Faults:

The paint around the mirrors has peeled away, I have several small dents due to thin sheet metal, I am not thrilled by the all around thin paint.

Also, the master cylinder was replaced by the previous owner.

General Comments:

I like this car and think I have gotten lucky compared to other owners, but the transmission leaves a lot to be desired, as does the paint.

I also don't like the narrow tires (P175/65/14) and the high seating. I would like to see lower seats, and a smoother shift - like in a Mitsubishi Eclipse.

Faults:

Clutch had to be replaced after 3,000 miles.

Electrical problem, reverse lights had to be repaired. Wasn't burned out bulbs.

Check engine light came on frequently, had to be repaired (another electrical problem).

Front tires were almost balding after only 14,000 miles.

General Comments:

I bought this car because it was cheap. I didn't have to put anything down and it had a very low monthly payment. The finance department at the dealer tried to screw me over by adding additional charges without disclosing them to me but I eventually got my money back.

I live and work in the city so I only put 14,000 miles on it in the span of about 3 years. Good car for in town commuting, but kind of scarey to drive on the highway. Considering I had the above problems at such low mileage, I'm sure something more would have happened if I still had this car. (just traded it in for a 2000 Honda Civic).

Overall it's very cheap transportation, but that's about it. Luckily the service department here is good and all of my problems were fixed promptly. However there is still no excuse for the problems I had at such an early stage of the car's life. After reading other nightmare surveys of this car, I think I was one of the lucky few.

My advice - pay a little more and get something that is reliable.

Faults:

Battery.

Brakes.

Starter.

General Comments:

Very sporty little car. Not too swift in snow but otherwise it runs like a champ.

Sunroof is a really nice touch.

Does a decent job at stop light racing.

Faults:

I had to replace a clutch cylinder (under warranty).

Spark plug cables failed at 12,000 miles.

Tire jack bent (replaced under warranty).

The fuel gauge is a bit off despite bringing it to the dealer twice.

The backup switch on the transaxle failed.

Main problem is very bad paint durability (coming off the spoiler and mirrors, peeling at some other places), and very thin (easy to dent) sheet metal.

The main problem was the dealer (Jay Marks Hyundai of Houston). First of all, the dealer did not want to present any documentation showing that the dealership had done the factory-specified inspection upon the vehicle's delivery; as a result I had to bring the car back the next day due to non working fog lights and a couple of other glitches.

The car was specified to have H-rated tires, but came with T-rated tires; I tried to ask the dealer to change them, the dealer refused and dealt with me in a particularly rude manner. I contacted the Hyundai of America, and they refunded me a purchase of H-rated tires.

I also resented having to pay for a sunroof and $300 for the 40W radio that, while officially being optional, came with every other Accent GT.

General Comments:

Very nice car and much more reliable than my previous Mazda 323 (contrary to the convention).

It is reasonably fast and has a good pull at low rpms.

What sold me though, was its flat cornering and braking, as well as precise steering; there was no other vehicle at that price range in 1997 that could match the Accent GT (however, this would be different for other Accents since their suspension/steering is different).

The "cheap-looking plastic" is, I feel, a good feature as it's much more durable than alternatives. The seats are very comfortable and I like the fabric design.

I love the hatchback, a feature that is hard to come by in the US. The sunroof however is virtually useless as it is too far back.

The radio is OK if you don't demand it to play your music loud, but it's still not worth its cost.

The gearshift throws are extremely long and slow down acceleration quite a bit.

A/C is noisy but quite good.

The car is almost rattle-free even after 80,000 miles (except for a little bit from the hatch area). The highway ride is noisy and choppy due to the car's light weight and short wheelbase, but tolerable around town.

The car has a surprisingly low fuel economy for its size.