Kia Cerato vs Mazda3 vs Hyundai i30 – Which Car Should I Buy?

QUESTION – JUDITH (questions asked on: 30/01/2017):

I’m looking at buying a Kia Cerato, Mazda3 or Hyundai i30. Which car offers the best value?

BUDGET:

$25,000

ANSWER – SAMANTHA STEVENS:

The three you have chosen are all fantastic cars, and all have some pros over the other – and not many cons.Our favourite of the three from a driver’s perspective would be the Mazda3. We like the Maxx mid-level specification for value and goodies, but would highly recommend stepping up to the Maxx Safety ($23,890) which gets some attractive features such as keyless start, parking sensors and sat-nav, plus some extra active and passive safety features which add only $1000 to the price and are well worth the spend. Note the servicing intervals are just one year/10,000km and not one year/15,000 like some others, so you will have to factor that into the budget if you do higher kilometres.The Kia Cerato S (AV) 5D Hatchback can be picked up for $22,790, and its seven-year unlimited kilometre warranty and seven-year capped price servicing, plus three year roadside assistance is unbeatable. The AV adds a reversing camera, auto headlights and better-looking wheels for $500, and its safety rating is excellent. It is the best value for your dollar.