Hyundai Accent 1st car?

[MagpieRacer]

So, the Hyundai Accent. It gets mocked alot, by many people, including Jeremy Clarkson, who mocks it mercilessly.

But anyway, the Hyundai Accent is at the moment, the main car I am looking at to buy for my first, looking to have bought something, preferably an Accent, before christmas.

I just wanted your opinions on the Accent, honest opinions, particularly on the 2000-2001 models, but on any of them if you have an opinion, maybe you have owned one? what was it like to live with? Going into more detail im looking at the 1.5 MVi as being "The One".

 

[Danny]

Having been in a couple (by choice, I add), it seems to be a solid family hatch. Not spectacular by any means, but by no means deserving of the lambasting it gets.
It might be virtually characterless, but it drives OK, looks OK (providing you're not considering that yellow one!) and the interior is well put together, if a little grey.

I've tried to find some owner-reviews to share with you, but people's experiences differ wildly (some stating bomb-proof reliability, some claiming the opposite), so much so that there's not a great deal you can take away in general from them.

But hey, we can start a GTP Korean Car Club.👍

 

[nd 4 holden spd]

Having driven one and had one at our dealership as a used car (which sounded naturally unhealthy and needed lots of fixing) and a step sister who owns one, and also driven an Excel and have a sister-by-blood who owns one, I think the Excel is the far superior car, but only the later model ones. I say drop the Accent and get this model of Excel:

Avoid any earlier ones though from what I understand, the older the year model an Excel gets the bombier it becomes.

*Watches thread as my post gets ignored*

 

[Danny]

The Excel is the UK's first generation Accent. Ashers is looking at the second gen Accent.

 

[nd 4 holden spd]

The Excel is the UK's first generation Accent. Ashers is looking at the second gen Accent.

The Accent looks twice the size of the Excel, are you sure? Why did they drop the Excel name? I still say go with the Excel/1st Gen Accent or what ever, simpler and smarter.

 

[homeforsummer]

Yup, the Accent is the Excel in the UK. The first-gen accent is too swoopy for my liking, but I have an odd attraction to the second-gen Accent, especially the MVi version that Ashers posted at the top of the page. 1.5 engine with roughly 100bhp I seem to remember.

They look pretty good with some mild enhancements too:

They're supposed to be kind of "average", but as a first car you really won't care, and if you can afford the MVi you'll still have enough performance to have fun. 0-60 in 10.5, 112mph top end, 46mpg on the motorway and insurance group 5.

Review from Parker's used cars here (their performance data on the model is wrong, I've compared it with other sites), a carkeys review here and owner's views at carsurvey.org

 

[Danny]

Yup, the Accent is the Excel in the UK.

Other way round.

 

[homeforsummer]

Other way round.

That's what I meant

 

[Muzaffar]

Well my brother did owned the 2nd Gen Accent GL Sedan (I think) and well, its exactly what like Danny said. My brother's car did held up quite good actually, with the only problem (that I know of anyways) was the radio volume button was broken. But yeah, its a good car to be in and drive but don't expect anything special from it. A good point is that is definitely waaaay better than any Proton I have ridden in..... 👍

 

[Omnis]

I drive an '02 Accent GS:

My suggestions: Change OEM tires immediately. Replace OEM brake pads with something better when the time comes too. My car won't go past 80mph. Its automatic transmission sucks, so if the car has one you're gonna have to get used to some right-foot finesse to keep the engine from going all over the place. Also, the car has zero torque so forget about overtaking at speeds above 35mph. Today, it took me about 100 car lengths from 50mph to gain enough speed to pass this one guy to merge right to make my turn off the road. The hatch is also hard to close. I think it's just my car though; you have to slam it. I just replaced my headlight bulbs and the existing OEM ones were stubborn as hell to get off. The contacts actually ripped out of the bulb and remained stuck in the socket.

The visibility is very good and the interior is surprisingly roomy. I fit better in the back seat of my coupe than I do the back seat of our '98 Ford Explorer. Basically, all of the OEM replaceable parts on the car suck, but the car itself is pretty good.

 

[Boz Mon]

I drive an '02 Accent GS:

My car won't go past 80mph. Its automatic transmission sucks, so if the car has one you're gonna have to get used to some right-foot finesse to keep the engine from going all over the place. Also, the car has zero torque so forget about overtaking at speeds above 35mph. Today, it took me about 100 car lengths from 50mph to gain enough speed to pass this one guy to merge right to make my turn off the road.

You cant be serious about this? What size engine is in this thing? My 83 Lebaron would do more than 80 (barely) and it had enough power to pass even with a 3 speed auto trans, and a 2 bbl carb.

 

[Omnis]

No, I'm serious. The engine has plenty left in it but the transmission doesn't. I can get to 90 on a decline, though. The OEM tires are only rated for 85, so I'm guessing the transmission or a governor keeps it at 80.

And what I meant about the overtaking thing was that the guy was also accelerating, so I basically had to drag-race him until he noticed that I was trying to get over. Took a while...

 

[homeforsummer]

Auto transmission + small engine = no chance of overtaking aaaanything

I don't even know if you can get an auto on the UK Accent though, so it's not really an issue like it is on your car.

 

[forza2.0]

my mate had one as a first car and now seems to be a avid hyundai fan. Dont like the accent but the coupe he has now is really really nice. The car surprises everyone, and sounds lovely with his aftermarket exhaust.

How much are accents?

 

[MagpieRacer]

I have seen them used for as low as £400, up to around £1200 for a 2002 1.5 MVi.

 

[YSSMAN]

They aren't horrible cars, but for the price, aren't there better options with blue ovals on the hood?

Question: Do they offer this one in your price range?

I'm told that its a fantastic value in this price range...

 

[homeforsummer]

What's one of those? We don't get them in the UK whatever they are.

 

[Danny]

It's the MKIII Accent, and we only get the hatchback here.

 

[MagpieRacer]

Im capping my budget at about £1k, not sure if there are MKIII in that range, but I prefer the styling of the MKII over the MKIII anyway.

Yssman, there probably is, but in the whole picture, I would rather an Accent than a Fiesta, Focus' are out of my price range and the insurance on the Accent is among the cheapest I have found.

 

[YSSMAN]

Ah, I see... I understand fully. The Accent is an odd little car where the later it was built, the better it seemed to be. They offered a "GT" model here in the US, which wasn't horrible, but it wasn't going to win awards away from the Corolla and Civic.

 

[JCE]

The Accent is a good car, it just needs some TLC to become more. It wouldn't be a bad commute car or first car. Its surprisingly comfortable in the front than what you think it is.

 

[Thirdeye]

My girlfriend loves the Accent, need I say more? lol

 

[nd 4 holden spd]

My girlfriend loves the Accent, need I say more? lol

Accents are very popular with hotties, don't know why.

 

[homeforsummer]

They know it's been bought cheaply, ergo more money to spend on them...

 

[niky]

That's a good point... any auto-enthusiast's wife knows that a guy's obsession with his car is inversely proportional to the cash in his wallet at the end of the month...

 

[G.T]

It's a good car for the price - I've been in one before (in bright red ). It's adequate enough to do everything - having been in a Previous-gen Fiesta since the Accent is a little more roomy but has a slightly duller, greyer interior. Whatever floats your boat really.

 

[Jondot]

Please don't buy a yellow one. Please. You won't do yourself any favours.

To be honest, I wouldn't buy one because I couldn't live with that interior. But if you don't mind it, you shouldn't have any problems. They're sound, if not terribly interesting.

 

[homeforsummer]

This one is reasonably interesting :

And here is something marginally more useful to the OP, a used car test of the Accent by Auto Express.