Browse over 9,000 car reviews
The 2022 Hyundai I30 range of configurations is currently priced from $12,850.
Our most recent review of the 2022 Hyundai I30 resulted in a score of 8.1 out of 10 for that particular example.
Carsguide Deputy News Editor Tom White had this to say at the time: The Sedan N is another win for Hyundai’s N division, which has hit it out of the park for performance offerings in the last year.
You can read the full review here.
This is what Tom White liked most about this particular version of the Hyundai I30: Performance, Flexibility, The most practical N
The 2022 Hyundai I30 carries a braked towing capacity of up to 1600 Kg, but check to ensure this applies to the configuration you're considering.
The Hyundai I30 is also known as Hyundai Elantra GT in markets outside Australia.
The Hyundai I30 2022 prices range from $19,250 for the basic trim level Hatchback Base to $57,970 for the top of the range Hatchback N Drive-N Limited Edition.
The popular MG3 is the model you’re referring to and you’re right; it hasn’t been locally crash-tested. But it does lack some important safety gear. Enough, we reckon, to knock it off your short-list. The MG lacks, for instance, important driver aids such as autonomous emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring and lane-keeping assistance, nor can these features be had by spending more on a fancier version.
Which leaves us with your other two choices, the Hyundai i30 and Kia Rio. Even then, you’ll need to option up beyond the base-model to get (some of) those safety features, but these are not expensive cars to begin with, so the jump might not be as bad as you think.
The other car to consider would be the SP Pure version of the Mazda 2. At $23,690, it’s not over-priced but it does have low-speed (up to 30km/h) autonomous emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring and lane-departure warning as well as rear cross-traffic alert.
And a manual transmission? The MG 3 no longer offers one, both the Hyundai i30 and the Kia Rio are available with a six-speed manual option. The Mazda 2 Pure SP is automatic only, but you can get a six-speed manual on the base-model Mazda 2.
I agree that youngsters taught to drive a manual car tend to be better drivers, but that’s not a universally held view these days. And the fact is that most young drivers will never be presented with a clutch pedal in the future, raising the question of why learn in the first place? The reality is that learning to drive a manual car gives you extra mechanical awareness and extra ability to multi-task behind the wheel.