I think that the best way to start this is by saying that in 1994 we needed a car desperately. We couldn't afford anything big or fancy so somehow we ended up with a Hyundai Excel. It was cheap, new and suited our needs.
As things turned out, it was a really smart buy. Here we are, now 7 years later, finally replacing it. We never had any problems with it and had no complaints, so, we went back to Hyundai.
When we got there we found that they no longer make the Excel. It has been replaced with the Accent. So we checked it out and brought one home. We love it.
Let me start with what it has. I will take it right from the tags so that I don't miss anything:
1.6L 16-valve DOHC engine
Multi-Port fuel injection
Distributorless Ignition
5 speed manual transmission
Power rack & pinion steering Fully independent suspension
Front & Rear stabilizer bars
Ventilated front disc brakes
All season steel belted Radial tires
Deluxe full wheel covers
5 MPH Body color bumpers
Body color side moldings
Adjustable drivers seat
Intermittent wipers/washer
Rear window wiper/washer
Rear window defroster w/timer
Front dual airbags
Seat belt pretensioners
AM/FM ETR Cassette Radio
Remote fuel door release
Reclining front seats
60/40 split folding rear seat
Deluxe full cloth seats
Tachometer & Digital clock
Dual retractable cup holders
Deluxe center console w/ coin holder & storage box
Detachable cargo area cover
Fully trimmed cargo area
California emissions
White face gauges
Air conditioning
Carpeted floor mats
Mud guards
rear spoiler
Okay, there, that is everything. So you can't complain that something isn't there when it is an option to get it. It is all possible. If you want it stripped, then you can get it that way. If not, you can get it loaded. But it is an option. And it is your personal choice.
We bought this car primarily for my husband who has a forty minute ride to work. It is all back roads and mountains, as we live in the mountains of West Virginia. The car gets excellent gas miles on these roads. We average about 29-33 mile per gallon, with no highway driving. Hyundai claims that we should get between 27 to 31 so they are right on track.
The car handles great. The roads that we travel are winding, with some pretty crazy corners. When we have this car you don't even feel it. It hugs those corners quite nicely. And it has plenty of power to pull the mountains.We new it would be a good car, but we are quite impressed.
Everything is set up nicely for the driver. It has great mirrors, dual I might add. Our first Hyundai only had one. And all of the switches are nice and close so you don't have to lean all over the place. The seats are comfortable. The drivers seat has the adjustable lumbar support. My husband loves that, having such a long ride. It also has tilt wheel. Another plus! And the AC is very powerful and doesn't bog down the engine.
As far as roominess. We are both between 5'5" and 5'7" and have plenty of room to grow. Not that we need to. The back seat is good for three kids or two adults. And the trunk is endless. There is plenty of room! And the glove compartment is huge. It is just one of those things that I have to add because I could not get over the space in it when I looked. I laughed and told my husband, "look, another trunk." He got a kick out of that. But there is a lot of room in it.
What do we like about the car? Well, it is was inexpensive, sporty looking, and has everything that we needed. All of this along with it handling very well, giving a great ride and the terrific gas mileage. Plus, you can say a lot for a company that offers a 10 year 100,000 mile warranty. That shows that they stand behind their product and have much faith in it too.
What don't we like? Well, we have only found two things at this point in time. The rear windows don't open and the cup holder is a bit close to the gear shift. But that is it.
This car is a great buy for the commuter or anyone who does a lot of driving. It is comfortable yet economical. And of course, inexpensive.
We are very happy with this car. We have owned it for two months now. I will have to update this review awhile down the road to keep everyone up to date.
Update: We have now had this car for three full years. We have not had any problems at all with it. We have put new tires on it and it has a new windshield. But the windshield was due to an incident on the freeway. We are still very happy with this car.
Amount Paid (US$): 11,329.00
Condition: New
Model Year: 2001
Model and Options: Accent GS 2 door hatchback
