2002 Hyundai Accent

Summary:

Cheap cheap fun, really great for a first car

Faults:

35,000 transmission reeks of flamage.

Keys will leave a fat gash in the dash.

Plastic interior has the dexterity of a stiff crayon and gets manjangled by anything solid.

Your doors WILL dent.

General Comments:

The overdrive comment is true. Leave your Accent in overdrive - it will perform better, and keep the revs down. I never take it out of overdrive ever.

I got the car for free as a birthday present on my 16th. Needless to say I was stoked however I would not advise you to buy this car.

CONS: just does not feel sturdy, feels like a toy. the automatic transmission has not failed me yet, but I can tell it is not well. car emits a disgusting what I call "burning transmission" smell when driving up hill or carrying more than 1 passengers. I wouldn't dare try moving with this car. when going down hill I slap in into neut to rest the poor thing I think that's helps a lot. the car is loud inside the rubber window lining is about a half an inch too short so the windows crack them selves open with the vibration of a short drive. plan on driving it into the ground because you WILL NOT resell it, it is not an investment.

PROS: awesome on gas, Because it weighs so little it can be fun to zip around, has pickup if you are only thing in the car, drop into 2nd you could have fun in it. Acceleration just perfect in my opinion, but not anything special. Awesome to park or turning around on a dime. I have floored it to 120 without a problem on several occasions.

Fun to drive if you like to feel every vibration of the road on your steering wheel. Really big trunk.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 23rd October, 2006

23rd Oct 2006, 05:10

Having your auto trans in neutral while your car is moving can cause severe damage to the trans (lack of oil flow).

That's why they only tow auto cars with the driving wheels raised off the road.

11th Apr 2007, 00:14

To the comment posted on 23rd Oct 2006.

You obviously have no idea how an auto trans works. The torque converter is bolted to the flywheel and engages the transmission pump on the other end. There is fluid pressure whenever the engine is running. The problem with towing the vehicle is that the engine is not running so there's no fluid pressure and no lubrication.

2002 Hyundai Accent GL 1.6

Summary:

Great and cheap

Faults:

Rear strut leak at around 45,000 miles. Replaced free under warranty.

Bad caliper replaced free under warranty at 55,000 miles.

Thermostat problem at around 50,000 miles, replaced free under warranty.

Other issues.

Front brake pads and rotors replaced at 38,000 miles. Not covered under warranty. I let the rotors get damaged by not replacing brake pads sooner. Cost 400 and change.

Minor fender bender last week at 67,000 miles. At first the car is fine, then won't start. New battery and drive belts replaced 300 and change.

General Comments:

I really wanted to buy a new car once my used 87 Honda Accord hatchback died on me at 197,000 miles.

My only other options were a Toyota Echo or Kia. I settled for a 2002 grey Hyundai Accent GL sedan for 11,200 out the door. All in all, I'm very happy with this car. It has been very reliable, starts up every morning. It is definitely a budget car, and the few problems I have had, have been replaced under warranty.

I do regular maintenance and oil changes, and I'm sure this helps a lot with keeping things running.

Fuel economy used to be around 30 mpg, now it has dropped to around 25mpg in the hot summer blasting the A/C. The car has definitely grown on me, and even though it's a cheap car, I take pride in owning it since I bought it new.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 17th August, 2006

1st Dec 2006, 06:30

Sorry, but I do not see the point of Accent ownership, or Hyundai ownership at all. I know 7-8 different people that either drive a Hyundai or have had Hyundais in the recent past. Here in Europe Accent and Atos are sold as basic budget cars, but I think I more or less can prove that the overall economy of buying a new Accent is poorer that buying say a new compact Toyota (like Corolla). In addition when buying an Accent over a Corolla you get a car that has worse quality in every aspect, including safety. The main problem is resale value. Accents are cheap to buy new, but even cheaper second hand. And the quality is not especially good, it is the same story every time, after 4-5 years these cars more or less falls to pieces while a Toyota will last 10-15 years with no problem. Want to replace expensive ABS parts? Or do a full brake job after 40K? Or change other expensive parts, like the TPS or other sensors? Or what about fixing a failing electric window? Then buy an Accent or Atos. But do you want overall long term economy: Do yourself a favor, add $3000 to your budget and buy yourself a decent car.