Finally drove it today, I was going to add this to my existing thread, but I then started accidentally writing a comprehensive review so decided it warrants its own thread.
Impressions:-
DRIVING:-
The engine pulls a lot better than my Panda, but my engine is now discontinued, so its not a fair comparison. The current Panda is now 74bhp now, mine is 54.
Steering feels a bit lighter but also has less feel but as a city car its fine.
Brakes feel just like the Panda, nice and responsive and not overly sharp like some modern cars but powerful when you need them.
The clutch feels a bit too light and my dad kept stalling at first, my conclusion from driving it though is that my dads wasn't quite putting on enough gas, he has got that hang of that now.
My father took it on the motorway and even in 5th was able to over take a lorry at 70mph on a slight hill, there is no way you could do that in the Panda! At 70mph there was hardly any wind noise but there was a lot of tyre noise but it is no worse than the Panda and better than the old Fiesta - although I removed some of the sound proofing from that as it had rusted!
The 85bhp engine is a real bonus for a cheap city car.
Rating:- 8/10 - For a city car, it is excellent but those used to more expensive cars will see the compromises.
BUILD:-
Similar to the Panda but the finish of the seats is rather poor, its hard to explain but there are lot of rough stitches and bits of seat covering which doesn't quite fit, so the finish is a long way behind the Panda.
The dashboard feels extremely solid and all the buttons are very very nicely weighted, the stalks feel far better quality than the Panda.
The gearknob has twisted already, so there might be a trip the dealer to get that properly stuck on, although it is not really a problem yet.
7/10 - Only the gearknob issue stopped it from scoring 8/10.
SPACE AND COMFORT:-
Possibly not quite as roomy as the Panda, the front seats could do with going back another inch but otherwise its fine, I was able to get a decent driving position. The boot is very big for a city car and better the Panda, it puts the Aygo etc to shame. The boot really is supermini class.
6/10 - The front seats really need to go back more but otherwise its fine for a city car.
REFINEMENT:-
This is excellent, the Kappa engine is very smooth and very willing, it is very very smooth through the gears and its impossible to tell when the driver changes as a passenger. It copes well with bumps although perhaps not quite as well as the Panda, but there is much less body roll. The tyres are lower profile on the i10 which could explain the poorer ride.
7/10 - Not a Mondeo or Focus but its more than happy on the motorway and rides comfortably.
EQUIPMENT:-
Two 12v outputs, two cup holes, electric windows, central locking, MP3 CD Player, ABS, Four airbags, rev counter, usb port, 3.5mm aux socket, and air-conditioning. For a base spec city car this is staggering had no idea it had aircon until after we ordered it, so that was a very nice surprise.
9/10 - Only standard ESP could make it better!
VALUE:-
For £6500 brand new I am really not sure if anything can quite come close, only perhaps a run out current model Panda for around £6000. The Five year warranty and 5 year RAC cover just makes the value even more impressive.
8/10 - For the money no other city car comes close, only the Skoda Citygo and VW UP! might challenge it. Better value than the newer Picanto.
CONCLUSION - 8/10
While you can see where they have cut corners, for the money this seems to be a great little car and if you're in the market for a 3 year old Corsa etc, I would seriously consider a brand new i10 instead.
It is not a car for serious drivers, but for a person wanting to get to A to B it can do this while also being fun to drive.
I suspect the current facelift i10 is probably far better than the early ones to drive, as the clutch issue has been fixed and the engines are now much more powerful than the earlier 1.1 units.
I would say on balance the Panda is slightly better built but there isn't much in it. My Panda has nearly 7800 on the clock with no build issues.
Last edited by: RattleandSmoke on Wed 1 Feb 12 at 21:58
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Good review although...
>> Steering feels a bit lighter but also has less feel but as a city car its fine.
Is this a comparison with the Panda with or without the FIAT Panda's City mode engaged? Steering is really light on the Panda if this is engaged.
>> ... motorway and even in 5th was able to over take a lorry at 70mph on a slight hill
Well lorries are doing 56mph so with a car you should be able to overtake.
>> The gearknob has twisted already, so there might be a trip the dealer
They tend to screw on so 'screw' it back inline?
Sounds a good car to be honest. Result. Better than an old Focus for a third of the money.
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I am not sure where the screw would be, it doesn't seem visible.
I was comparing it with the city mode off, I would say the i10's steering is some where between the two. I don't use the city mode though as the steering is light enough, wrongly I just assume city mode will wear out the steering motor quicker.
Without a doubt it was the right decision, a slightly bigger car would have been more suitable but my parents went way over budget already and I think my father in particular sees a lot of value in new cars. He is the one which convinced me getting a new Panda would be an good ideal when I first suggested it.
Although my dad is one of those that things people only sell cars because they are nothing but trouble, as he has never once sold a car, he has only ever sold his cars for scrap.
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>> the steering is light enough
I had a Panda as a hire car from Pisa Airport in May. I didn't even think to check such a thing. Sorted out seating/mirrors/etc and then found steering ligjt. It shoudn't have been at motorway speeds but was...
For you to say this is as good as a Panda says a lot about the Hyundai.
I think the VW Up! (And SEAT/Skoda versions) will shake things up a bit though.
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A very comprehensive summary Rattle - thank you.
Last edited by: Meldrew on Thu 2 Feb 12 at 07:53
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I think the gear knobs are bonded on these days - the upper end of the stick was threaded in days of yore (possibly your dad's Fiesta had one) - dealer I think Rats.
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Thanks, this is on my radar at the moment for a possible purchase.
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Rattle, why not post your thoughts on to the Hyundai forum - might add something to those considering one. (Hyundai-forums dot com). You might also pick up some useful info about any niggles or foibles that you might encounter (There have been a few in the past - many of which have been sorted). Ive had a manual one (pre-facelift) and currently have an auto. (facelift). Very mixed experience but certainly not all bad. There are some topics which are very well known about - both by users and dealers/Hyundai Head Office. Won't list them here but there are so many about, most users will be happy with them, I'm sure. Good luck with yours. You've touched upon many of the good and not quite so good aspects of ownership - you'll probably find others to dwell on in due course.
Yes, the Skoda Citigo might provide an interesting alternative. The dealer who supplied my Yeti may well have an order from me for one reason or another.... I'll be looking very closely at the 5 door when it arrives.
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The Sheikh has hidden depths, revealed by his fairly respectable i10 review (I must say I would have liked to see his face though, as his dad was howling past trucks uphill at 90-odd on a crowded, rainy M6).
I have a terrible feeling that after being teased, scolded and patronised by us for his ostensibly wimpish attitudes to driving, he is going to land a nice-little-earner gig reviewing Euroboxes with Top Gear say, or perhaps pedaltothemetal.com or eyesonstalks.org since he is a modern type of geek, rendering us speechless with envious rage.
Stranger things have happened in the world of journalism.
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I can see him on Top Gear doing a review on cars even Capt Slow wont touch.
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Whereas you, Stu, have to carry a cricket bat to clear the crowd of admirers and wannabes from around your car before you can drive the shopping home.
}:---)
Last edited by: WillDeBeest on Thu 2 Feb 12 at 16:42
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>>Whereas you, Stu, have to carry a cricket bat to clear the crowd of admirers and wannabes from around your car before you can drive the shopping home.<<
Maureen and Flo from the bowls club are insatiable.
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>> I can see him on Top Gear doing a review on cars even Capt Slow wont touch.
No Stu. He'll be smoking the tyres of his long-loan all-expenses-paid Ratto-look Audi RS8, and you and I will be contemplating suicide for our total failure in life. Mark my words.
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Been there, done that ( suicide ), dont much fancy it again but thats for the reminder :-/
Jelousy is for loosers. Cant fail at life, can only fail to do things and im not going to loose sleep over fast cars nor people who have success. If he gets on Top Gear, he might get a woman, which can only be a good thing.
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>> Jelousy is for loosers.
What is a 'loser' exactly? I've always thought it must be some horrible American expression coined by macho idiots whose overweening pride hasn't yet been put in its place by a fall.
I don't think we should use it in this country Stu. You can if you like, but don't be too surprised if it makes a lot of people want to kick you or trip you up.
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>>What is a 'loser' exactly?<<
Someone who looses out by their actions. I consider people who let jelousy affect them to be loosing out by such a corrosive obsession with what others are doing. What exactly is wrong with just being happy for others success??
You chew over word usage all you like, but tweet Stephen Fry about it, im not interested in anti-American xenophobia mainfesting through digs at phrases which a perceived to be 'theirs', who on earth cares where a phrase comes from. Crikey.
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>> who on earth cares where a phrase comes from. Crikey.
Quite right, it doesn't matter much where it comes from. What matters is that it makes anyone using it sound a bit nasty (wrongly in your case I am sure). That's because it implies that someone down on their luck, or not very successful, or pipped at the post so to speak, is necessarily to blame for their situation and to be criticized or dismissed for it.
Not the way an adult should think, seems to me. It's a bit beyond the bounds of even right-wing respectability. But please yourself Stu.
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I told you what I mean by it. You make up whatever meaning suits you.
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>> I told you what I mean by it. You make up whatever meaning suits you.
Words have meanings. Even foreign cant words like 'loser' have meanings. So if you use them, you are lumbered with what they mean.
If you insist, like someone in Alice in Wonderland, that they mean something else, you are asking for trouble. But as I said, please yourself. Just don't be surprised if other people think you're being unpleasant.
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The dictionary definition isnt the one you described, so as I said, you make it mean whatever suits you. Americans may use it in a certain way, but im not American.
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Americans may use it in a certain way, but im not
>> American.
But he medium you are using is American, as is the potential audience (half the world speaks american - not english)
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Words cannot express how much I couldnt give a flying fig tree what bearing America has on it.
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Nor me. Back on topic maybe ?
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Indeed. Apologies Rattle.
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I suffer from IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome). I think that makes me a looser.
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A great review, Rattle.
Sadly we don't have the funds even for a new i10 or a Panda, but we are considering downsizing the Alhambra, as for 99% of the time we are toting around empty seats & air.
The car is so economical though, for a big lump.
Against that is RFL of £190 pa, tyres at £100 a corner and economical or not, diesel is 9p a litre more than petrol.
I have been researching older Pandas, KIA Picantos and similar cheap trolleys- as £30 to £115 a year RFL + a saving, given like for like fuel economy, of £90 a year, is tempting.
Whether I could adjust to a little car is another matter, but SWMBO would be happy with anything which is cheap to run and easy to park.
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Got another nice surprise today, for my dad the insurance is £280 a year fully comp and for business use. That is also for a Manchester postcode!. The Fiesta was about £400 a year.
The i10 is a high insurance group 12, but it seems if you're older it is not relevant, however younger people may find the group 12 of the I10 compared to the group 1 of the lower spec Pandas is a problem.
Roger if you want really cheap motoring then do check out prices of brake pads, tyres and exhausts as if you're buying on the longer term used market these will all need replacing, and it may be that the European city cars have cheaper parts.
Not had experience of buying parts for either cars yet.
Also you may find some of the older city cars don't qualify for the cheap tax, I know the Panda didn't until the Eco models were launched in early 2009ish.
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Rattle - what sort of mpg do you get in your Panda?
We are considering one as a possibility.
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It is in the late 30's at the moment, but that is city driving and cold weather, mostly at night too.
Have got late 40's/early 50's on longer journeys.
If you're bothered about MPG I would try and seek a 1.2, in the real world you get better MPG as the 1.1 in mine is perhaps a little bit too underpowered.
The current 1.2 Euro 5 engine offers quite a bit better MPG than old 1.1 Euro 4 I have.
As a follow on from this review, was in the i10 a lot last week as my Panda was having its bumper replaced and the build quality on the Panda is quite a bit better.
If I had a choice between an i10 and a Panda and the were both out of warranty I would take the Panda. However brand new I can't decide which is the best car, the Panda is probably the better car, but like for like it is quite a bit more expensive.
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Thanks very much for that, Rattle.
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Rattle, I drove one and agree with you entirely. 84hp is more than enough for most people coupled with that 5 year warranty and te asking price....a no brainer. Except I couldn't convince the Mother in law. She took a used Yaris, at more oney, in preference. She does a wholesome 3000 miles a year at the most but just couldn't be seen in the Hyundai. I'd have one tomorro if was in the market for a small car. And back to that 84 h.p. Seems like only a few years ago that a 70 hp 1.4 Ford Orion seemed quite nippy...
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Decent review Rattle; the sharp clutch issue is well known amongst owners of pre-facelift models but one gets used to it.
Seats are also a known weakness, not so much for the finish as for being overly firm and numbing ones butt on a long run; I understand that this is a trait of other Hyundais too, and IIRC Protons were notorious for poor seats too. Must be an Asian thing.
You may find, as we did, that the tyre noise becomes less of an issue once the front ones wear and are replaced.
Out of interest, does your Dad's car have an intermittent wipe facility? Ours doesn't, and this was one of the few things which we thought let the original car down.
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>> Seems like only a few
>> years ago that a 70 hp 1.4 Ford Orion seemed quite nippy...
Believe it or not, a mid 80's Orion 1.4 was actually lighter than a current i10
If modern engines were fitted to cars with 80's kerbweights, we would see some truly astonishing economy and performance figures.
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Blimey, I take your word for it about the weights, I wouldn't have believed it.
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Yep the Orion didn't have the weight of ABS, Aircon compressors, four airbags, impact bars, and all the other modern stuff.
Not sure about the wipers.
One other thing I have noticed is that the steering wheel feels a bit rough, the Panda feels so much nicer in the hand.
I still cannot get away from that engine though, I don't drive it much mainly for shunting duties but its so damn lively compared to the Panda, the gearbox is also very slick.
For the money it is a great car, but the seats do let things down.
I am not sure how long my farther plans to own it now as things have changed a bit, but he plans to keep it for a minimum of three years and then may get something bigger.
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...the Panda feels so much nicer in the hand.
Don't let the gate staff at Edinburgh Zoo hear you talking like that.
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Well, in spite of advice to the contrary from forum members we have done a deal PXing our Alhambra for a 2006, 55 plate, 60,000 mile, Fiat Panda 1.2 Dynamic!
Our Alhambra needed four tyres, the brake bleed nipples were seized solid (possibility of one or more new callipers if the nipple/s broke off when forced hard), the brake pipes were rather corroded and there is a previously repaired and now untreatable, windscreen chip which would have meant a £75 XS if changed under insurance.
All in all, I could see more possible and some certain, expenses coming up than it cost us to change, so deal done.
I shall blame Rattle if we have done the wrong thing !
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Good fun wee car Roger. I'm always pleased when I get one as a renter on my Italy trips. It'll make you young again. There's only one way to drive a small Italian car, they just beg to be hurled about revving their heads off !
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Excellent choice Roger, if I was in the market for a small car the Panda would be top of the list. A real hoot to drive & is as happy on the motorway is it is in town !
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i had an original panda 998 in 1992 and one great fun. the new ones have an honest look about them as a no nonsense little family car
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>> i had an original panda 998 in 1992
In 1995 I had a 10-year-old 999 FIRE example. Cracking little car.
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i travelled many tens of thousands of miles in my little black panda. however when on the motorway it would die evry half hour or so and would restart after cooling down. i changed it to electronic ignition and that cured it.
get amourous in those ghammock rear seats was an art in itself
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It was the quick-release backrest on the FRONT seats that was the real winner Nick ;)
Last edited by: Dave_TDCi on Sat 18 Feb 12 at 23:20
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my c3 picasso has those instant release lay back seats. best feature of the car i think. ;-]
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Some massive discounts around on Hyundai models at the moment. DTD are offering a pre-registered 2011 i30 for £10,475 - that 's a whopping 40.5% discount off list.
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Eeeek!
The Panda we propose buying has only one key - not the remote either.
Having researched the costs it seems that a new "ordinary" key is around £140 and a remote is over £200.They have built in microchips which need to be reprogrammed in to car's ECU, apparently.
The dealer won't supply a second key, so I think it is "walk away" time, which is a nuisance as it's an 80 mile round trip to recover our deposit.
Last edited by: VxFan on Sat 25 Feb 12 at 00:12
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Good move Roger - can't they charge the deposit back to your card (assuming you paid by card of course)
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Had the same problem when we bought my wife's Qashqai. I went to collect it and there was only one key. I refused to pay the balance until they provided a second key FOC. Miraculously they managed to get one made within an hour.
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Out of the one key wonder and found an other Panda, in blue this time. FSH and although a bit older (04) only 32000 miles - supported by service book & VOSA records.
A bit more to change (£200) as the dealer didn't reckon our big beast so much!
Ah well!
As an aside we set off to Wakefield this AM to see the blue Panda and nearly had heart failure as our car lost 50% of its power. Thoughts of knackered turbo, or at the least, a new MAF sensor. I stopped and looked under the bonnet only to find a careless mechanic had failed to secure the air supply pipe to the air filter box , by not refitting the spring clip after a filter change last Friday. The engine was taking air directly & not passing it over the MAF sensor. Pushed it back on, but a mechanic in our local Indie is in for a few terse comments tomorrow!
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How about blagging yourself one of these Dodger ~
www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsArticle.aspx?AR=261367
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Beyond our pockets, by about 10 country miles!!
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Nice one though (for a Pug)
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What mpg are you getting, RattleandSmoke? Mine (1.2 Active), 1272 miles from new, gave 45 for the latest tankful, which doesn't seem much. Admittedly, I use the lower gears a lot, finding top a bit flabby, and this may account for a poor figure.
In my own review, published here a few weeks ago, I said the "change-up " gear indicator was useless, as following it invariably leads to an overloaded engine. What do you think?
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At 1272 miles the engine is not run in and will be tight, I guess.
Try again with fuel figures after another 2 or 3 thousand miles!
Last edited by: Roger on Sun 19 Feb 12 at 16:47
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Fiat Pandas are like scooters to me. In that I don't have a use for one but sort of wish I did because I just like them!
Both of my wives have at one time had Mk1 Pandas and I used love driving them. Honest and willing wee things. ( the cars )
:-)
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>> DTD are offering a pre-registered
>> 2011 i30 for £10,475 - that 's a whopping 40.5% discount off list.
DTD seem to be very anti-pre-reg; if you click on their 'Pre-Reg Cars' link you get a page titled 'Avoid Pre-Registered Cars':
www.drivethedeal.com/PreReg.asp
Was it definitely a pre-reg CGN? Even better value if not.
(I came here after reading a very favourable review of the new i30 on HJ:
www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/hyundai/hyundai-i30-2012/? )
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DTDs advice is
"Do not buy a pre-registered car unless it is registered to the dealer you are buying it from."
The car in question is registered to the dealer so no problem. A good buy
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Fair enough - where did you find it? I had a look but could only see new (unregistered) ones.
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Click special offers on the home page:
HYUNDAI I30 ESTATE 1.6 Comfort 5dr Auto Manufacturer's Recommended Retail Price:
£17,475 Our discounted price just:
£10,475
This car is pre-registered (2011 model year and 11 plate) with delivery mileage only. Available in various metallic colours with Black cloth interior. We include 6 months Road Tax as standard. Ref: JBH
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I'd gone there and done an unsuccessful page search for hyundai (in FF). But I'd still got 'Match case' ticked from a previous search - doh! Thanks.
Last edited by: Focus on Sun 19 Feb 12 at 22:32
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Just driven The Hyundai i10 Comprehensive Review - Westpig
