9th May 2004, 04:45

I took a long time researching the various manufacturers/models in this class, including the Toyota Echo, Kia Rio, etc.

Basically, the Hyundai Accent, has won the the car of the year (small car - economy), 3 of the last 4 years, and was runner up to the Hyundai Getz in the other year.

I felt this was a good buy for the massive amount of features you get with the base model. Heated mirrors/air/power/central locking/alarm, keyless entry, a "huge" boot for the size of the car, colour coded bumpers, power this, power that everywhere.

The gearbox is tight, and has the right feel to it, and a clutch that knows exactly when to engage.

If your used to driving a larger car, you will find the steering sometimes too responsive, which would lead to some interesting experiences on tight winding roads at high speed. Not a car to hit the alps in at 120kph. It simply isn't in that price range, nor has that kind of performance/quality.

The motor is responsive, (1.6 L) but don't expect to get you head slapped back into the headrest when you plant your foot. It has exactly what you need for city driving, and the occasional country trip.

The one glaring thing I found with my test drive was engine noise. It certainly peaks out early, and is not the quitest of drives. It really needed a few degrees of seperation between 3rd, 4th and 5th. Again, for the price, who is going to complain.

The 5 year full factory warranty (or 130,000 Km) is also a great buying feature.

All in all, a very good "economical" car, at an economical price. Defintely worth a test drive for those on tight budgets (single income families, students, etc), and don't want to pay another couple of grand to option up the vehicle.

In my opinion 8.5/10.

P.S. This is based on the Australian version (never tried a foreign or rebadged, but I'd guess that coming from the same plant they would be the same.

23rd Aug 2006, 11:46

I drive an Accent GL up in Ottawa, Canada and I have taken this car throughout Quebec and Ontario on road trips. Personally, I have never had any problems with it whatsoever. I do regular maintenance at the dealership about every 2 months. Right now my odometer reads a little over 85,000km. I heard, however, that the problems start after 100k so we will have to see.

Bad thing about it: IT IS QUITE BAD IN THE WINTER! I changed the wheels thinking it was their fault and the car still has huge problems. It feels... light and the control is lacking especially on slippery surfaces like fresh rain or a thin layer of ice. Hell, sometimes I even have to break hard on normal asphalt. Last, but not least, please understand I am comparing this car to a 2004 Ford Taurus and a 2002 Saturn LS that I also drive regularly.

That's my two cents.

24th Apr 2008, 09:42

I bought my 2004 Hyundai Accent with 56K miles and after 2 months I still love it. Very peppy 5 speed manual tranny and engine. No mechanical problems so far. Comfortable front seats with a huge trunk for such a small car. Not much room in the rear seats. Fuel efficiency has met my expectations - about 30mpg city and 35mph highway driving.

My regular mechanic strongly recommended replacing the timing belt at 60K and not going much over that. He warned these cars are prone to timing belt problems if you push them too far.

Good economy car at a much better price than the Japanese labels.