My Experience

I test-drove a Hyundai Accent 5-speed sedan at a local dealership. My test-drive lasted over half an hour and covered city streets, a winding frontage road, and the freeway.


Performance

The Accent's performance was surprisingly adequate, given its modest power output. The 1.5-liter four doesn't have enough horsepower to make this a quick car, but on my test drive, the Accent's acceleration had a consistently zingy and energetic feel in all situations--even in freeway merging.

The Accent stepped off the line with adequate urgency, and thrust built in the midrange to a satisfying tug. The sensation of speed was greater than I had expected, and although the Accent's published 0-60 times certainly didn't lead me to believe it would deliver much accelerative entertainment, I had a smile on my face every time I put my foot down. I think much of the fun was due to the engine's quick-revving demeanor, instant throttle response, and crisp, clean engine note.

Although the engine was fairly loud, it wasn't boomy, and it never sounded like it was straining to do its work. The sound was clean and eager all the way up to the higher reaches of the tach (actually, come to think of it, there was no tach--but you know what I mean). There was a bit of vibration from under the hood, but it was very mild. What subtle buzzes there were just added to the pleasant sensation of eager machinery at work.

Very nice indeed, and quite impressive. The numbers don't really tell the whole story, because subjectively, this was a lot more fun than I expected from such a cheap and modestly-powered car.


Transmission/Clutch

The Accent's transmission was also quite good--by any standard, really--and far better than I had expected to find in the cheap-car class. Its throws were short and positive, with well-defined (if slightly mushy-feeling) gates. The stubby shifter clicked from gear to gear easily, with natural-feeling throws and an intuitive pattern. The only downside was a slightly soft, mushy feel when slotting into gear--no solid "thunks" here. Still, I imagine many people will prefer the lighter effort.

The Accent's clutch was light, precise, and very easy to use. Its engagement point was gentle and forgiving of imperfect technique, but not vague. After just a few shifts, changing gears felt like second nature, helped by the precise throttle and an engine which built and dropped revs quickly.


Steering/Handling

Another pleasant surprise. The Accent is no sports car, to be sure, but it surprised me with its eager, agile, and responsive feel in everyday driving.

The steering was really quite good--light but well-weighted, with an appropriate ratio and very good precision. It had a nice, reassuring feel around town, and it remained precise on the freeway, with good on-center feel and excellent tracking. At 70mph, it felt more composed than a car this small has any right to--at least, judging by its competition from Kia. Road feel wasn't in abundance, but a useful amount of it coursed through the wheel, giving the car a pleasantly connected feeling. If there was any weakness in the Accent's steering, it was the actual steering wheel itself, which felt a bit light and plasticky in the hands.

When I pressed the Accent through some hard turns, it was clear that the feeble tires didn't provide much grip--anything above a brisk pace revealed traces of understeer. Still, although the Accent's limits were low, it was fun to push the car right up to them. The suspension was quite competent and controlled, allowing moderate body roll in hard turns, but never feeling overly soft or bouncy. When the front end started to push, it did so in a predictable manner that was easy and intuitive to control.

The stiff body structure and compliant suspension also allowed the Accent to soak up mid-corner bumps without being knocked off-course. The tires limited corner speeds, but that's not what this car is about in the first place. A small car should feel light and nimble on the road, and provide a healthy measure of fun even when you're just going the speed limit. That's where the Accent succeeds.


Ride

The Accent's ride wasn't especially smooth, but it wasn't bad, either. It displayed more composure than I expected from such a small car, and it never became uncomfortable, even on rough pavement. Most of the time, it just soaked up the bumps, with fairly mild impacts and some bobbing from the suspension. It never became harsh, and it wasn't floaty either--it just kept me pleasantly in touch with the pavement, without transmitting any discomfort. While the engine was a bit loud, its pleasing sound kept it from ever becoming intrusive, and wind and road noise were kept down to a reasonable level. Not bad.

Much of the credit for the Accent's decent ride quality goes to the commendably stiff body structure. I felt not a single quiver or shake in the structure on my test drive, and I covered some pretty rough roads. This gives the Accent a surprisingly solid, all-of-a-piece feel, lending the little car a sense of substance that I hadn't expected.


Interior

I really admired Hyundai's approach to the Accent's interior. Instead of trying to take a low-budget cabin and dress it up with cheap, tacky add-ons (like pseudo-sporty gauges and flimsy "aluminum-look" trim, a la Dodge Neon) Hyundai spent its money making the Accent's interior look like what it is--the interior of a really good $10,000 car. It makes no pretensions of grandeur, opting instead for the honest, "cheap and cheerful" look. This reminded me of hatchbacks sold in Europe, where small and cheap cars don't carry the stigma they do here in the US, and thrifty doesn't necessarily mean shoddy.

The materials in the Accent aren't Civic- or Corolla-quality--the Accent makes no attempt to be luxurious. But its materials feel better than those in, say, a Neon or Cavalier, because its cheapness is honest and well-integrated. The dash and door panels are covered in a flat but rubbery material that feels better than hard, grainy plastic, and the console is molded in a smooth plastic that doesn't ring hollow when tapped. The steering wheel feels a bit plasticky in the hands, but all the other controls--even the climate controls--operate with a pleasant smoothness. The seat fabric was soft but supportive, and the seats themselves provided good comfort and support on my short test drive.

The only issue I had with the Accent's interior is that I felt too big for it. Not in terms of leg or headroom, because there was plenty--the interior just felt like it had been designed for people at least a foot and a half shorter than me. The cowl and windshield are very low, the driving position relatively high, and all the controls sat below my line of sight. It felt like I was sitting "on" the Accent, not "in" it, as if it were a 7/8ths scale model of a real car. I'm used to feeling a little more enclosed. But on the other hand, if you actually are a driver or shorter stature, you'll probably love the expansive view out and open feel that the Accent's interior provides.

And regardless of stature, all drivers will appreciate the way Hyundai sweated the details to keep this utilitarian-looking interior from feeling sparse. The key-in-ignition chime, for example, sounds like the ringing of a tiny bell, creating an amusing and less-serious atmosphere. When you close the door behind you, it meets the body with a substantial-sounding "thunk." The edges of the hood are visible from the driver's seat, which not only makes tight parking spots much easier to negotiate confidently, but also makes the car seem less tiny. Although the Accent's interior ambiance definitely feels appropriate to a cheap car, I think Hyundai did a good job of making it fun and unpretentious, and spent their effort in the right places. .


Practicality

The Accent was reasonably useful for such a small car, but practicality is its biggest weakness relative to other cars in its class. This is because of the lack of variety in body styles--you can get either a three-door hatchback or a four-door sedan. Except for the Toyota Echo, the Accent is the only car in the bottom-feeder class that can't be had as a wagon. Kia's Rio has a Cinco wagon variant, Chevrolet's Aveo can be had as a five-door hatchback, and Scion's xA has a tall wagon body over Toyota Echo mechanicals (which, incidentally, makes me wonder why the uglier and less-useful Echo isn't extinct yet). So although the Accent is the most fun in this class, people looking for maximum space for minimum cost will be better-served by its competitors.

That said, if you're more interested in a four-door sedan, the Accent does pack a surprising amount of space into its diminuitive body. The front seats had plenty of room for me, feeling just a bit narrow with the salesman riding shotgun, and the rear seat was at least habitable. The trunk was larger than I expected, and a folding rear seatback is standard even on the cheapest base model. The three-door hatchback comes with a shelf to cover any items in the cargo area--a thoughtful and useful touch. So if the Accent's limited range of body styles does it for you, I think you'll be impressed with the Accent's usability.


Reliability

The Accent's reliability has been rated as Average by Consumer Reports. Finally, some concrete proof that Hyundai's quality is up there with the big brands now. The average number of problems in a new car is quite low, so this is a good sign. Also, keep in mind Hyundai's lengthy warranty (10 years and 100,000 miles on the powertrain!), which provides extra peace of mind in the event that something does go wrong.


Overall

When it comes to car buying on a budget, I've usually recommended to friends that they check out good used cars before looking at the cheapest bottom-feeders on new-car lots. And yes, even after my overwhelmingly positive experience with the Accent, I still think this is good advice to keep in mind. You won't get as much interior or cargo room in the Accent as you would in an off-lease Civic or Corolla. The accommodations won't be as upscale, either, and neither will the styling.

But what you will get is a spirited, economical little runabout with a playful personality and surprisingly fun road manners. I really wasn't expecting the level of crisp, clean precision that the Accent's driving experience provided, or the solid and well-built feel it displayed over the road. Its interior wasn't lavish, but it pulled off its thriftiness well, and didn't feel tacky. As a commuter car, the Accent had plenty of space, although I certainly wouldn't recommend it as family transportation. And although many used cars come with warranties nowadays, none of them come with one that lasts 5 years or 60,000 miles (and I still can't believe the 10-year, 100,000 mile powertrain coverage).

The bottom line here is that the Accent is good enough to make the choice between a cheap new car and a nicer used car a matter of taste. Try both, see which suits you best, but I wouldn't discourage anyone who likes driving (and doesn't need loads of space) from giving the Accent a chance.




Feel free to check out my reviews on some of the Accent's competitors:
Chevrolet Aveo
Kia Rio
Scion xA

Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 11,299