Faults:

Manual window winder cable snapped.

Clutch hydraulics broke.

Has gone through a lot of tyres although they're budget tyres and two of them perished on the tyre wall.

General Comments:

Just bought the car from my girlfriend, who'd bought it for £600 in 2005 to learn to drive in. It came with a dint in the bonnet from the previous owner (hence the price) but only had 36,000 on the clock at the time.

It's got a few more dints on it now and the light bodywork does seem to damage easily.

Having difficulty sourcing a replacement door (easier to do that than try to replace the winder mechanism).

But...

It's absolutely superb. It always starts first time, runs quite smoothly, handles well, the lights are excellent, the seats are fairly comfortable (though you feel like you're sitting on them rather than in them), the fuel economy is quite good (although the post-2000 models are better) and it's pretty nippy. Easy to park, too (hackney cab-like turning circle of 9 metres) despite the lack of power steering.

Slight gripes would be the high clutch pedal position and the 'hit or miss' gear selector for reverse.

Like another reviewer, I'm able to get my mountain bike in it with room to spare (the boot's huge).

Suppose what I like most is that to an extent it takes me back to the days when I owned older cars with no 'power' components. Everything is manual: windows, steering, mirrors etc. and you feel that you can trust the car because there's not much that can go wrong.

Insured it TPF&T with zero no claims discount for £130.

If you pick up a ten year old Accent for £300 - £400 with reasonable mileage it could be the best money you'll spend this side of that box of monogrammed handkerchiefs you've been promising yourself for Christmas.

Or is that just me?

Faults:

The passenger door does not lock. After a year I started to have not serious issues with the transmission (it does not change the gear as fast as normal specially when I start running the car in the morning).

General Comments:

The car runs almost as good as when I bought it with just general maintenance. I use conventional oil for the engine with anything else, and still is good. The car is still cheap on gas (11 - 12 kilometers per L in the city, and 14 - 15 per L in highway). I got the same performance that my previous Toyota Corolla, but cheaper.

Faults:

Interior door handles are of poor quality (driver's side handle broke)

Hard plastic dash is prone to major cracking after several seasons of hot/cold.

The lowest of the three engine belts is susceptible to premature wear due to inadequate coverage by the splash guard.

Just replaced the coil pack at 105,000 miles. Rough idle and acceleration, first replaced plugs and wires. Finally diagnosed after noting a multiple cylinder misfire code.

Original struts appeared to wear prematurely. Replaced struts around 89,000 miles.

General Comments:

Adequate power and acceleration. Still getting close to 38-39 MPG on the highway when doing the speed limit and not using the A/C. This car is VERY reliable if routine maintenance is performed.

I've been able to obtain most all parts from local parts stores at very reasonable prices. The engine compartment is very easy to work in and there is plenty of space to complete routine maintenance.

I would have like to see a bit more quality in the interior. (Dash, door handles, etc.)

Overall, I am very pleased with the reliability and performance of the 1997 Hyundai Accent.