1.4 CRDi Active 5dr People Carrier

Nice car, shame about the service

Bought this as an ex-demonstrator in March of this year when it was six months old. Cheap to tax (£30/year) and cheap to insure (56 year old with full NCB, £140/year fully comp)

While it has been nice to drive and has plenty of toys to play with (e.g. iPod connection and Bluetooth), the engine is hardly the strongest and is hampered by flat spots in accelerating which the dealer cannot resolve. As with most Hyundai (and Kia, it seems) cars, the quoted fuel consumption figures are way beyond reach - even for the most light-footed of drivers. The sixth gear helps but with such a small engine, it has difficulties maintaining speed on anything but the smallest incline - causing me to drop to fifth to keep up with traffic.

Handling is reasonable for a relatively tall car, with only a slight amount of roll on corners, and it copes well with side winds at motorway speeds.

Fold-down rear seats give a practical load space, but with a high sill. Interior trim is clean but looks quite fragile - so needs care to avoid damage.

What really lets this car down, though, is after-sales support and parts supply. My car had to be recalled to have its brake callipers replaced (a known fault which is now subject to a VOSA recall).

It was then found that there was a further problem with the brake servo. This needs replacing and as a result, the car has been sat in the dealer's workshop for the last EIGHT weeks until a replacement arrives - from India! In the meantime, Hyundai are paying for a hire car.

A good car, but until Hyundai can resolve the parts problems, not one to be recommended if you need reliability.

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