4 Star Reviews for Hyundai Accent

Overview & Reviews

Average Score

4.19/5 Average
964 Total Reviews
Model Overview:

Since its 1995 introduction, the Hyundai Accent has served as the company's entry-level small car. Although grouped with similarly priced subcompact cars, the Accent sedan and hatchback have always fallen under the EPA's classification for a compact car, which translates to a surprisingly roomy interior. Other typical Accent advantages include generous standard equipment, a choice of hatchback and sedan body styles and long warranty coverage.

The latest Hyundai Accent has made great strides toward front-runner status in this competitive segment, which is a welcome change from past models. It is now larger inside and out, and the overall look of the car is certainly more dynamic. Performance and overall quality have been notably improved as well. Prior to the current-generation car, older Accents suffered from low safety ratings and an overall level of quality that didn't match up to some competitors.

Current Hyundai Accent
Available as a sedan or a four-door hatchback, the Accent comes with a 1.6-liter four-cylinder producing 138 horsepower and 123 pound-feet of torque. A six-speed manual transmission is standard, while a six-speed automatic is also available. Power output is impressive for the class, and the Accent gets excellent fuel economy as well.

The sedan comes only in base GLS trim, while the hatchback comes in GS and the top-line SE trims. The GLS is nicely equipped with air-conditioning, full power accessories and a six-speaker sound system with a CD player, satellite radio and iPod/USB/auxiliary input jacks. Option highlights including foglights, alloy wheels, keyless entry, upgraded interior trim, a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, cruise control and Bluetooth are available. The GS hatchback adds a few extra features. Stepping up to the SE hatchback gets you pretty much all of the optional features as standard.

Inside, the Hyundai Accent has a look and feel that's a cut above most rivals, with patterned upholstery, a sculpted dash and a modern overall design. Although some drivers may be bothered by the lack of a telescoping steering wheel as standard equipment on most trims, taller passengers will find all but the rear center seat roomy and comfortable. Cargo space is also quite accommodating, especially in the hatchback models.

On the road, the Accent's four-cylinder engine pulls significantly stronger than the power plants of its major competitors. Both the six-speed manual and the six-speed automatic transmissions make good use of that output, too. What it lacks in sporty handling dynamics, it compensates for with a quiet, comfortable ride and good overall composure -- criteria likely more important to buyers shopping this segment. That the Accent performs this well overall while still rating an EPA-estimated 31 mpg combined is impressive. Overall, the Hyundai Accent stands as a front-runner in the subcompact segment.

Used Hyundai Accent Models
The Hyundai Accent was fully redesigned for 2012, marking its fourth generation. Compared to the previous generation, this Accent is roomier inside, with a more stylish design and a more powerful and fuel-efficient engine. There haven't been any major changes since, although the optional telescoping steering wheel didn't become available until 2014.

The third-generation Hyundai Accent was built from 2006-'11. It's a cost-effective choice for a used car, though not a particularly exciting one. All third-generation Accents were powered by 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine that produced 110 hp and 106 lb-ft of torque. Transmission choices included either a five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic.

During its run, a steady progression of changes and improvements were implemented. Initially, a sedan body style and single trim level were available. In 2007, a two-door hatchback was added to the lineup along with additional trim levels: the GS and SE were offered on the hatchback and GLS was the only sedan choice.

GS models were modestly appointed with the bare necessities. The SE added 16-inch alloy wheels, air-conditioning, power accessories, a CD player, a sport-tuned suspension and quicker steering. The GLS sedan included air-conditioning and the audio system as standard, with power accessories and alloy wheels optional. A sunroof and an upgraded audio system were optional on the SE.

There was a slight bump in fuel economy for 2009, as well as available cruise control. For 2010, the entry-level Blue trim joined the lineup as the new value leader, but was renamed the GL one year later. In the meantime, the GS received standard air-conditioning. USB connectivity was added to the available auxiliary input in 2010. Used car shoppers should pay special attention to whether or not an Accent has antilock brakes, as the car's braking distance grows excessively long without them. Antilock brakes weren't even an option for the GS until 2010. Finally in 2011, all Accents featured it as standard.

In reviews, we found the third-generation Accent to be a decent choice for those seeking basic, fuel-efficient transportation, but plain styling and cheap materials kept appeal fairly low. Still, there was enough interior space for average-sized adults to get comfortable in the front or rear. Driving the Accent offered no revelations in performance, but the brakes were strong (with ABS) and ride quality and handling were acceptable for an economy car. Power was adequate for driving around town, but sluggish at highway speeds in automatic-transmission models. One final aspect to consider is the Accent's crash test scores; it performed very poorly in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's side-impact crash test.

The second-generation Accent was sold in sedan and hatchback form from 2000-'05. Initially, this Accent was offered only with an 89-hp, 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine (horsepower varied slightly over the years). A 104-hp, 1.6-liter engine joined the lineup in 2001 and replaced the 1.5-liter altogether in 2003. Acceleration was adequate even with the 1.5-liter engine, however, and both the automatic and manual transmissions perform acceptably.

Handling and braking capabilities were modest on second-gen Accents, mainly because of the car's undersized 13-inch wheels and tires. Hyundai did offer the 2004 and '05 GT hatchback with 14-inch wheels and a firmer suspension, but if you're buying any used Accent, it's a good idea to set aside some money for better tires. Unfortunately, antilock brakes were optional only on 2005 Accents. Front seat-mounted side airbags were standard on 2003 GL sedans and hatchbacks, and on all 2004 and '05 models.

Sold from 1995-'99, the first-generation Hyundai Accent was also available as both a compact sedan and a three-door hatchback; it replaced Hyundai's shoddily built Excel subcompact (1986-'94). All Accents of this era came with a 92-hp, 1.5-liter engine, except for the 1996 and '97 GT hatch, which had a DOHC, 16-valve version of this engine good for 105 hp. ABS was optional on automatic transmission-equipped Accents sold from 1995-'98, but this safety feature was discontinued entirely for 1999 and didn't turn up again until 2005.

User Reviews:

Showing 1 through 10 of 964.00
  • 2011 Hyundai Accent at 90k miles, happy so far! - 2011 Hyundai Accent
    By -

    I was sad to read the latest review just prior to mine, in which the owner had several problems early on that sounds like a rare lemon for this brand. I bought my Accent in 2012 from a dealer at that time it had 35k miles on it. The fuel efficiency has been great! It feels rather roomy for having such a small footprint, which I have been thankful for as I live in the SF bay area and parking spots are quite small. Im 62" and have had at least on one occasion traveled with three other people in the car who are roughly my same size they all said that they were comfortable. The only maintenance issue Ive had were the power coils going out. The first coils that went out were covered under the 60k warranty. The remaining coils went out around 8k later, otherwise it has been a trooper. The downsides have been mentioned before. Acceleration is not the best, particularly with highway merges. Also the interior feels a bit cheap and gets dirty fairly easily, but then again this is a cheap car. It is a bit noisy driving on the highway, but that might also be a common issue with subcompacts. If youre on a budget and want a car that is a dream to park in cities, then this is the car to get!

  • good little car - 2013 Hyundai Accent
    By -

    I have had my car for just over two years. When i bought it new it had only 6 miles on it, it now has 113,000. I have done my own maintenance on it. I have replaced the tires once. I have also replaced the battery. The sensor valve stems are fragile and break very easily and are expensive to replace. My current issues are a vibration sensor that sometimes comes on and then goes off without me having to do anything. The cruise control switch is acting up, but other than that it has been a good little car. My complaint would be the road noise while driving and the radio only going up to 32. You see when you cant hear the radio because of road noise so you turn it up, you are out of luck once you reach maximum and still cant really hear. Also, car companies, not including a spare is really a bad idea. Yea it saves them money, but if you have a blow out in the middle of no-where that inflator that they include will not work, so again you are out of luck. Incidentally, to buy a spare from the dealer was over $200 so i went to discount tire bought a full-sized universal rim and tire for $70. The best mileage I ever got was 56 hwy, (I even took a picture of it since no one would believe me) now after so many miles I get around 37 combined.I fear that hyundai should focus on the electrical more and resolve the issues there and include a full sized spare tire or at least a donut instead of the blow up kit.

  • Great first car - 2002 Hyundai Accent
    By -

    this is the cheapest little car you can get, it has very little put into it interior or electronics wise, but it makes up for all that by having an average of 40 miles to the gallon. which even modern cars have trouble doing. this car is surprisingly good in snow, getting me around in as much as 6 inches of snow as long as i braked real early and kept it in third gear or below. the interior sucks, but i really couldnt care about it since it was my first car. the only big problem is that the car is made for an average sized male, meaning if you are shorter than say 5"5 like me then youre seat belt will always get stuck on the seat back support adjuster. there is no electronic or power anything, my girlfriend hated that dis-feature about this car but seeing all those cars get hacked i liked the dis-feature. this car model has a glitch in the programming that will show the check engine light sometimes, and the problem will read engine cylinder 1 or 2 random failure. leave that be, its nothing. if you want to do anything switch out the spark plugs and wires, dont go crazy on repairs. the battery hook wires rot off at around 80,000 miles

  • Nothing But Tears - 2008 Hyundai Accent
    By -

    Ive had this car for 5 years. Two of those years I spent at college without it. Ive put about 60,000 miles on it. I LOVED this car. The first time the engine misfired, I thought "no big deal, this car has been amazing to me". It was all down hill from there. The engine has misfired twice and needed to be fixed. The breaks have been replaced four times. A valve broke off near the transmission and oil leaked down into the clutch. I needed a full clutch kit replacement and parts of the transmission replaced. That was less than four months ago. Last week, my timing belt broke without any warning and bent my entire motor. With that, I will have put over $4,000 into this car for repairs.

  • Comfortable Basic Car - 2014 Hyundai Accent
    By -

    This is a small, cheap car that looks nice, feels comfortable, and gets very good gas mileage. While a few very small improvements are in order, I would highly recommend it.

  • Bought two and they are a great value! - 2012 Hyundai Accent
    By -

    So my husband and daughter were in college. They needed dependable transportation with great gas mileage. She iives in snow country. We live in city. Both have over 50k on them and run great. We bought these because of the gas savings and warranty. For those things they hit the mark. The road traction is great in the snow. Neither car has needed repair. Just tires at 50k.

  • my second one - 1997 Hyundai Accent
    By -

    I had one in Korea for one year with 285,000 m on it, and tried to kill it before leaving. Couldnt. Having such a good experience with Korean cars, I bought a daewoo matiz (1998?) and drove that 100,000 miles without any incident until the rear axle packed it in. When returning stateside, went looking for a cheap ride, and found my second accent, and grabbed it at 2000$ after it had been cleaned up by a dealer. I have put 130,000 km on it in 3 years and havent had to do anything except one front bearing. Parts are among the cheapest in the industry and I dont think I would buy anything not Korean for transportation unless I win the lottery. Better than any ford or chev I have owned.

  • 10 yr Review - Fantastic value! - 2004 Hyundai Accent
    By -

    I bought this vehicle in 2008 as the third owner (1st yr, rental car company2nd owner, military who commuted 60 miles each way to base). Bought for $5400 w/55k miles, I drove it for 2yrs locally, going to work, errands on weekend, avgd 29/city. Took a job 102 miles each way, commuted each day for 18 months, avgd 35 highway! Mileage at start of job was 70k, 145k when done. Since then, local commute is all-city, avg 28mpg. I now have 170k miles, and the only major expenses Ive had are tires, wheel bearings, and FWD axles. Also replaced a few broken door handles, spark plugs, plug wires, & belts, but those are cheap. Most reliable and cheapest car to operate Ive EVER owned in 30 years.

  • This is a great car - 2009 Hyundai Accent
    By -

    Of course it gets great MPG and is reliable. Our favorite thing about it, though, may seem a bit odd -- it is that it has a button that permits air recirculation for the fan, heater and AC. You may think this is common, but the difference is that once you set it to recirculate instead of pull air from the outside, it STAYS ON. Other vehicles will do an override, like our Ford, that will shut it off. Those types of vehicles think they are smarter than you are, and if the humidity or whatever gets to a certain level, off it goes. We really, really hate breathing pollution from the cars in front of us -- the fan will pull it right from their exhaust pipe into your face.

  • I love this car, 50MPG is easily attainable. - 2009 Hyundai Accent
    By -

    I have had this car from new. It has been exceptionally reliable. Ive never had a problem with it. I average 40-50 MPG on the highway and 30-40 MPG in the city. It is very fuel efficient for the price. My only issues that the seats are a bit uncomfortable on very long trips. I drive for two days each way to my summer vacation spot, and my back hurts after each run. Two doors was enough when I bought it, but limber passengers are a requirement to get into the back, though there is plenty of legroom back there. With the back seats down, the cargo area is enormous, we have shoved mountains of stuff in there. 100K on it so far, no issues.

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