1997 Hyundai Lantra LSi Estate 1.6 petrol from UK and Ireland
Summary:
Excellent value for money
Faults:
One H.T. lead started to break down quite early on.
Fuel pump expired at about 80,000 miles.
Both of these items were fixed under warranty.
The gearbox was getting a little whiney in the lower gears just before it left my tenure, but then it had done 130,000 miles & I had ran it hard for most of that time.
Apart from that the car was utterly reliable for the two years & 130,000 miles that I ran it as a company car.
General Comments:
For the list price of £11,500 (in 1997) this was excellent value for money.
The engine was quite powerful for a 1.6, although it needed revving to get the best out of it.
The seats were quite clever in that they had a sort of pre-moulded shape that turned out to be quite comfortable.
It had a gearbox with a sweet action.
The interior wasn't bad at all for what could be fairly described as a car in the lower budget category. Electric windows in the front, a reasonable quality radio-cassettte & clever use of contrasting shades of plastic for the fascia & trim to give the interior a more upmarket feel than other cars at the same price.
From memory I can't recall any peculiar handling traits so it must have been O.K. in that department.
No complaints about the dealers, they were most helpful when it came to service time, I even got a free courtesy car (Hyundai Accent -Ugh!).
The interior was very hard-wearing; there was no appreciable evidence of the high mileage apart from the usual wear on the pedal rubbers, steering wheel & gear lever knob. The seats were unmarked.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 28th June, 2005
13th Jun 2003, 09:18
I've owned my 1997 Sports wagon for 5 years, and it's a great little car. It turns heads when driving around Darwin NT (Australia). I have only had to change the cam belt at 110,000kms, and a fan motor. These are a great wagon and have very sporty shape, and handle great at high speed, if you add strong full length side stone guards to it. The Stone Guards help it hug the road, and corner much better. I sit on 180kph from Darwin to the SA border with no problems. Top speed of 255kph (Tho I have had the bit done to the motor, but its still the 1.8 litre) I will never sell my wagon as it is my pride and joy. If you get the chance to buy one, Do it. The only 1 fault I have with the wagon, is the front passenger & Drivers side windows don't seal very well. Cheers... Mark Bowshire - Darwin Australia.