My family recently rented a 2000 Hyundai Accent GS Hatchback. It was gray in color and had 25,000km on it. (around 17,000 miles)

What a nice looking little car this is. It looks like a much more expensive car. The headlights are big and provide good illumination and the doors are nice and tight and open and close with ease.

Inside the Accent is another story. The dashboard is well laid out, but cheap, cheap, cheap! The plastic on the middle of the dash where the HVAC controls and the radio are placed can be pushed in with your baby finger. The front seats are very comfortable, and there is ample legroom. Good visibility all around. The rear seats are comfortable, but don't come expecting a whole bunch of legroom. The back seat only accommodates children comfortably, so I wouldn't recommend piling adults in the back for a long trip. The Accent has all kinds of hatch space, and a low liftover makes loading groceries or other cargo easy as pie.

The Accent has a long list of smart standard features, like lumbar support for the driver, 60/40 split rear seats, tilt steering wheel, door ajar/hatch ajar/low fuel warning lights, and power brakes.

On the road, the Accent has a smooth ride. The suspension absorbs most bumps with impeccable ease, and there is hardly any wind or road noise. When accelerating or passing, the Accent's 1.5 liter, 95 horsepower engine, just doesn't have quite enough juice to get the job done as quickly as you want it to. It has ample power for city driving or jaunts back and forth to the store, but if you want to pass or merge, better make sure you push that overdrive button. At low speeds, there is some engine noise, which gets worse as the driver presses down more and more on the accelerator.

Despite its lack of engine power, the Accent is still a lot of fun to toss around. Its power steering and relatively small size make it easy to drive. Parking is what the Accent does best. Good sight lines and a small turning circle make it the ideal car to drive in congested areas. This car can fit in almost any parking spot.

Consumer guides and other car buying guides indicate the Accent has had above average reliability since 1997. Crash safety is above average for a car of this size.

Any parsimonious individual will love the fact that the Accent sips gas. We only spent about $6 per week on this little car.

Would I buy a Hyundai Accent? Absolutely. It may not be as refined as Honda or Toyota, but then again it's a lot cheaper. The Accent is reliable, fun to drive, practical, and cute. What more can you ask for?

Amount Paid (US$): 9,900
Condition: New
Model Year: 2000
Model and Options: 2000 Hyundai Accent GS Automatic