This review is not full of technical details as if you are anything like me the technical stuff is not really that interesting.....sorry to all those mechanics who are now pulling their hair out and cursing us mere women!
I searched the internet for info on all small cars which qualified for the £35pa road tax, the scrappage deal and which could seat 5 people. I then eliminated the dearer cars from my list of those to see, leaving myself with the Kia Rio, skoda fabia and finally the Hyundai i10.
I physically looked at the three aforementioned cars, but must confess that i did not test drive them myself. I did not feel there was any point in me driving them for 15 mins or so because i would have been too nervous to really take any notice of how well it handled etc etc.
However, i was looking for specific features for the lowest cost. I really wanted remote central locking as opposed to just central locking (which requires the key to be put in the lock). With 2 children, remote central locking (key fob which you press to unlock the car from a distance, even from inside the house if you want!) was absolutely a must for convenience and safety reasons...also saves the paintwork around the lock from getting damaged.
I needed 5 seats with proper seatbelts, not just a lap belt in the middle rear seat , a decent sized boot, intermittent windscreen wiper facility (had a car previously without this and what a pain that was), electric front and rear windows with facility to lock the passengers' window controls (stop the kids opening and shutting them for a game), and a decent radio/cd for the teenaged son (although why did i bother when he has his MP3 plugged into his ears constantly). Fuel consumption was also an issue, but all the cars were much the same. However, it was only the Hyundai i10 Comfort which gave me all the other features and which also turned out to be the cheapest!
The appearance of the Hyundai i10 is also a major plus! I love the height of the car, it is really spacious inside, easily accomodating my 5ft 11inch son and the rear seats are roomy enough for 2 adults and a child car seat. All seatbelts are the proper seatbelts and all seats have adjustable headrests which can be taken off if you prefer. The inside of the car looks great, maybe not flash but certainly not cheap looking either. It is really easy to drive and park, and you feel like you are sitting really high up and feel safe in it.
The Comfort version (which i bought) is only a little bit dearer than the basic Classic but is well worth it for the remote central locking, the fog lights and alloy wheels. I went for the red colour as it was a really bright, crisp colour and did not cost me extra.
After scrappage allowance, i only paid £5900 and have a 5yr warranty on all parts except for wear and tear items like tyres, windscreen wipers,brake pads. Also, no MOT for 3 years and my dealer got me car finance cheaper than i could have got a loan from a bank, and with no hassle. £35pa road tax is amazing as i was paying £185pa and the insurance is only a little dearer than i had before.
I could have had the 1litre engine but i had researched a little and took the 1.2 Kappa engine as it is meant to be quicker when overtaking then the older 1 litre which has less valves (sorry, look up the technical detail yourself).
In short, I REALLY LOVE MY HYUNDAI I10!!! What is more, my teenaged lad thinks it is perfectly acceptable too!!!
The boot is big enough for your weekly shop although you do need to lift the boot shelf up to get the bags in easily, but the shelf is easy to raise and lower (or you could take it off and leave at home).
I hope this review gives you the feel for the car even if there is no technical info