both, I'm not going to say which might give the most pleasure.
This tempted me to visit the local dealership of that great Australian car company Hyundai where after a satisfying test drive I signed up for what will undoubtedly be my last new car. I'm not sure whether Hyundai market this car as the i-30 (or by some other name) in your country but here in Australia it gave me the chance to complete my "i" set, I now have the i-pod that Apple produce, the i-plod which hides under the guise of my LG front loader washing machine and now my new car the i-30 by Hyundai.
Just so you will know a little about the i-30 it is a smallish 5 door hatchback with a "European" body style, its powered by a really nice little 1.6 liter diesel motor which is both very economical to run and also very smooth, quiet and quite sporty to drive, being inclined to be lazy I opted for the automatic drive so I don't have to do all that work that driving a manual car demands.
This isn't quite the top of the range model but it still has just about everything except hot and cold running maids, it looks just fine too with its smart metallic silver paintwork (I will probably add a side stripe to it so I can recognize it in a crowded carpark), something approaching the 60% mark of cars and light commercial vehicles sold here are painted white, these would be a serious road hazard in winter where there is a lot of snow.
I know you will all be panting to hear just how great this car turns out to be so I'll give you an update when I have done a few Km in it.
Also as there should be a bit of Australian content in this post let me touch very briefly on the Australian car manufacturing industry which now-a-days consists of General Motors Holden which is our arm of General Motors and Ford Australia, both these companies have specialised in "family" sized 6 or 8 cylinder cars for many years, they have alternated between 1st and 2nd place for sales for years too, we do have an expanding overseas market for engines and other parts manufactured here.
With the ever increasing cost of fuel throughout the world smaller cars have become much more popular, this has led to both these companies extending their range into the smaller car field and over the last couple of years into the diesel engined varieties which offer really outstanding fuel economy.
While GMH and Ford are now our only manufacturers we have sales and service dealers for just about every make of car there is, our range of American vehicles is very limited, Chrysler- Jeep being the main ones, I'm led to believe that the American market is also being dominated by small car imports too.
10 comments:
Oh, congratulations on the new car, Peter. I've heard of the I-30and wondered what it looked like. It's a very smart little car, isn't it?
I'll be in the market for a new car in the next couple of years and who know what will be on the market then. I still like the Getz though. Still, I'll see when the time comes.
Welcome to the club of new car owners. It took me around 14 years to finally trade the Honda Civic Del Sol for the new Honda Civic Si VTEC DOHC. It isn't nearly as practical as your i-30.
I had every intention of getting the Honda S2000. At the last moment at the dealership I opted for the four door sport sedan.
The engine uses premium gas and has a six-speed manual transmission. I have always had sports cars of one type or another, and this car is no exception. It, too, will probably be the last car I buy for me to enjoy.
So, Peter, enjoy your new i-30. You earned it and you deserve it.
Hi Peter ~~ Congrats on the new car.
How about a trip down in the near future. It seems like a long time since I saw you. That would run it in nicely, or don't you have to do that
these days? Enjoy the new vehicle.
Have you sold the old car yet>
Take care, Love, Merle.
Nice car Peter!!! I bet it's nice and thrifty on fuel too.
Definitely let us know how it is.. (you know me, car guy that I am!)
Have fun with it! (and that top picture is priceless)
Very nice! Our very first new car was a Hyundai. That was many years ago!
Hi Peter ,like the Silver colour of your new car looks nice . You might have to give it along run.HEHEHE to see how economical it really is.. Take care Jan
Nice new wheels and i bet you just can't wait to put miles under it's wheels.
As for the picture on top.
I guess I would take the car.
I could probably pick up alot of women like her driving that gas guzzler. lol
Nice car.
You made a good choice.
It's good to visit here again!
It is really a nice car that is specifically designed for small families. I read that it won the title of “Best Midsize Car,” and when it was released, it was the most affordable in Australia. Anyway, it’s been a while. Have you already added stripes to your car? I hope you’re still having a great time driving it! :D
Erwin Calverley
It has been four years and a half, how’s your i-30 and your collection of ‘I’s now? :) Giving your car a distinctive feature, such as stripes, is kind of a good idea. Has it materialized already? Hyundai has been producing great cars for the past few years, and I hope you found a good one. By the way, if you really pursued adding stripes to your car, can you please post a photo of the car? Just wanna see the new look. Thanks. :)
-- Michelina Douglass
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