Used Hyundai i10 review ~ station of gear

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17 Jul, 2016 10:00am Richard Dredge

A full used buyer’s guide on the Hyundai i10 featuring the i10 Mk1 (2008-2013)

Buying a city car used to mean settling for a low-spec model that made do without even the most basic equipment. But these days, buyers expect much more from their small cars, and the Hyundai i10 is the proof.

Even though this is one of the smallest cars on the road, the original i10 of 2008 had decent standard kit and a long warranty, plus levels of reliability and quality that you can’t take for granted at this end of the market.

Admittedly, this city car is starting to look dated – more impressive choices have been launched since its arrival, and it was replaced in 2014 by a far superior Mk2. But with prices starting at under £3,000, the original i10 can still make a great used buy.

Models covered

The Hyundai i10 arrived in the first half of 2008 and is now in its second generation, however we’re focusing on the original model that was on sale until 2013 in this review.

• Hyundai i10 Mk1 (2008-2013) - Reliable, well equipped city car looks top value as a used buy

Hyundai i10 Mk1

Prices from £2,800

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History

The i10 arrived in April 2008, as a five-door hatchback with a 1.1-litre petrol engine only, although there was a choice of five-speed manual or four-speed automatic gearboxes.

Just five months later, a 1.2-litre petrol engine debuted, with more power and torque, but the same fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. The ES special edition appeared in May 2009, six months before the limited-run i10 Edition arrived.

More significant was the revised i10, which went on sale in March 2011. The highlight was a new eco model, the Blue, with its 1.0-litre petrol engine replacing the 1.1-litre unit. It emitted only 99g/km of CO2.

At the same time, Active trim replaced Comfort, and the 1.2-litre engine’s CO2 emissions and fuel consumption were cut.

Hyundai i10 reviews

Hyundai i10 in-depth review
Hyundai i10 Classic review
Hyundai i10 Style review
Hyundai i10 Blue review
Hyundai i10 BlueOn review
Hyundai i10 long-term test review

Which one should I buy?

The 1.2 feels a lot more punchy than the 1.1-litre, so we’d go for the bigger engine. Interestingly, due to the i10’s popularity as a city car, there are lots of category C and D write-offs, which distort values at the lower end of the market. Buy with care.

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The entry-level i10 is the Classic, which comes with air-con, electric front windows, central locking, dual airbags, six speakers, MP3 and auxiliary inputs, plus steel wheels. Comfort/Active adds electric rear windows, remote central locking, a height-adjustable driver’s seat plus an intermittent rear wiper.

The range-topping Style also comes with 15-inch alloy wheels, heated front seats, an electric sunroof plus a rear spoiler.

Alternatives to Hyundai i10 Mk1

For a city car that’s cheap to buy and fun to drive, consider the Mk1 Citroen C1, Peugeot 107 and Toyota Aygo, which were jointly developed and built. Equally good value is the second-generation Ford Ka; it’s also in plentiful supply, although kit is miserly and it isn’t as thrilling to drive as you’d expect. There’s a diesel Ka, but the petrol model is more fun and nearly as economical.

The i10’s Kia Picanto sister car is really cheap to run and well built, plus you get five doors, even if there’s not much room inside. If you have deeper pockets, check out another trio of co-developed city cars: the Volkswagen up!, SEAT Mii and Skoda Citigo. All are impressive, but as they didn’t arrive until 2012, they’re more costly to buy.

What to look for:

Brake wear

Some early cars can suffer from premature wear of the braking system because of the master cylinder not being set up properly.

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Headlights

The headlight beam adjustment switch can fail, and make an annoying buzzing noise; some replacement switches are no better, though.

Clutch

Make sure that the clutch feels okay, as there’s no shortage of i10s that suffer from judder through the pedal; dealers are able to fix this, however.

Trim

The i10’s interior trim has been built down to a price, so it can get damaged all too easily. Watch carefully for worn or broken parts on any potential buy.

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Interior

The i10’s high roof means there’s plenty of headroom in the front and rear, while you get seating for five – although three adults will find the back a squeeze. Rear legroom is adequate, and there’s more boot space than in most city cars, at 225 litres with the seats up or 910 litres when they’re folded.

Running costs

The i10 needed to have its first service after 12 months or 10,000 miles, but all subsequent check-ups were required after a year or 12,500 miles. These alternate between minor and major services, priced at £140 and £280 respectively, although for cars over five years old these costs are cut to £129 and £199. Dealers also offer a basic check-up, which consists of an oil and filter change, plus a visual inspection, for £89.

Every seven years, or 72,000 miles, a fresh cambelt is needed on the 1.1-litre engine (at a cost of £250 or so); the 1.0 and 1.2-litre cars are fitted with a timing chain instead. Fresh coolant is required every four years or 47,500 miles, while the brake fluid needs to be replaced every two years or 22,500 miles.

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Recalls

Impressively, the i10 hasn’t been recalled once. Indeed, since its launch in 2008, Hyundai has issued just 11 recalls across its entire model range – that’s an average of one every eight months, for cars that go back as far as 15 years. Of its current line-up, there has been one recall each for the ix20, the i30, the Veloster and ix35. That means buyers considering the i10 can focus on the usual checks on service history and mechanicals.

Driver Power owner satisfaction

The i10 Mk1 didn’t make the top 150 in our 2016 Driver Power survey. In 2015 it did rank, but failed to finish in the top 100 in any category with 104th for running costs, 146th for seat comfort and 161st for build quality and reliability. That’s in stark contrast to the latest car, which came third overall in the 2015 poll and 38th this year.

Our Driver Power satisfaction survey shows the original i10 has been left behind, but that’s not to say it’s not a good used buy. Whether you’re looking for a first car or an ideal urban runabout, the Hyundai should be on your shortlist – it was good enough to be crowned Best City Car at our New Car Awards in 2010 and 2011. At the time we said: “The i10 has the feel of a big car inside, while its composed driving dynamics mean it’s as at home on the open road as on congested city streets.” That hasn’t changed, even if the bar is now even higher in the city car market.

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