Used Hyundai i20 cars for sale

Used Hyundai i20 pros and cons

Is a second hand Hyundai i20 a good car?

The Hyundai i20 is a small hatchback that’s a bit like one of those people who only ever uses the middle lane of a motorway — it’s totally middle of the road. It’s good looking, but not so stylish that people think you might have actually spent a lot of money on it. Equally, it’s roomy without being massive, and it’s decent to drive, but not thrilling. Like we said — middle of the road. 

It’s an alternative to the likes of the Ford Fiesta, Vauxhall Corsa, Renault Clio, VW Polo, and Toyota Yaris, so it’s in good company with its middle-of-the-road-ness. The only i20 that’s genuinely thrilling is the brilliant i20 N hot hatch, which is so different we actually have a separate review of it. 

First launched in 2020, and given a round of mild updates in 2023, the i20 looks smart, with its low-set nose, angular lines, and sharp-looking brake lights. It’s not a shocking looking car, but in the right colour — dark blue seems to work well — it looks more than smart enough.

The interior looks nice too, with air vents that look as if they run the full width of the dashboard and a neat four-spoke steering wheel. There’s a good touchscreen mounted up high on the dash where it’s easy to reach, but thankfully Hyundai still believes in using proper physical switches for lots of stuff, like the air conditioning, so this is an easy cabin to find your way around in. 

The only problem is that the plastics used in the cabin are rather hard and shiny, so there’s not the same soft-touch niceness that you’d find in a VW Polo or Skoda Fabia, both of which have nicer cabins. 

However, the i20 is very roomy. There’s lots of space up front, and plenty of adjustment in the driver’s seat and that four-spoke steering wheel, so it should be easy for anyone to get comfy. Those in the back aren’t forgotten about either, with reasonable legroom and headroom for a car of this size. 

The boot is good too — at 352 litres it’s just one single litre roomier than a VW Polo’s boot, and it’s much bigger than what you get in a Ford Fiesta, but it’s worth remembering that the Skoda Fabia has an even bigger 380-litre boot. 

When originally launched, the i20 came with two engine options — a 1.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder unit, with 100hp, or a naturally aspirated 1.2-litre engine, with 84hp. The 1.2 is no ball of fire, but it’s punchy enough. The 1.0-litre engine — the only one available in the i20 after 2023 — is the preferable option though, with more mid-range performance and fuel economy that’s just as good as the 1.2. You should expect at least 45mpg out of either. 

A six-speed manual gearbox comes as standard for the 1.0-litre engine, while the 1.2 made do with a five-speed ‘box. A seven-speed dual clutch automatic was also available as an option. 

If you’re doing lots of motorway miles, definitely go for the 1.0 as it feels much livelier than the 1.2, and that’s actually just as true around town where the turbocharged engine is better for nipping in and out of gaps in the traffic. That said, a VW Polo is comfier for long-hauls, as the i20 has too much road and wind noise in the cabin.

The i20’s steering is quite light, and it turns tightly, so you’d think that a life in town would be a natural fit for it. However, the suspension is actually quite firm, so you’re going to feel more of those urban lumps and bumps. 

That stiff suspension pays off on a twisty road, though — the i20 stays flatter in corners than you’d expect, and has lots of grip. It’s never quite as much fun as a Ford Fiesta, though. 

What to look for when buying a used Hyundai i20

The Hyundai i20 has been recalled twice. Once was for a potential problem with the automatic gearbox, but the other was for possibly incorrect VIN numbers on the car, which is hardly what you’d call a reliability issue. There have been some reports of minor problems, such as glitchy infotainment systems, but that’s about it. 

Hyundai has a good reputation for reliability (and its five-year warranty still covers cars with their second and even potentially third owners) but the company finished only a mid-table 17th out of 32 brands in the Driver Power customer satisfaction survey, with a relatively poor showing for quality and finish.