Used Car Review: 2007-2012 Hyundai i30

If you are one of those people who who still believes Hyundai and Kia are making the worlds most bland and terrible cars then you are honestly pretty stupid, backwards thinking and stuck in 2004. The car that started a revolution for the South Korean brands in Australia and the rest of the world was the 1st generation, FD i30. A car I didn't really respect until my brother bought one as his first car a few months ago. It's, a 2010, mid-spec SLX model with the 2.0L petrol engine and 5sp manual gearbox. The little i30 makes for a rather perfect car for everyday life with good fuel economy of around 7-8L/100km, enough power to not feel sluggish, a 5 star ANCAP safety rating, plenty of space in a totally reliable package (as long as it has a service history and the timing belt is changed on time).

It drives well too, with nicely weighted steering, stable handling and easy to use clutch, my only problem being the plastic feeling gear change in the manual. The interior also feels a tad cheap but so did most other hatchbacks in 2009.Overall the 1st gen Hyundai i30 is definitely a car to consider if you're looking for a second hand hatch that around $8000-$10,000 depending on year, condition and kilometers. It's a rock solid choice and was one of the first genuinely good Korean cars that people actually wanted to own.

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Toyota’s diesel debacle

Firstly, I’m sorry for lack of posts of the last few weeks....or months, I can’t remember but expect some more regular content coming soon. Now it’s time to look into something that has been on my radar for a while now that I believe should be made more aware of. That of course is the growing number of reports of Toyota’s 1GD-FTV 2.8L Diesel engine having diesel particulate filter(DPF) and air intake issues. This is the same engine fitted to the ridiculously popular Hilux, Prado and Fortuner models. 

In case you had no idea what a DPF is, it’s a complicated filter in the exhaust that catches 
the black soot like material made by diesels and burns it away safely during particular times like during motorway driving. Entertaining right? Anyway, Toyota failed to put this theory into practice and now we have their cars either clogging up these filters or burning them until they’re destroyed. This problem really hit home with me personally when I began seeing a few Hiluxs driving around bellowing out clouds of while smoke. Oh, did I mention the filter costs more than $10,000 to replace, including labour? The warranty will cover it but expect the problem to come back immediately. And Toyota refuses to issue a recall and fix the problem because it isn’t a, “safety issue”. 

Unfortunately the DPF isn’t the only issue with Toyota’s 2.8 diesel, there are also issues with the intake where the engine ingests dust, compromises the air flow senor and goes into limp homemade mode. A mode that greatly reduces power and speed so the car can get to a dealer for repair. How Toyota managed to get this wrong, I really don’t know. And just like the DPF fault, Toyota refuses to issue a recall and fix the problem for good. These issues are not new and have been known to Toyota since 2016! If you have had any of these problems or know of someone who has, please get in touch.

Regards Jarod

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Why now is the time to buy a Subaru Forester

The Subaru Forester could be considered the Genesis of all small/medium SUV's and the launch of the brand new Subaru Forester at the New York International Auto Show means now is the best time to get your hands on the previous model at run-out prices. Having had one in the family now for almost 2 years now has cemented the Forester as my favourite mid size SUV with its function over form philosophy. I'm also impressed with the amount of equipment the our 2.5is model has with Sat-Nav, reversing camera, automatic emergency braking, lane keep assist, radar cruise control, leather seats, huge sun-roof and 18" alloys just to name a few. Where the vast majority of SUV's on sale are a re-bodied, front wheel drive hatchback, the Forester has stayed true to what an SUV really is with permanent four wheel drive, respectable ground clearance and practical, boxy dimensions. Furthermore, the top of the range turbo XT model has been hugely popular with those who like their SUV to be genuinely fast and worry most sports cars. Even the regular 2.5L non turbo is gutsy low down and gets along nicely when paired to one of the best CVT autos in the business. 

 

What makes the previous model an even better choice right now is the similarity with the brand new one, I reckon most people wouldn't even notice a difference. And it's not like depreciation is an issue either as Subaru has one of, if not the best resale value of any car on sale. You can expect a Forester to be worth about 70% of its initial value after 3 years which is damn impressive. Its definitely worth taking a look at a Forester now if you're in the market for a small SUV and the death of the turbo XT model is even more of a reason to get your hands on one of those while you still can.

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The Opel "Commodore"

That's right, its not a Holden anymore. Neither is it a Commodore really. I didn't want to hate the ZB Commodore and even thought it looked pretty good in the initial launch photos with its sleek European design. You couldn't help but laugh at the comments of typical bogans saying, "It's shit!" and "Nobody will buy one". After seeing a few in real life and watching a few reviews, I still think its a good looking car that's practical and equipped well but begs the question. What does it do differently from a Mazda 6, Ford Mondeo or Toyota Camry? Its just another mid size, mostly front wheel drive sedan that will be popular with fleet buyers. Gone are the days where the base Commodore was a rear drive, long distance family cruiser and there was the option of a V8 SS and manual gearbox. And that is a very sad thing as a long time Commodore enthusiast, watching the iconic car that you spent your childhood in the back of become another achingly boring sedan. Like the Falcon, Holden really should have killed the Commodore name on its VFII high point

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Why the Nissan Qashqai is a poor choice

Sorry for lack of posts, just come went to uni and it consumes my life:(. So The other day my father was lent a base spec 2016 Nissan Qashqai ST to which I was amazed by but not in a good way. 

The small to medium SUV segment has probably become the most competitive in the market in Australia and I've been left wondering why anybody chooses the Nissan over any of the vast array of competitors. The interior was a particular low point where the sub-par material quality and lack of features which gave similarity to a 90's Pulsar. The only difference is the main center screen which isn't a touch screen and is incredibly hard to use. It literally takes 5 minutes to slowly page down through your phone contacts to find the person you're after. The worst part about Qashqai I drove was the defected windscreen that sort of magnified the view in front of the driver in a small area, giving a sort of optical illusion to make things a little more interesting I guess. To drive, the Qashqai was hard over the bumps, under powered and the CVT gearbox was so slow. Very slow. PAINFULLY SLOW to react. 

The moral of the story here is to shop around. PLEASE! I feel that people who buy the Qashqai thinks it either looks cool or just didn't consider anything else. The Hyundai Tuscon (above) is an example of a fantastic medium SUV alongside the Mazda CX5, Subaru Forester which all drive superbly and come packed with standard features. A little bit of research goes a long way.

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What do I drive on the daily?

One of the first topics of discussion has to be about my own car, why I bought it and why you might want to get one for yourself. To start with a bit of context, I am a 19 year old male and still retain my green probationary licence which meant putting much consideration towards the cost of insurance that comes with a particular choice of car (another post coming soon about things to consider when choosing a first car). Anyhow, my choice was a manual 2010 Mazda 3 SP25 sedan with around 80,000 kilometers on the clock

The Mazda became my third car and had to be one of if not the best choice at the time after originally setting my mind on getting a Subaru Impreza RS (typical, i know...). The Mazda 3 range in general is extremely popular since its release in 2004 and has been characterised by bulletproof reliability, strong resale value and excellent driving dynamics. 

Now don't get me wrong, the Subaru is great car and it was after driving my mates Impreza that I wanted one. But after going to see about 10 of the things, there was not one that hadn't been thrashed and at the right price. That's when the Mazda came up as a suggestion on Carsales.com at a local dealership at a great price and that was that. Almost a year on and I still love driving it everyday, its short shifting 6 speed manual gearbox is perfect, the torquey 2.5L engine provides plenty of grunt, uses only 8L/100km and is cheap to insure and service. Dual zone climate control, GPS and cruise control are standard on the SP25 making it the most desirable pick of the range a bargain for any second hand car buyer today. The only niggles the Mazda 3 has been known for is the road noise, engine mounts on older cars and cheapish interior plastics. Lastly, on very few models after 2009, the dash was known to 'lift' or dis-form when in extreme heat but the factory warranty was increased to 10 years for this particular issue/recall so there's little to worry about there. 

Thanks for reading, stay tuned for a post soon about choosing a first car and some other helpful info

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Introduction

Hello and welcome to the Auto-Torque blog! My name is Jarod Spiteri, a university student who decided to setup this platform as a way to share my passion and knowledge as a die hard car nut with not only other enthusiasts, but anyone wanting advice and general information. You're probably thinking, "Hang on, why would I want advice from some aussie dickhead with an internet connection about a car, tyre, part, type of fuel or whatever?" Well not only I have spent my whole life around cars, reading about them day in day out and working on them occasionally. I'm also employed by Repco, one of the most reputable parts suppliers in Australia and have written a few reviews such as this one on the new Holden Astra, https://fleetautonews.com.au/new-astra-is-ready-to-challenge-for-the-title/. 

I have been wanting to create something like this for a while and look forward to seeing where this blog goes in 2018.

Cheers, Jarod 

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