I bought a used 2001 Hyundai Accent back in January through a private sale. It was to replace my recently departed 1999 Hyundai Accent, which was written off in an accident. I decided to stay with the Accent for the sake I had gotten into a high speed collision and managed to come out of the accident unscathed, so Hyundai had earned a second look in my book.

Car Specs
2001 Hyundai Accent GSI
3 Door Hatchback
1.5L/ 106hp Engine
Automatic Transmission
Spoiler
13" Sport Rims
Sport Body Trim
Moonroof
8-Way Adjustable front seats
Silver exterior colour
Dark Grey interior colour
Clarion CD Player
Pseudo Power Locks

Impressions
I decided to wait a bit before reviewing my car so I could give a good overview of the vehicle. I've owned it for 10 months and it was bought used with 42000kms on the car. It was a sporty looking car and I managed to get the car for $7500, which was well lower then similar models I had been looking at through dealerships.

Exterior
The exterior of the car has been decidedly upgraded from the previous model of the car. My car is a GSI, so it has a fair amount of sporty features for an inexpensive car. It has a spoiler, moonroof, sport body moldings and 13" sport rims. The car has power locks, but not in the conventional sense. There is no remote, but the locks are controlled by the lock on the drivers door. Open this door with the key and the doors and back hatch open, which is a handy little feature. It's a bit unconventional, but it's very functional. I am unsure whether there is a remote available for this model of car, though would be interested in getting it if it were.

Interior
The interior is reasonably spacious, with more front legroom then my previous car. I am 6'2" tall, so it gives me plenty of legroom. I also have a fair amount of clearance above my head as well, which is handy because I have lots of tall friends. The back is also reasonably roomy for a small car. I've driven with 4 adults in the car with no problems. The front driver seat has 8 way adjustable controls, making it easy to adjust the seat perfectly to your body. The car has tilt steering, with an easy adjust lever at the base of the steering wheel. The seats are a dark cloth material, with a speckled pattern on it, which I'm not too fond of, but it's not too bad. The seats are comfortable for a couple of hours, though over long trips you'll probably want a breather. I drove a 6 hour trip to Ottawa and didn't have too much issue with the seats. The moonroof has a drop out cover, which can be inconvenient, but I always have the cover off anyways, so it's not that big of an issue. The moonroof is a lifesaver in this car, seeings as it doesn't have air conditioning.

Mechanical Performance
Before I bought it I found out there was a new transmission installed in the car, as the previous had apparently been a lemon. The car itself is still under a 4 year/60,000km Powertrain warranty until November, so I felt that I should be adequately covered should I run into problems with it in the first year of owning it. With that said, I don't think Hyundai makes terribly great automatic engines. I had heard the automatics were bad with the '99 models, so I stayed clear of them at the time. I had read the newer Accents had improved in that area, so I was willing to take a chance. I find the engine seems to rev pretty high before grabbing onto the next gear at lower speeds. I took the car into a dealership for them to take a look and they said it was working properly, so I can only take their word for it. Having previously owned a 5-speed Accent it seemed the car lacked power when comparing the transmissions, even though the 2001 has a 14hp advantage over a 1999 model. The car has a fair amount of power once it gets over 80km/h, so highway driving is no problem with this car. It can go 150km/h without breaking a sweat. The car isn't a gas guzzler either. In these days of high gas prices it takes about $25-27 CDN to fill the tank, which isn't too bad. I get about 350kms to a tank.

Overall
I would say I'm satisfied with this car, though I probably would have been happier with a standard version, just for the added pep. It's an entry level commuter car with a fair amount of sporty perks for not alot of money. It's a sharp looking car and doesn't give the impression you're driving an econo car.
Amount Paid (US$): 7500 CDN
Condition: Used
Model Year: 2001
Model and Options: GSI Automatic