Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!

Honda Fit v. Hyundai Accent

1246

Comments

  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    You don't need to do anything on my account. We can just have different opinions on this. I just didn't appreciate your initial comments in which you said people who didn't agree with you were "stupid" and other derogatory adjectives. I am glad you are approaching this discussion more civilly now.

    If you don't hold Hyundai in high regard, fine. I know a lot of people don't. But there are people like me who think the Accent is a decent little car, and believe it or not it's not because we're stupid.
  • thegraduatethegraduate Member Posts: 9,731
    You are really taking away the credibility of Honda owners in here bud... meybe lighten up and don't be so hard on others. It's not a fight or a competition just because there is vs. in the title.

    I'm a Honda fan more than a Hyundai fan, so don't feel like I'm a Hyundai person ganging up on you, I'm not.

    BTW, I'm not just referring to this specific post I replied to.
  • moparbadmoparbad Member Posts: 3,870
    who think the Accent is a decent little car,

    The Accent SE with Sun and Sound package is a great small car. :)
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Hey, did you actually find one to drive?? That's been really hard for me. The nearest I could find anywhere in my area with an inventory search is one SE automatic, and I'd like to try the stick. I can live w/o the moonroof and optional sound system, but I'll bet it's fun.
  • moparbadmoparbad Member Posts: 3,870
    Yes I did. It was an automatic, SE, with the moonroof and stereo package. Was located at a brand new Hyundai dealership that had moved into a failed Mitsubishi dealership's location. The Mitsu situation is a sad one. :(

    I was impressed with it. Wish they had a four door hatch version. For those who do not need the utility of the Fit I would suggest checking out the Accent SE. It was nicer than the Civic Si 2002 I used to own!

    Now, if the Elantra would only show up, that is what I really want to test.

    Regarding the Fit, the only thing I really would like to see is an optional sunroof or a model with a sunroof.

    The problem with the Accent SE is that the dealers do not want to discount it and it is difficult to justify the value of the Accent compared to a Elantra or Sonata.

    Same problem with a Fit compared to Civic or Accord.
  • moparbadmoparbad Member Posts: 3,870
    The Accent SE I test drove was wine red with gray interior.
    The gray interior did not appeal to me at all. It made the interior appear "cheaper" than the quality of materials would suggest and I suspect it would be difficult to keep clean.
    No Accent 3 door with black interior were available, therefore I was not able to evaluate the interior in black.
    My exterior choices would be silver or charcoal gray with black interior.

    Something that was interesting to me is that the Accent SE reminded me so much of the Honda Civic Si 3 door of the early 90's, only modernized. :blush:
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    I saw a Civic hatch the other day and thought the same thing. The taillamps were almost the same shape on the two cars. The Civic was boxier in back and the front ends are different, but overall quite similar.

    I saw red with a black interior at an auto show and it looked too austere for my taste. But then I'm not a fan of black interiors in general, especially in small cars.
  • 02whttrib02whttrib Member Posts: 39
    I too am having trouble finding an SE to drive. My dealer here has had me on a call list (2 months now) for when they get one in. They told me they may not get one this year. Jackson, MS area.

    The base hatchbacks they have are very nicely finished and are really sharp lookers.

    If any of you have found SE's, what areas are these showing up in?

    TIA
    Ray
  • moparbadmoparbad Member Posts: 3,870
    There are plenty of SE's in the Chicago area. More than one at each dealer.
    The Fit, however, is sold out.
  • 02whttrib02whttrib Member Posts: 39
    That figures, just a boat trip up the river I guess.

    I don't like the Fit. Just the opposite here, plenty of Fits on the lots. I've seen one on the road.
  • herotakesafallherotakesafall Member Posts: 103
    I'm just outside of Chicago. I test drove one last week (an SE hatch) and I fell in love. The Fit's ride and handling seems a lot more...econocar in comparison. The SE just seems perfect for me. The 16" alloys are really nice, too! I was planning on waiting for the Elantra, but I doubt it'll handle anywhere near as well as the SE. Now my only decision is if I'll spend a bit more and get the Versa with CVT since it supposedly has such great fuel economy. Decisions, decisions.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Take a look at the fuel economy discussion on the Versa here in Town Hall before buying one. The numbers aren't that great. Keep in mind the Versa is a much heavier car than the Fit or Accent.
  • kicker364kicker364 Member Posts: 3
    I want the 2007 GS hatchback, but I want the SE wheels. Would they fit on the GS model? Or is the bolt pattern different on the SE than the GS?
  • cmkcmk Member Posts: 59
    Am I missing something or is cruise control not available on any trim level???
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Correct, factory cruise not available on any U.S. spec Accent.
  • cmkcmk Member Posts: 59
    how odd and unfortunate. I guess I should take it in stride, though, as I believe that all car manufacturers are conspiring against me making it impossible for me to find one car with the options I want.
  • moparbadmoparbad Member Posts: 3,870
    If you want cruise control for the Accent or for the base Fit then Rostra aftermarket cruise is probably the best choice of an aftermarket cruise control.
    $180 to $250 is range of good prices for the complete kit depending on make and model of vehicle.
  • accentuateaccentuate Member Posts: 4
    I finally got to test drive the Blue honda fit (not the sport) and there were some things I like and some things I don't.

    But I want to point out that this is a Honda Fit Vs. Hyundai Accent thread. I currently own a Hyundai Accent and I will try and be as non-bias as possible.

    The Honda Fit, by far, is the most spacious small car I have ever been in. The "Magic" seats aren't as magic as I thought. The folding flat seats are amazing but the fact that you have to push the front seats forward, loosing your driving position, is kind of an issue. I will say that there is a canyon of cargo space to be had in the Honda Fit, and really quite none in the Hyundai Accent. I found a picture of an accent with four golf club bags and I have actually put a golf club in the car and there wasn't ample space for it. I really do not think that 4 would fit comfortably.

    Next is the rear wiper issue. I can understand that they might not have changed it when they went from RHD to LHD but regardless of that little issue, the Rear wiper swipes 1/4th of a circle (on the opposite side you should see). The visibility really is quite bad. The Accent's does a 180 and actually swipes a nice visible area.

    Adjustable seats, a dead pedal...Things that Honda has and just hasn't incorporated them into the Fit. They are very nice things in the Accent, and if Honda brings them will be equal, but for the matter at hand Accent has them and Fit does not.

    I decided, vanity mirrors are not that big of an issue. Lit vanity mirrors are quite nice things to have. So far I have yet to see an economy car with them other then the Accent (though upon my searches that was not on the to-look--for list). Honda has one mirror on the driver side. A minor inconvenience, but if your paying for a car and one has dual lit mirrors and the other has a single non lit mirror, it is a nice thing to have dual.

    Heated mirrors are something I only thought came in high end cars. Hyundai incorporated them into the Accent and I decided that from now on I will not own a car that does not have heated mirrors. I got to test drive the Honda Fit in the morning after a fine mist of water had settled, and got a chance to use the defrost. As I was getting ready to drive away, I realized I could not even see out of my mirrors and had to roll down the windows and wipe the mirrors off. It is very nice to have heated mirrors. A HUGE concern as well with the honda is the fact that you have to adjust two of your four dash vents to point towards the windows just to defrost them. I thought that almost all new cars would have their own defrost vents that are stationary towards the windows, however I was wrong. The Hyundai Accent has them, the Honda Fit does not.

    Again I want to point out that I am only putting the facts down. These are all things the Honda Fit and the Hyundai Accent have and don't have. I hope that the things I have written are as non-bias as I can be.

    Oh and I also want to point out that as far as tuners go as well as people who don't fancy factory stereo's people will have a very hard time changing the factory stereo in the Fit. The accents is flat and is the right size for 2 standard stereo' s. The Fit has a factory made dash that is not a standard stereo size. So with a 1997 Ford Taurus having that same problem, and seeing my brother buy the large plastic insert to make it a standard size stereo, I believe that the Honda Fit with an aftermarket stereo would look quite awkward.

    I would love to test drive the Fit Sport and really get to judge the two in a performance level, however it will be quite a while before I will be able to test drive a Fit Sport.
  • bobw3bobw3 Member Posts: 2,989
    It's true that Hyundai and Kia have more comfort features than Honda & Toyota, but how do you compare the actual driving, handling, braking, road noise, quality, etc between the two? What did you think in your test drive?

    Also, I don't believe you lose the front seat position when you use the lever on top of the front seats to move them forward, or you can take off the rear headrests and then you don't have to move the front seats at all.

    Does the Accent come in a 4dr hatch version?
  • snakeweaselsnakeweasel Member Posts: 19,290
    Does the Accent come in a 4dr hatch version?

    The hatch version is 2 doors only (and I am waiting to see if they do come out with the 200hp version :blush: )

    Currently Hyundai doesn't make any 4 door hatchbacks, but very soon you should see an Elantra Hatchback.

    2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D

  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Hyundai does make 4-door hatchbacks--we just don't get them in the U.S. :(

    accentuate, thanks for the review. You hit on a few things missing on the Fit, primarily the driving position and seat adjustments, that keep me from putting the Fit at the top of my list. I too would be interested in your test-drive notes, since you own an Accent so you can give us a good comparison with the Fit.
  • snakeweaselsnakeweasel Member Posts: 19,290
    Hyundai does make 4-door hatchbacks--we just don't get them in the U.S.

    O.K. I stand corrected.

    2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D

  • eldainoeldaino Member Posts: 1,618
    Was it an older hatch? I think someone else said that it reminded them of a much older civic si. Hyundai seems to have a trend of emulating old honda's. The current sonata looks like they stole the but off of the 02-05 accord, and mixed a litte of the previous generation as well. I guess they are keeping up the trend with the accent.
  • eldainoeldaino Member Posts: 1,618
    as far as 'tuners' go, anyone wanting to up the performance on a car would probably take the stereo out, it's just extra weight so that is irrelevant. For an unbiased fit review, you sure did only focus on what features the fit lacked, a definite issue for the fit ofcourse, but i would have liked to see a bit more performance numbers. But i agree about not being able to find a sport to test drive easy at all!
  • eldainoeldaino Member Posts: 1,618
    wow i've been gone for so long i didn't realize how serious everyone was taking me! That's kinda funny! Oh and i'm sure i'm not taking any kind of credibility from honda owners. I think it would take a lot more than a few 'bad mood' posts to do that. :shades:
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    There's only so many ways to pen a 3-door hatch. The fact that the taillamps on the Accent hatch are remindful of the Civic hatch from a few years back doesn't mean Hyundai copied an old Civic. Can you imagine the discussion at Hyundai's HQ: "Hey, let's copy the taillamps from an old Civic because people will think the Accent is... an old Civic. Oh. Never mind!" And if Hyundai did intentionally emulate the Accord's rear styling, all I can say is that they certainly improved on it!
  • eldainoeldaino Member Posts: 1,618
    again subjective. Why don't they just make up something new and original? Anyway backster, i don't think i ever called you stupid. and when someone says something totally wrong(like saying the fit is a stripper, offers nothing and has no leather wrapped steering wheel) it usally can be counteracted with the proper info. Maybe i didn't HAVE to say that;...but it certainly was not unjustified.
  • eldainoeldaino Member Posts: 1,618
    There is ways galore! Tons of different styles in the euro market with brands like clio, puegot and alpha romeo, not to mention volkswagens unending slew of hatchbacks like the golf rabbit gti. Hondas styles have all looked different as well.
  • eldainoeldaino Member Posts: 1,618
    ha. yeah real knee slapper.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    You are stupid. Maybe you have always been this way, but you certainly have no problems slapping your silly opinions around.

    That is what you said. Insults like that are never justified in this forum. If you think they are, I suggest you re-read the Town Hall Membership Rules. If that doesn't change your mind, then maybe our Host can help you out there.

    Please find and post here where I said the Fit is a stripper and offers nothing. Also please find a link that shows a leather wrapped steering wheel as standard equipment on a base Fit. And if you wonder why I like to compare the Accent SE to the base Fit, it's because they are very close in price. How would you like it if I compared the Fit Sport to a car that cost over $1000 more--something like a Rabbit maybe? Do you think that would be fair?
  • snakeweaselsnakeweasel Member Posts: 19,290
    So true, there is only so much you can do to the styling of a car and still keep it a car (or at least a car that people would buy). Now with over 300 different models out there and over 120 years of auto production its going to be hard to come up with something that someone somewhere won't say "that looks sort of like a ......".

    2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D

  • hungarian83hungarian83 Member Posts: 678
    "The "Magic" seats aren't as magic as I thought. The folding flat seats are amazing but the fact that you have to push the front seats forward, loosing your driving position, is kind of an issue."

    I use the magic seats all time, and I have to say that they are pretty amazing and incredibly useful. Of course, I also hate having my driver's seat adjusted, so for the right side back seat I move the front passenger seat up (with the clever adjuster on the shoulder of the seat), and for the left side I just remove the headrest and stick it where it would have gone under the front driver's seat.

    As for a test drive regarding performance, you might as well just test drive the base model. The only difference from a performance standpoint between the base and Sport are the tires with 175/65R14 vs 195/55R15. Everything else from transmission to engine to suspension are 100% identical.
  • bobw3bobw3 Member Posts: 2,989
    I thought when you use the lever on the top of the front seats, the seat moves forward but then slides back to the original position?

    Actually though, after test driving the Fit, I'd just take off the rear headrests and put them under the front seats anyway because they're pretty large and block the view. If I know that I'm going to have rear passengers then I'll just pop them back on. Better visibility and then you won't have to slide the front seats anyway.
  • eldainoeldaino Member Posts: 1,618
    Actually no i wouldn't. they are both hatchbacks! :P Ah backy here comes the importance of CONTEXT. Would you mind displaying what i wrote before that sentence? HERE IT IS:

    'someone said that the fit does not come with anything standard."

    First off i was reffering to many people who are pro-accent that were making it seem like the fit was a stripper. I never said YOU said that. And I never called YOU stupid. it was more of a collective insult i guess! ;)

    OH! and i also never said that it came as standard equipment in the base fit. I clearly distinguished that it was standard in the sport and available as an option on the base (and in different colors mind you.) The person i was referring to said it wasn't available at all and did not specifiy what fit trim level he was referring to! SO again that comment was fueled by something valid. You don't want the s word? Ok. But the fact of the matter is that some people feel like posting stuff that they have no idea about and i was adressing it rather angrily and you didn't like it. But it was not a personal attack on you.

    (why do i get the feeling that you will try to post what that orginal 'no leather wrapped steering wheel on the fit available' said just to see if you can prove me wrong? Now who is getting personal...? :blush:
  • eldainoeldaino Member Posts: 1,618
    backy why did you ask me if it was fair to compare the two? You are participating in a forum titled :'fit vs. rabbit." you obviously think it is fair. :confuse:
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    I really don't know why you have that feeling--are you paranoid by nature?

    I am relieved that you weren't including me in your collective insults. But if you want to hang around very long in Town Hall, a word of advice: cut the insults, collective or not. All they do is reflect badly on the person making them.

    Hey, the GTI is a hatchback too--let's compare that to the Fit! Pricing is a "context" also. So for example, I think it's fair to compare the base Rabbit 2-door to the Fit, since they are about the same price. Start loading up the Rabbit, and then I think the comparison gets a little ridiculous.
  • eldainoeldaino Member Posts: 1,618
    OH man i was expecting a little more than that. Couln't even take the hatchback joke. Phew! You are right pricing is a context, but when vehicles are scrutinized like they are here, ignoring what a few dollars more gets you in a fit just to push the 'hyundai's are just so darn COOL because they have EVERYTHING' bit, is a little weird.

    oooohhh i'm so paranoid :P I just called your next move backy thats all. it's ok. Peace out man! ;)
  • eldainoeldaino Member Posts: 1,618
    you are still going on about the hatchback joke? Man and i thought i was paranoid.... :P I agreed to the comparison because i knew you would resort to saying something like that. I think i like being paranoid over predictable...tee-hee! :shades:
  • bobw3bobw3 Member Posts: 2,989
    Actually, why not compare the 4dr hatch Rabbit to the Fit. Granted it's more expensive, but it has more features, and price is only one means of comparison. If I had the choice between a Rabbit 4dr and Fit at the same price I'd probably still go with the Fit because of my concern over VW quality (in terms of repair history, not inside materials) and the poor MPG (I can't see buying a car the size of the Rabbit with the MPG of a minivan!
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Compare whatever you like... but dream on if you think you can get a 4-door Rabbit for the same price as a Fit.
  • bobw3bobw3 Member Posts: 2,989
    You can't, but the point is that if you don't compare them, then one might just assume that because the Rabbit is priced higher then it automatically is "better" than the Fit. Based on size they're in the same class, so if someone is looking for a 4dr hatch, then they can compare all of the 4dr hatches to see which one meets their needs, with price being one of them. But I don't see why you'd compare the Rabbit to the Ford Fusion for example, just because you can get them for the same price. So price should be secondary to functionality when comparisons are made...at least in my opinion. I guess some people will say, "What car can I get for $20K" and they may end up with a pickup truck or a sports car!
  • eldainoeldaino Member Posts: 1,618
    I like dreams!! :D
    And no i doubt you could find one for the same price, lots of content, but i don't think the vee dub plays the same game as the fit. They are both hatchs' but in two different leagues. Even though some honda dealers do mark up quite a bit. You could get a nice 2 door for a little bit more than a decked out honda fit sport.
  • bobw3bobw3 Member Posts: 2,989
    I guess I consider two different leagues is a comparison between a Focus wagon and a BMW 3 series wagon, or a Mercedes to a Kia just because you can get 4dr sedans from both, but I think cars like the Versa, Fit, Rabbit, Accent, Focus, Mazda3, Matrix, and other 4dr hatches are all in the same general league (all less than $20K) with some being on the higher end in price and some at the lower end in terms of price. And all of them having positive and negative points.
  • crimsonacrimsona Member Posts: 153
    I don't bother sliding the driver/passenger seats forward to fold down the rear seats. I just take off the rear headrests and fold as needed. Probably less work to attach/unattach the rear headrests than to slide, unfold, slide.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    The question should be I think, "What can I get for $NNk that meets my needs?" For some people, either a Rabbit or Fusion might meet their needs. Others might be looking specifically for a hatchback, so that rules out the Fusion. For example, for my next car I could go with either a sedan or hatchback, so I'm considering both.
  • bobw3bobw3 Member Posts: 2,989
    Exactly, but there could be some variance on the $$. For me, I was planning on spending between $15-20K.
  • eldainoeldaino Member Posts: 1,618
    Well, considering you could get a mazda 3 or even a toyota matrix for well over 17000(my rabbit is a 2 door and it was around that), that is a bit different than someone who wants an entry level accent or fit because of financial reasons. Usually anything higher than that target price, as nice as it would be to have a car at that level, is out of their 'league'. Thats what i meant. Econo hatch backs exist to meet those needs, but, (and i can't belive im citing this) in a sarcastic joke i said to backy earlier, he actually made a point; you wouldnt compare a honda fit to a gti, or a mazda speed 3 or a bmw 1 series. Yes they are all hatch backs (and a cut above the rabbit) but in the same fashion,(base price aside) the rabbit, civic mazda 3 and sentra are a cut above thier cheaper brethren in numerous aspects.
  • eldainoeldaino Member Posts: 1,618
    i have to disagree with you on this: for example the gti and mazda 3 are hatchbacks that share the same dimensions as the audi a3, but because they are roughly the same size does not mean that they compete in the same class. A3 is considered a premium sport wagon much like the bmw3 and 1 series is, but they are so not in the same class. Does a mini cooper s compete in the same class as a toyota yaris? They are both small hatchbacks... :blush:
  • thegraduatethegraduate Member Posts: 9,731
    wow i've been gone for so long i didn't realize how serious everyone was taking me! That's kinda funny! Oh and i'm sure i'm not taking any kind of credibility from honda owners. I think it would take a lot more than a few 'bad mood' posts to do that.

    Well, with every post sounding basically the same (Sarcastically denouncing Hyundai sometimes), it's hard to tell whether or not you are being serious. Remember, on pure text messages, there are no contextual communication clues to pull from to distinguish one's attitude, be it jovial or serious.
  • eldainoeldaino Member Posts: 1,618
    what do you think these cute little cars are for!? :P and basic punctuation.
Sign In or Register to comment.