 2017+ onwards are priced over that range you dictated where I live (Brisbane, Aus). Bang for buck in my opinion you can't go wrong with the i30N / Fastback / Veloster N - You would hope the track warranty gives faith in reliability.

That being said the new Focus ST and GTI look promising now they have upped the power and almost mimicked the features of the N series cars.
 
The N is NOT fast, in a straight line when compared to cars that are NOT it's direct competitors. Put it up against an R, a Type R, an AMG45 (or is it A35 now), an S3, and RS3, or literally anything that we know is faster than it, and it is going to get beat, and in some case quite badly.

The R and Type R are at least $10k more (here), the S3 is $30k more, the AMG is $40k more, the RS3 is $60K more.....

Give me $10k in performance mods and I am sure I could make my N close or faster than a Golf R and Type R in performance.

I would love to see a 10 lap race around a race course between an N and an R and a Type R. I think the Type R would still win, although the driver would be wearing a full face helmet to hide his face, who would honestly admit they like look of the Type R?. The R would slow after a few laps because of brake fade, and maybe crash when the driver falls asleep from boredom, and if the winner was the driver with the biggest grin, I suspect the N driver would win hands down.... (and most likely be the last car home).

Run the same race, N vs GTI DSG MY19 with 180KW (that costs 7k more recommended retail with luxury pack), and the N will win hands down before the smiling contest is even considered....

My brother in law owns an Audi S3, so looks down his nose at all things NOT german. Yesterday someone was admiring my car (his was parked right next to it). I said.... "but that Audi is faster", and he said.... "but your car is much more fun to drive than mine". I nearly fell over...

An N in Performance Blue looks SO much cooler than an S3 in boring white....

Outright speed and acceleration are rarely the most important factors in overall enjoyment of a car.
 
The N is NOT fast, in a straight line when compared to cars that are NOT it's direct competitors. Put it up against an R, a Type R, an AMG45 (or is it A35 now), an S3, and RS3, or literally anything that we know is faster than it, and it is going to get beat, and in some case quite badly.

The R and Type R are at least $10k more (here), the S3 is $30k more, the AMG is $40k more, the RS3 is $60K more.....

Give me $10k in performance mods and I am sure I could make my N close or faster than a Golf R and Type R in performance.

I would love to see a 10 lap race around a race course between an N and an R and a Type R. I think the Type R would still win, although the driver would be wearing a full face helmet to hide his face, who would honestly admit they like look of the Type R?. The R would slow after a few laps because of brake fade, and maybe crash when the driver falls asleep from boredom, and if the winner was the driver with the biggest grin, I suspect the N driver would win hands down.... (and most likely be the last car home).

Run the same race, N vs GTI DSG MY19 with 180KW (that costs 7k more recommended retail with luxury pack), and the N will win hands down before the smiling contest is even considered....

My brother in law owns an Audi S3, so looks down his nose at all things NOT german. Yesterday someone was admiring my car (his was parked right next to it). I said.... "but that Audi is faster", and he said.... "but your car is much more fun to drive than mine". I nearly fell over...

An N in Performance Blue looks SO much cooler than an S3 in boring white....

Outright speed and acceleration are rarely the most important factors in overall enjoyment of a car.

@Corsa59 Not to add extra nonsense to the post but I agree with every point you have stated! Also have a 2018 mark 7.5 Golf R in the driveway (admittedly the fathers) and for fun factor... Look no further than the N! Off the line performance will never be the N's domain but everything else it is a STRONG competitor for cars well above it's price point. Considering what is available on the road nowadays without mods it's hard to look past the N series
 
@Corsa59 Not to add extra nonsense to the post but I agree with every point you have stated! Also have a 2018 mark 7.5 Golf R in the driveway (admittedly the fathers) and for fun factor... Look no further than the N! Off the line performance will never be the N's domain but everything else it is a STRONG competitor for cars well above it's price point. Considering what is available on the road nowadays without mods it's hard to look past the N series

If you had to take your mother to the airport, either one will do....

But if you had to drive around Lakeside for an hour, I know which one I would pick....
 
As a pure Honda fanboy, who is also grandfather age, I would have loved the look of the Type R when I was 21, but at almost 60, it is just too over the top for me now.

I had a DC2 Type R Integra when they were new, now that was a good looking car!
 
As a pure Honda fanboy, who is also grandfather age, I would have loved the look of the Type R when I was 21, but at almost 60, it is just too over the top for me now.

I had a DC2 Type R Integra when they were new, now that was a good looking car!
Corsa59 I'm in the same age bracket as you and I traded my Audi S3 in for an i30n and have no regrets.
Yes the S3 had a nicer interior and was faster ( in a straight line ) but as a driving experience the i30n wins hands down.
 
Modern cars are so complex, nothing can be as reliable as they used to be. Furthermore, you can't get get your tool box, overalls and a dirty cloth like ours dads used to do.

Corsa59, tell your brother in law that German cars can also be rubbish. I know because my previous Scirocco had a DSG malfuntion when i lost all the even numbers gears.

In the end, VW did not want to know and i had to pay 350GBP to 'reset' the system...
It happened only a month after the warranty had finished.

Having said that, Japanese cars and in particular those still made in Japan, tends to be better.
 
I'll be brutally honest, if you're looking for reliability first and foremost then don't look at getting the N just yet. It simply has not been around long enough to get good peer reviewed information regarding its reliability.

Like many other car manufacturers Hyundai too has an abundant of engine issues on YouTube regarding their engine line and this being Hyundai's first performance car no one really knows what the go is yet. Hyundai has an excellent warranty though so that's always assuring.

I will say it's one of the most fun hot hatches you can currently buy, other competitors are faster in straight lines but a Golf won't put a smile on your face as much as the N does.
 
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My car was one of the first delivered in Queensland. 10 months, 12500 kms, and my car basically hasn't missed a beat. The niggly problems that most people have had, like the AEB turning off, rear discs locking after rain and handbrake application, and the occasional miss in first gear have all been solved (or disappeared) after ECU upgrades, and at this point my car gets 9.5 for reliability, and 10 for enjoyment.

I have a work car, I bought the N with the intention of it being a weekend car. In ten months, the work car has done 2000kms, the N, 12,500 kms. Resisting the urge to drive it EVERY day is impossible.
 
By the time we will know if it is reliable or not it won't be available anymore, giving the normal lifespan of a carmodel nowadays is around 5 years...
 
To be honest I wouldn't wait X years for someone to say: "Well, now we know for sure that the i30N is very reliable", so I can buy one. Life is too short, and warranty good enough.

Me either but if his major concern is regarding reliability only time will be able to answer that at this point.

No one on here can say for sure wether the N is going to be a reliable platform or not but knock on wood it is.

Hyundai promised us the car has been rigorously tested on the track for reliability but so far the early builds have needed a new fuel pump, ECU's and gear synchros :oops:
 
Me either but if his major concern is regarding reliability only time will be able to answer that at this point.

No one on here can say for sure wether the N is going to be a reliable platform or not but knock on wood it is.

Hyundai promised us the car has been rigorously tested on the track for reliability but so far the early builds have needed a new fuel pump, ECU's and gear synchros :oops:

Any car is susceptible to issues, all cars have issues, new model, old model or whatever. It’s got a warranty. Those with issues were repaired. Very few went ‘bang’ as far as I can tell.

Drama over nothing.