The Hyundai i30 N is the Coolest Modern Hot Hatch

[@andrewstones2921]

Korean manufacturers are doing now what the Japanese did in the 80s, their time has come and they can’t be ignored. As much as I love your classic reviews, this was amazing. Thank you and I hope to see more of this kind of video.

[@campingramen1841]

I honestly thought that I wouldn't be a fan of this video considering it is a modern car, but you have successfully made this an interesting video. Very good video, can't wait for the next one

[@TwinCam]

Thanks mate 🙂

[@chrisslater3174]

I think that, though lengthy, this is the most complete review of this car that I've yet seen, addressing all the aspects (and more) that I might need to know. Nice to watch a vid and not feel that you've had your time robbed! 👍

[@TwinCam]

Thanks Chris 🙂 I can’t say I envisioned making a 40 minute video, but it just kind of happened!

[@stevieboyNI]

Very nice video Ed, you've really nailed this review. Honestly couldn't agree more, Hyundai-Kia really on form over the last decade, especially with the wise decision to put a lot of money into European design, research and assembly. The future is very bright for them.

[@TwinCam]

Thanks mate, I agree completely!

[@davidrowe4749]

⁰

[@AlexEssex8]

It’s the brilliant colour that makes everyone look at this car!

[@bluetambourine8508]

Hyundai always surprises with excellent engineering. Thanks for bringing the i30N to our attention. Really enjoy your work. Always looking forward to the next...

[@TwinCam]

Thanks 🙂

[@trancematics]

That was a truly excellent and comprehensive review. Well done.

[@TwinCam]

Thanks Mark 🙂

[@richardlahiff1529]

The last true hot hatch of the modern age with its manual box, real handbrake plus that power plant that was used in the Mitsubishi Evo X ;)

[@rotaxtwin]

Good times. Your review is reminiscent of the old GTI reviews in Car & Driver from the 80s. I was a kid when the Japanese cars were coming on strong in the early 70s and folk called 'em Jap Scrap and all the rest. within a few decades Lexus became the standard for quality & luxury cars. The Koreans are doing much the same and It's very enjoyable to see an objective review by a real enthusiast like yourself. They're doing serious R&D work on their products, the other manufacturers are watching, no doubt.

[@peterthwaites5891]

I was a bit surprised to see you doing a "Modern car review" but as your talents have grown you took this in your stride and really gave a comprehensive, enjoyable and focused review, i was fortunate that i was your age in the 1980`s and owned many of the hot hatches of the time, you could not just get into one and drive it at full blast, you had to learn its foibles otherwise you`d likely be caught out, catapulted backwards through the scenery, or a wall in a Peugeot 205 1.9 GTI especially! but cars had a lightness and "feel" with far more character back then, today`s hot hatches to me are simply too polished, too tame and as you rightly said about the latest Golf, bordering on boring now...

[@TwinCam]

Thanks Peter 🙂 Though I prefer my classics, I do like modern stuff as well, so as I can drive the cars now I thought it time to give one a go. I just wasn’t envisioning a 40 minute video! I have to say I much prefer the lighter and looser feeling of ‘80s and ‘90s stuff. I find them more predictable on the limit.

[@peterthwaites5891]

@@TwinCam Although i loved this video please keep the majority of your content on the older vehicles, your exceptional knowledge plus the fact you are unique as a young KZbinr doing reviews of the cars that i grew up with...

[@davidhinkson8856]

Very interesting to see you take on a modern car. Who'd have thought a Hyundai would be in the same price range as a BMW or Mercedes when they first went international in the 1980s? It always fascinates me just how far this company has come!

[@ravenouself4181]

Tbh, they are not in the same price range. The Hyundai is the top of the range while the BMW and Mercedes are the poverty spec ones.

[@recursion.]

Respect for good time stamps.

[@tmh8888]

Hello from the USA 🇺🇸. I really enjoy your content, I love the older stuff and I really enjoyed your take on the Hyundai and it's competitors. The Hyundai looks like a blast to drive and a decent value in it's class. Keep up the good work. Say hi to Melvin for me.. LOL 😂 🤣 😁

[@TwinCam]

Thanks mate 🙂

[@B3ansGuy]

Great video! Not like I can afford the car but you're great to listen to, definitely earned another subscriber

[@IBOO57]

Excellent review mate it's the first video of yours I've seen and im bow a fan. Added bonus points for the fact that if I close my eyes it sounds like Paddington Bear is doing me a car review and who wouldn't like that!

[@nakoma5]

Hyundai has been hitting home runs lately with their electric cars, sports cars and Genesis. No excuses for the much longer established names that are lagging.

[@jetsons101]

Ed, I've been watching your Vid's for quite a while now but still can't get used to seeing someone shifting with their "left" hand..... Thanks for posting.....

[@micheldebacker8821]

Bought the N-dct in the beginning of this year. Very happy with it in the light blue color.

[@Jones-xx2gc]

Thanks!

[@TwinCam]

Thanks mate, sorry I've only just seen this!

[@anthonystevens8683]

Nice one Ed, I think the 'N' in this case stands for NUTS!. A great review and your enthusiasm shows in the video. As for that drain pipe in the boot you can always load stuff on top of it. If it was an 'X' brace that would be a problem for a daily driver but your point is very well made.

[@scottishcarenthusiastsandtrain]

What have you done with the real Ed Westby?? Jokes aside this is a fantastic review on a modern car and you have nailed the presentation on this, as well as having a hoot to boot!! If I could afford one I would have one over a Focus ST (ford fanboi) Hyundai have certainly come a long way since the days of the Pony, Accent and Lantra.

[@andyrobertshaw9120]

Great video. My wife and I have had a few Hyundais, and she now won’t have anything but an i30 diesel. Cannot do better for an everyday car, if you don’t wish to stand out. Very interesting to see the hot version. I think is it the best at looking different from its basic counterpart! Looks like great value for money as they go. I wonder how it will depreciate, You also commented on another video you only achieved 23mpg. I wonder how the other hotties compare to that, IfI were to buy a hot hatch tomorrow, I would definitely pick the i30 out of that bunch!

[@russellhammond4373]

Great video mate. Love you enjoying the wheels spin.

[@TwinCam]

Thanks Russell.

[@jayturner2917]

Great Video, always wondered if you would start to review newer car and how it would come across. Would love to see you do a review on a BMW 435d xdrive ;)

[@bsuthe]

I recently discovered your videos. I love your presentation and your opinions. I would, if I could, today own an i30N. It's the perfect car for me. But I live in the US, so the next best thing to me is my 2016 Hyundai Veloster R-Spec. I don't know if Velosters are sold in England, but I could Google it, I suppose. The 3-door configuration (the hatch is not a door) is perhaps a bit silly, but it's OK. So I, essentially have a "hot hatch" with a large boot (35 ft cu, convert it if you want) and respectable power. Also good fuel economy with 87 octane. I love my Veloster. I might love an "N", but they use high octane fuel, and the newer cars do not come with a CD player. (Yeah, I know... Luddite.) I love Hyundai... I own 3, including my first Hyundai, a 2007 Tucson with a 5 speed. I love your videos on older British cars!

[@grayfool]

Good job Ed. Very thorough review. I think you conclusion is correct too, this seems to embody the ethos of the original hot hatches. The Germans seem to have gone OTT with power and toys while Honda have just got crazy in the looks department. The i30 seems to get the balance about right. Nice.

[@TwinCam]

I agree completely, though with that said, the new Civic Type R is a rather elegant beast.

[@grayfool]

@@TwinCam Better than the last one, for sure.

[@SimsAndStuff]

Awesome video. Great to see you doing some modern stuff ( and an awesome car too ). Hopefully you get to test a standard i30. Would be a good comparison.

[@TwinCam]

Thanks 🙂 Though I’ve always preferred classics, I do appreciate modern stuff too. So as I can drive the cars now, I thought it about time I start to cover some new stuff too!

[@spacepatriots6163]

This is the best car ever!!!

[@MakerfieldConsort]

Judging by where you were, I can imagine you getting quite a few disapproving looks from behind twitching curtains! Really good to see you enjoying yourself so much!

[@benday1218]

Ed's a Hoonigan! Who knew?

[@dgroberts100]

Can any owners on here tell use what the real world mpg is like in these. And also can you set it to default to eco mode on startup or does it always default to normal and you have to actively select a different mode?? Seriously considering one of these...toss up between a BMW 440i gran coupe and a Tesla model 3.

[@tulku_Onitinke]

One of my weirdest dreams is to bring a man from the past using time machine and give him a modern car to try. This video reminded me that dream somehow.

[@oliverstemp9132]

The i30 looks so old though. However, this is great video about it

[@TwinCam]

Thanks Oliver 🙂 I see what you mean, but I only see it really in the headlamps, which the facelift updates. Certainly, it’s not as crisp as the likes of the Golf, but I think it’s a nicer shape overall.

[@robbied1468]

Right Ed, I know where this is going - Which of Melvin or Melody are you converting into a NITROX fuelled sleeper ….Can’t wait 😀

[@tomasstankevicius8890]

I can answer yout the question how is it driving normal i30 copared to N, it feels like a different car, suspension, engine and so on. N is sports mode, regular is just a normal hatch. (Regular is far more comfortable, and N feels like gokart)

[@craigofcimmeria5215]

I have one of these, pre facelift, it’s flipping amazing, I love every minute of it. Brilliant value for money, really practical. Handles very well. I am a Hyundai fan boy now.

[@wolvoman1]

An intro into how you can review new as well as classic vehicles, mainstream quality review.

[@TwinCam]

Thanks Mike 🙂

[@oldbones4941]

I can hear it

[@plym1969]

Great review Ed. I agree that modern small hatches have too much road noise and the ride is too firm.

[@TwinCam]

Thanks as always Phillip 🙂

[@Sandy-oy2lr]

I guess for me, my sport hatch (Mz3HB 2.5L manual) is just perfect for my needs. It's pre '19 so it still has it's sophisticated multi link rear. This Hyundai will roast it, of course, but, I like Mazda's level of long term reliability (here, Korean cars have a rep of flambéing their engines) and level of comfort. Guess it's just my advanced years talking. I also like avoiding forced induction engines. For when they do eventually go wrong, they can be notoriously hyper expensive to fix. Otherwise, this is a very nice car. If I were a lot younger, I might consider it after seeing this review, however....

[@TwinCam]

I’m a big Mazda fan. I have to say, I prefer the new 3 for it’s style and finish, but they’re all great cars.

[@robbied1468]

Cars like this are the last - hurrah for put a smile on your face driver involvement; As we lurch towards autonomous electric machines with “big brother” real time gps speed monitoring and governing - Enjoy while you can …

[@TwinCam]

Exactly. There are a lot of people who don’t like modern stuff for no reason, without realising that these are the Astra GTEs of my generation.

[@proxigenated]

@@TwinCam I missed out in this. What was the public perception of the red top Astra GTE at that moment?

[@stickmansamsmith]

Ignore my comment the audio is there 👏👍

[@TwinCam]

Give it 5 minutes. It’s a new upload. The audio is definitely there, I assure you. It’s working for me on two different systems.

[@stickmansamsmith]

@@TwinCam Great news. Im looking forward to this one. I'm down in Australia and I saw your short the other day about the fuel economy of the car. I have a 1990 xj40 and decided to see what the calculated economy was for the driving I had been doing. Spot on 23 miles to the gallon. 🤣

[@simonhodgetts6530]

Not a fan I’m afraid, and at £35k, it’s way too pricey. When you consider what you can buy if you’re prepared to buy something with a few years / miles under its belt, some very, very interesting cars come into view for a fraction of that asking price.

[@TwinCam]

Used car prices are all relative. No one in the right mind would buy a brand new car. But people do. And people have to. Because without them, there would be no used cars in the future. Compared to other new stuff, it’s a bargain.

[@simonhodgetts6530]

@@TwinCam very few people actually buy cars now, or even own them. They pay a fee per month for their use, and (hopefully) after 2/3 years, they trade the car in and do the same thing again for another 2/3 years. And that’s where your secondhand cars come from.

[@hhgttg69]

time for the Metros to go :P

[@BillyNoMates1974]

Kia / Hyundai have come a long way from the crap they made back in 2009. I had a Kia Rio diesel and that went surprising well but nothing else was good about it.

[@Feroxing12]

I have to admit I despised Hyundai and Kia as some cheap low quality car producers from korea with no tradition. However, by a chance and opportunity i got this car as my company car. It's just so good that I no longer view them like this.

[@Jones-xx2gc]

A great review. A Hyundai will still be working in 10 years. Have had quite a few basic Hyundai models over the years and have been mostly reliable cars. Not exciting cars but boringly reliable.

[@TwinCam]

Thanks 🙂

[@devl547]

Nice car, but no match for Yaris GR, the real hot hatch king.

[@TwinCam]

I love the GR Yaris, but this really doesn’t compete with it. The GR not only has AWD, but is a much smaller car, so isn’t anywhere near as usable as an N is.

[@gixxr88]

Yaris GR Is amazing, this is definitely alot more usable without losing any fun at the same price especially with the dct

[@rocfella]

wtf, u should review the facelift version

[@TwinCam]

WTF?

[@BeNNiToX]

250 ps and 280 ps ??

[@TwinCam]

i30 N - 250 i30 N Performance (this car) - 271 i30 N Performance (facelift) - 280

[@mikeenglish6401]

Hi Ed What must poor Melvin and Melody think about you driving such a car behind their backs and without their blessing…..? 😉😉 Mike

[@drewstewart9016]

£40k for a hot hatch LOL That's far more than the majority of the UK population earn in a whole year! Totally overpriced for what they are.

[@chrisslater3174]

£34,680, as specced. So an honest figure, and not £40k. As for the others, however...I'm with you all the way. Too much money (but then so is the fuel that we power them with)!

[@andyrobertshaw9120]

Fair point, but how much did a Golf GTI cost in the late 1970s in comparison to the then average salary?

[@andyrobertshaw9120]

In response to my own question, the car would have cost £5100 against an average salary of £5500. So the modern cars cost more in real terms.

[@TwinCam]

Yes. It is. But that’s modern motoring! A silly amount of weight and equipment is now seen as a necessity.

[@andyrobertshaw9120]

@@MrVexedviper that being the case then we are around 90% of an average salary both in 1980 and now for a hot hatch.

[@Suprahampton]

The 'pops & bangs' is so cheesy

[@TheHomeExpert5]

You are right, the BMW is ugly and it is prone to break.

[@TG-pd3ft]

The interior is ghastly tbf, that cheapo tablet thing being especially horrible.

[@TwinCam]

I’m not convinced. Certainly, the screen isn’t great, but it’s been fixed on the facelift. Apart from that, I think it’s very tasteful. Too dark, but that’s true of virtually all new cars.

[@telelaci2]

15:40 "No doubt..." - this is probably not true, you are a little overconfident. Your heel & toe is much more random not as precise as a computer. The car knows better how much she needs to push the throttle, it's her throttle not your throttle. You are an outsider only, a stranger who's pushing her throttle. You are much less precise with the amount of the gas. You overrev it or underrev it many times. Maybe you just don't take notice of that, because you are an overconfident human with incompetent sense organs, and because the clutch equalizes the cog revolutions very-very quickly, as it's closing. And you make much more mistakes. And she sees that and she's laughing at you. And anyway shifting manually takes a lot of time and the computer is able to keep up with that time easily, she doesn't need to be faster than necessary, she has to finish rev matching till the clutsh closes. Faster rev matching makes no sense, it's not necessary at all. If you wanna switch real fast and you wanna drive real fast then you must buy a sequential gearbox, but at least a DCT transmission. Practicing heel & toe is pointless these days, forget it.

[@TwinCam]

What an incredibly strange comment 🤣

[@jonnycando]

Could you persuade yourself to actually buy one?

[@TwinCam]

No. I don’t think so. If I was to buy a new car, it would probably be an i20 N. Even having not driven one, I can imagine that less weight and three-cylinders would be a winning combination.

[@jonnycando]

@@TwinCam i get that but of course you know we yanks do everything big….if 3 are good 4 is better! Oh and yes on the turbo!

[@ccooper8785]

Pah! No opening quarter lights, typical useless modern car. Bet there is no useful cubby hole for my driving gloves...