12th Jul 2008, 20:28
I picked up my 2008 Accent 4Door sedan June 28, 2008. I traded in my 2005 Accent GT for it, so I have experience with the "Alpha" 1.6L engine, not to mention prior to the 2005 I drove a 1992 Elantra 288,000 miles.
The Elantra had a 1.6L 4 cylinder also. What strikes me about these cars is the refinement that takes place as the years go by. My 92 Elantra sedan was somewhat smaller than the 2005 AccentGT, although the Elantra was a 4 door. The 2005 AccentGT had power windows and locks, but was not as dependable as my 1992.
Two years and 60,000 miles into the life of the 2005, I'd had it with repeated visits to the shop for water pumps, alternators, mounting brackets for the transmission, and several problems the dealer "couldn't" find to fix. Via various negotiations and arbitrations, they replaced the car with a 2008 4-Door Accent sedan. This car is quite like my 1992 Elantra in that it has manual windows and locks, 5 speed, air conditioning and a nice touch, MP3/XM/FM radio.
That's the history. I've been driving Hyundai since 1986, so this is a brand I'm intimate with. This 2008 is a wonderful car 1500 miles into its life. Smooth, quiet, and refined. I have friends whose Civics and Corollas are like bumping along in a buckboard stagecoach, and they agree with me that this sedan is a wonderful contrast to their base level sedans.
The car is very, very smooth at low RPM, it runs wonderfully in 5th gear at 45MPH, but as a consequence, it does rev higher at 65-80 MPH. But the isolation of the engine via rubber mounting grommets, the harmonic balancers and the fact that this engine is MEANT to spin makes the higher RPM inconsequential, to me at least.
The car is roomier than my 2005 Accent GT of course, and it does gain a couple of inches wheelbase, and is heavier by 600 pounds. Nonetheless, it somehow gets a little more than 4 MPG more than my GT which was outstanding at around 35MPG.
Performance seems the same, acceleration-wise, too. The 2008 has the variable valve timing Honda refers to as V-TEC, which is another refinement over the 2005. The 2008 also has, in spite of being bigger (not to mention a 4-door), a much shorter turning radius than my GT.
Overall, I'm very, very happy with this one. The 2008 has the feel, the performance, and the "livability" of my 1992 Elantra I drove 288,000 miles, a feeling I never had with the 2005 Accent GT.
I advise anyone that buys one to be religious about the oil changes (keeping the rev capability of this engine in mind), maintain the dealer's maintenance schedule, and I think you'll have a car that you'll be quite happy with, and for several thousand dollars less than Hondas, Toyotas and Nissans. This Accent sedan is easily the equivalent of comparable sedans from those brands.
23rd Apr 2009, 12:36
I've posted this comment on another thread before, but it probably won't be seen. The RPM problem the Accent has is not due to having 110 horsepower. You just have to change the stock air filter. I don't know why, but after changing the filter the RPM just took a plummet. I don't have that 3000 RPM at 60-70 mph problem anymore. My idling rpm is about 800-900.
10th Aug 2009, 00:23
What did you replace the stock air filter with? I assume you replaced it with a K&N filter? I just bought a 2008 Accent hatchback and want to know if you're really serious about the drop in rpm's from just changing the filter. Sounds crazy, but I'll give it a try if you really had success with this. I just did not want to replace the new filter (stock) if there's no difference with an aftermarket filter.
21st Sep 2009, 01:30
The high revs at highway speed everyone is referring to has nothing to do with the air filter, but with the gearing of the transmission. I test drove an '08 Accent GS hatchback with the manual trans and was annoyed by how high it revved at 70mph, the speed I typically cruise at. It was about 3400rpm. That didn't sit well with me. The whole time I was on the test drive I kept thinking the engine is wearing excessively and eating more gas unnecessarily. I found the 2006 Kia Optima I bought instead to rev quite a bit lower. It too has a 5-spd manual and revs at 2,900rpm at 70mph.
4th Jul 2008, 00:36
My comment is just above. I said the 42.6MPG tank would probably be in 2nd place with a good flat highway run. I went on a run (not flat, but including a 1400 foot pass & two 600 foot hills) & nailed down 45.1 MPG. Another day I went in 101 degree heat quicker than my normal driving. Went over 4000 & 3000 foot passes with other ups & downs & got 41.5 MPG. Yes, the 2008 Accent likes to sip gasoline.