My 2001 Accent has 53k miles. About 1k ago, I started hearing a clicking noise (sort of like valve lifters) at all engine speeds. Should I be concerned, or is that normal? Can the dealer make any adjustments?
im not a mechanic but if it was my car i would take it in and have the mechanic look at it.it could need an adjustment or maybe a bad tank of gas.have it looked at just to be safe.
Did you check to make sure the oil level was fine? If it was, then it sounds like one or more of your valve lifters has lost hydraulic pressure. They should not tap and they are not adjustable. They are covered by the 100k warranty. However, I hope you have stayed diligent about your oil changes and have receipts or they could deny warranty service. I would say go have it looked at. That's what the great warranty is for. What do you do to get so many miles so fast??? Anyway, good luck and let us know here if they find any problems.
Appreciate the input. Car runs fine but the tapping gets pretty annoying.
I put about 35k miles/yr on the car due to commuting. I've had a couple of minor problems but this is the biggest to date. Hope they will fix it under warranty.
Hit 78,000 miles on my 99 Accent Sedan last week. The only real problems I had had with the car are a noisy power steering pump that was replaced under warranty at 23,000 miles and a alternator that failed at 62,000 miles. The tires were replaced at 56,000 miles and the front brake pads were replaced at 58,000 miles. The car still looks and runs like new.
My 2000 accent had both front bearing replaced by 44000 miles. The dealer said that they have been replacing alot of them. read my posting #780 for all the problems with that car. My new 2002 accent has 5,500 miles on it in 2.5 months. The drivers side window does not seat very well and the dealer is going to replace the the seal. The passenger side window also rattles when it is lowered about two inches from the top. Everything else works so far, Iam keeping my fingers crossed.
I bought a new 99 Elantra for my Wife a month before I bought the Accent for myself. Our 99 Elantra finally had something break on it last week. I had to replace the battery. My Wife has a habit of leaving the lights on, I guess the battery couldn't take it anymore. Both Hyundais needed no adjustments from the dealer. My Wife's Elantra has not been to the dealer since we bought it in August of 99! Our Elantra has 32,000 miles on it, my Wife just payed it off. We decided to keep the Elantra for a while since it is still under warranty and has been such a good car so far. We will probably give the 99 Accent to our Son when he turns 16 in two years. I think I would replace it with an Elantra, I like the extra room and power.
hey, anyone have an idea of how much it would cost to get new brake pads installed and/or resurfaced rotors... what would you say would be a fair price... btw my family owns 3 hyundai's 95 accent hatch 106k 2001.5 Elantra GT (me) 3600m 2002 Elantra GLS 1k love em and the elantra is actually bigger than my other car... XJR (on the inside of course)
I just realized I have now owned my 00 Accent for a little over 2 years. I have had no further problems with the car since the clutch and throwout release bearing was replaced to get rid of a squeaking sound. Mileage is now 22110. In 2 years, the only out of pocket expense was for a $14 horn relay, which I could have pursued and made the dealer fix for free but chose to fix myself. Otherwise, two unscheduled trips to fix the water pump at 15k and clutch at 21k. Not bad at all for one of the cheapest cars sold in the US. It has proven to be a reliable and solid little car and given me good service. I would highly recommend this car for high school and college students who need a reliable and roomy car to get them around.
Let me forewarn those who like to use those tire shine products. That stuff can turn the little 13" tires on your Accents into ice skates. I went through a tight turn today at about 35 mph trying to make a light. About halfway through the turn, the tires started to squeal a little and then suddenly, they broke free and my rear end came around. I was sliding sideways at a 90 degree angle to the road as if I was in some rear drive car. The inexperienced driver or easily scared would have ended up doing a complete 180 degree turn or run into the sidewalk. Thankfully, I was able to countersteer in time and stop the slide quickly while staying in my lane. I was pretty shocked the tires let go like that because I have driven harder before and taken turns faster and more abruptly and the rear end never tried to come around. The tires only have 22,700 miles on them and the rears have much more tread then the fronts. It was only after I got out of the car and noticed the tire shine stuff that I realized why they broke free so suddenly (I didn't put the stuff on it). That stuff is like putting fresh oil on your sidewalls. Be very very careful when using this stuff. In fact, after that experience, I think I will refrain from using it all together unless its used on a car with bigger performance tires.
16k on an Accent GS hatch that lives in Chicago. Only problems: check engine light came on last winter, dealer replaced a sensor, seemed to fix it. Recently took it in for a warranty recall about location of some hoses. Maybe Hyundai is the next Honda. I remember the first civics, the Accent reminds me of them a little. Cheap, no frills, and seems to be reliable.
Hey lngtonge18... your tires shouldn't be riding on the sidewall at all. Even though there is some bulge to the tires when properly inflated, none of the sidewall should touch pavement. When even the slightest part of the outer tread sidewall corner is riding on the road you'll see noticeable tire wear there.
The edge of the sidewall is used during hard cornering, such as in the example I stated above. This is especially true of high sidewall tires like my 70 series 13 inchers. As cornering forces build, the tire folds over on its sidewall. It was the slick stuff on the edge of the sidewall that caused the sudden loss of grip. My tires are wearing evenly and are properly inflated so I know that wasn't the problem. I know for a fact my car would not have spun out like it did if the tire shine had not been applied. So, my advice would be to drive very carefully until the initial oily stuff is worn off if you must use these kind of products.
I deleted my message about the cold start problem. It turns out it was caused by me! My car is back to normal now. I took off the intake resonator and taped the hole it left behind to see if fuel economy improved. The tape had partially come undone, causing the cold start problem (I checked the tape the first time I had the problem but it looked like it was fine). Putting the resonator back on fixed the problem. I'm glad it was my fault and not the car's. My little experiment was inconclusive though. I only tried it for 3 tanks, 2 of which were on the highway. I was looking to improve city mileage but 1 tank is not enough to determine a difference. Oh well, it was worth a shot and no real harm done.
Just hit 25,000 miles and still getting good performance so far with no problems. I put fresh wiper blades on it this week. I want to change the coolant, but will need to get some distilled water to do the job.
I'm a senior in high school and I'm currently driving a 1990 Cavalier VL 2DR. It's not a bad little piece...Served me faithfully for a good 50,000 miles or so. I really can't complain for 700 dollars. But I really needed something new that will last me for a while. I've spent weeks looking and I finally found my answer in the Accent.
It's a black 5spd 1999 Accent 2DR Hatchback with 32,548 miles on the button. I was amazed. A 1999 with so few miles, $4300 out the door. There was a dent in the trunklid, so I couldn't drive the one I'm buying because its in the bodyshop. I test drove a 2002 4dr just to see what they're like. Where do people get off saying these cars don't have power? For their size, it's incredible. They accelerate smoothly and keep right up with traffic, and the handling is tight and extremely responsive.
I used to laugh at these little things, but not anymore. The 1.5 liter has more get up 'n go than my Cavalier's 2.2!!
I'll have it early next week and I can't WAIT! But down to my question. Is there anything to watch out for with these cars? Things that seem to just go wrong with the model? If so, I'd appreciate it if someone could let me know. I've heard they're very reliable from people who own them, but its nice to get second opinions.
My wife drives a 1999 Accent GS 4-dr and overall the car's been pretty good. Last week the car had her 36 month sevice check at just over 36,000km ... in addition to the regular grease & oil, a power steering hose was replaced because of leaks, the rear trailing arm bushings were replaced along with front control arms and bushings. The car is scheduled to go into the body shop next week to have some break-out rust on the driver's door window frame repaired as well as on the trunk lid around the licence plate ID lights and rear door mouldings. The warranty service person said that they've come across this corrosion pattern before, so if you live in a primarily wet/wintery climate, you might want to look out for this ... esp if the cars color is white or silver.
is that you can get a good deal on used ones. One of the best cars I ever bought was a 88 Ford Festiva (still Kia's best car IMHO) that I purchased. One year old and I paid a bit over $4k for it. Of course that was then. Hyundai's are improving rapidly, so the 99 may not be as reliable as the 02, but for that kind of money I don't see how you could go wrong. As in any used car of that age, assume that there is something wrong with it and reserve a few hundred bucks for repairs.
Just turned 80,000 miles in my 99 Accent GL sedan. My car still looks and runs like new. The only real problems I have had were a noisy power steering pump at 23,000 miles (replaced under warranty) and a alternater that failed at 62,000 miles. Very reliable car with no weaknesses that I could see. I have heard that the clutch wears out quickly on the manual trans cars and that the automatic transmissions fail early, but my automatic still runs perfect after 80,000 miles. Just make sure you change the oil and filter every 3 to 5 thousand and change the trans fluid or gear oil every 30 thousand or so. My front brakes and tires lasted about 56,000 miles.The 99 is not quite as powerful as the 2002 cars 92HP compared to 105, but not bad for an economy car. You should get the remainder of a 5 year 60,000 mile powertrain warranty as the second owner I believe. Get yourself a set of front seat covers and a lace on steering wheel cover, my steering wheel and front seats still look like new because of these. My Wife has a 99 Elantra with 33,000 miles. This car has had no problems at all so far. We are very happy with our Hyundais, we hope you will be happy with yours too.
I'm sure Hyundai will revise the Accent soon, but I don't know what design direction or styling changes would be made. With any luck, a 5-door or wagon would be offered if Hyundai doesn't regard this as crowding the Elantra line-up (i.e. - the GT).
The nice thing about the current Accent is that it is priced right and actually benefits from being so spartan (less to break).
Whoa. People actually replied. I'm amazed. I usually have the luck of being the poor sucker who gets ignored on message-boards. Anyway...
Thanks for all the comments and stuff. I'll be sure to keep an eye on all the things that were mentioned. Things are looking pretty good right now, though. My parents went and picked it up from the dealer earlier tonight while I was at work and parked it at our mechanic's garage. He's going to look it over in the morning to make sure we aren't getting screwed.
From their comments, I could tell that they were really pleased with it. They said the car was forgiving, easy handling and very quick. Now...my father recommended staying away from speeds above 65 for extended periods of time...such as long trips. Now, I know this is an economy car, but I wouldn't think this would be a problem. Say I were going to visit someone who lived 4 hours away. He says that if I keep the speed up there, I'm going to break something. Any comments on that? Can they keep up with highway traffic for longer trips, or are they limited to what they're designed to be...little short-hop commuter cars?
They also said that the stereo sucked...but I'll fix that. Oh will I EVER fix that...heheh
I drove my 00 Accent for 12 hours straight at speeds ranging from 75-95 with no problems whatsoever. I kept up with traffic fine and in most cases flew by them. I think he just said that to be a good dad and try to discourage you from high speeds in order to keep you safe. The Accent can handle being a highway car just fine, but it will be more susceptible to cross winds and from being blown around by semis. The small 13" tires also hurts its emergency handling capabilities. But overall, I would have no problem using the car as a high speed highway companion.
I drive over 100 miles a day, mostly around 50 to 70 mph. My 99 Accent runs great upto 70mph or so. After 70mph it starts to get a little noisey. At 56,000 miles I took my Accent on a long trip. I cruised at 70+ mph for hours with no problems UNTIL I was almost home. I started to get a vibration in the front end at about 90mph so I slowed down. It turned out that one of my front tires started to fail. The steel belt had partially seperated from the drivers front Kumho tire that came with the car. Thank God the tire didn't fail entirely at 90mph. I ended up replecing all 4 tires with a set of Michelins. I haven't gone over 75mph since. My Wife's 99 Elantra is much more comfortable at high speeds. Her Elantra came with kigh quality Michelin tires. The bigger 14 inch tires are less noisey at high speeds too. I think if you put new 14 inch rims on the Accent it would be a lot quieter at high speeds.
csandste is right -- high speeds shouldn't be a problem. My decidedly low-tech '87 Lynx was on freeways as much as possible, and always in the 75-85 mph range. That car lasted till I sold it with 227,000 miles.
my daughter has a 2001 accent gl. i had an occasion to drive it on the highway at 65-70 mph. i was a bit scared. i don't think there is anything thing wrong with the car but my normal ride is a jeep cherokee. the accent tended to wander a alot (due mainly to grooved pavement with the small tires). i had to really hold the wheel and felt as if i couldn't relax for a second. it's all in what you are used to driving. overall not a bad car for the price. it's what i'd expect.
Interesting you find your SUV more relaxed to drive on the highway. I had the opposite experience with my friends 01 Isuzu Rodeo. Because it sits so high, it was constantly being blown around by the wind and semis. The steering was also numb feeling and had a dull sense of straight ahead. 80 mph was the max I felt comfortable driving the thing. I was so nervous driving it and my hands were all tight and my knuckles practically white from holding on to the wheel so tightly. I was exhausted by the time I got out of it, literally. While I was a passenger in it, I also almost experienced the easy to flip nature of SUVs (my friend was run off the road by a minivan on to the grass and some large bumps which made it leave the ground). Believe me, that was not an experience I would like to repeat! On the other hand, my Accent is rock solid on the highway and requires little attention. I just drove my car at 90 mph with only 1 hand lightly keeping the car in line. I feel very relaxed behind the wheel of it, except when there are heavy crosswinds, at which time the small weight and skinny tires work against it. However, I do see how heavily grooved roads could cause more wandering from the small tires and thus scare you more.
never said an suv was better than an accent.... just very different.... and that it's all in what you are used to driving. btw i seldom exceed 75 mph in anything.
I'm a first time buyer and I am interested in the hyundai accent. However, so many people are telling me that hyundai's are bad cars and that they don't last long (and I am in it for the long haul). Can Anyone tell me the pro's and con's. i figure since you're owners, you would be the better to listen to.
Did the people give you any reasons for their skepticism or was it just generic propaganda? Bad reputations are hard to shake, but I think Hyundai is definitely moving in the right direction. Read around this forum and on the Web and you'll see that a clear sense of optimism surrounds this particular model.
well i can tell you this . do any of the people own or have owned a hyundai ? if not take what they say with a grain of salt .
since 95 they have made very good cars . much improved ... to say the least .
i own a 95 accent with 170k on it .... bought it new in 95 and it has been the best car i have ever owned hands down . it still has original clutch and back brakes even , i have never had to do any major repairs on it and the ac still blows cold .. for the money i don't think that can be beat at this time . but if you can i would move up 1 class to the elantra it is a much more refined car and the sedan is about the same price as a well equiped accent . so do you home work
Before I bought my Accent GS, I read this thread a few times. One suggestion that kept popping up was: buy the Elantra coupe if you can. Well, this is a HATCHBACK thread. If you look at the Elantra 5-door HATCHBACK, it is a lot ($4000+) more expensive than the fully equipped Accent GS.
Seriously folks, if you're going to make suggestions, compare apples to apples.
Hyundai makes a sedan and a 5 door hatchback Elantra. The coupe version is called the Tiburon. The 5 door Elantra would be compared to the Accent sport that is no longer made. As I recall the sport version of the Accent hatchback cost quite a bit more then the regular hatchback. Anyway I own a Hyundai sedan and I post on this board because the Accent sedan board is pretty dead. Owning both a Accent sedan and a Elantra sedan I still stand by my reccomendation to at least consider an Elantra sedan due to the extra power, better ride, and safety over the Accent. Especially if this would by your only car. I also think the 5 door hatch Elantra is overpriced. The Tiburon is also overpriced. It seems any sport version of a car is a reason to jack up the price.
On what basis? Where can you get a 5 door hatch, with automatic, full power, sunroof, ABS, traction control, 4 wheel discs, alloys, Michelins, leather, heated side mirrors, fog lights, trip computer, AM/FM/CD 6 speaker stereo, variable intermittent wipers, height adjustable driver's seat with lumbar support, a real center arm rest and console, etc., etc., etc., and drive it out the door in the $15k range new with a 10 year warranty? The Elantra GT, if anything, is underpriced.
I totally agree with mpgman, the Elantra GT is one of the best values if not best value on the market today. Baber, you stated "The coupe version is called the Tiburon". That is incorrect. The Tiburon in on a completely different frame, offers a 2.7 V6 with a 6 speed transmission etc... They are completely different cars.
Anyhow we are drifting off topic, I love my '02 Accent GS. For the money, it's the most fun car I've ever owned. I've been driving Metro's for years and this car has them beat hands down.
Actually, the Tiburon is built off a modified version of the Elantra platform. It uses the same Elantra four cylinder and 5 speed and 4 speed automatic. The V6 and manumatic auto tranny are from the Sonata though. I drove a 5 speed V6 Tiburon. Sweetest ride I've ever driven. Loved it!
Two grand extra for an extra door and a sport suspension is a rip off. Now if the Elantra hatch comes with the ABS as standard that is different. The Tiburon is based on the Elantra. They just added the V6 this year. Sure would be nice if they put that v6 in the Elantra! It sure would be nice if they put the 2 liter Elantra engine in the Accent 140 hp in an Accent! Woo Hoo!
Yeah, the Accent would be a great platform for a 1.8 or 2.0 litre engine ... maybe they could do away with those huge C-pillars (bad blind spots) on the 3-dr and give the rear hatch a more "vertical" stance (similar to the new Civic) ... the Accent'd be pretty cool then!
My 99 Accent sedan has been great for me. After 84,000 miles it still runs and looks like new. I have the 92 hp engine and auto so it is not the quickest car in the world, but it has been the most reliable car I have ever owned. The engine and drivetrain are great in this car! Thanks to the excellent fuel injection the car has never stalled or hesitated and aways starts. The engine doesn't burn or leak oil at all, and the auto trans still works great. The body is still solid with no rattles or squeeks and the interior has held up well. Very impressive for such a cheap car. My Wife's 99 Elantra has been just as good as my Accent too. I really like the 140 hp in the Elantra when my Wife lets me drive it. My Wife payed off her Elantra a few months ago. She was going to look at a new car but I told her the Elantra has 25,000 miles left on the 60,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty and it still runs and looks new. So she decided to keep it for a while. We have had a real positive experience with Hyundai and reccomend them to our friends.
Anyone had any problems with the breaks on a new accent. Looking to buy one, but this was concern. Someone suggested buying 14" tires at a later date to improve breaking.
I have had this car for a bit over two years. Only problem: 1) engine light came on, the dealer replaced the solenoid. The car has only 16k miles, but it is a city car, so those miles have been ugly. Nothing has broken, falling off, etc. The car is scraped front and rear from the braille method of parking so many drivers use in Chicago. I would recommend this car for urban dwellers, where small size is an advantage for parking. Also, why buy an expensive car when it will be dinged and scraped by other cars in the city? If I lived in say, Dayton Ohio, I would get a larger car, but the Accent fits city life perfectly. One caveat; if you buy any Hyundai, you will not be able to sell it for a fair price later on, like a Honda, plan on driving it til it dies.
The front brakes on my 99 Accent lasted 57,000 miles. The front brakes on my Accent had always been a little sticky. That is they were always hard to make totally smooth stops. No matter how hard I tried to feather the brake pedal the brakes would suddenly grab just before the car came to a complete stop. When I had the front pads replaced at 57,000 mile this problem went away. I guess the front brake pads that came with the car were the problem. Now the brakes are perfect. 14 inch tires wouldn't really help brake performance, they would make the car smoother at high speed though. The brakes work pretty good on my Accent after 84,000 miles. Now I like the brakes on my Wife's Elantra even better.
Just got back online after a 9 month hiatus. Thought I'd let everybody know how my car is holding up after 13 months and 42,000 miles of cross country driving. On October 1st of last year I began a trip that took my Accent GS about 14,000 miles around the country. I took off from Boise, ID, and headed down to Salt Lake to pick up a friend. From there, we headed east, eventually hitting the east coast. We went through DC, NY city, the New England coastline, and going as far north as Kennebunkport, Maine. From there, we decided to make our way back to Salt Lake (taking the scenic route, of course). After I dropped him off, I made my way down to Phoenix, picked up my brother, and we shot over to San Diego to watch the Chargers play the Broncos with our two younger brothers. (By the way, on our journey from Phoenix to SD, I found a straight stretch of freeway that allowed me to test the high speed of my car--120 mph, with the car mostly loaded with suitcases and two large people. I may have been able to go faster, but I had to slow down for other cars that I was quickly approaching). I eventually ended the trip in Sacramento, CA where I finally decided to move to. Except for a right rear brake being out of round when I first purchased my car, I have had zero troubles with my car. Absolutely no troubles. To say I am happy with this car is somewhat of an understatement. I'm glad I bought it and I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a hatchback. Just a note to mpgman on post #36--I was able to fit a large mtn. bike in my Accent GS (barely).
Well, I sold my 2000 Accent L to a close friend of mine yesterday. To say I'm having seller's remorse would be an understatement. I already miss my cute little reliable car. I sold her with 24,400 miles on it for $6000. Currently, I'm replacing her daily driver duties with my back up car, a 92 Miata. The main reason I sold her was to get out of the high interest loan that was making me pay way more for the car then I would ever get out of her. Plus, I wanted to move up to a car with more horsepower and more power features. A few months down the road I plan on buying a Suzuki Aerio SX. Anyway, the Accent was a great car that never left me stranded and required only 2 trips to the dealer for warranty repairs. I highly recommend this car to anyone who wants a reliable, comfortable, roomy economy car for a cheap price. Hyundai's slogan is true, "Driving is believing". It sure made a believer out of me! The good thing is I will still see the Accent about once a month so I can still give updates on how it is holding up. Good luck to all you Accent owners.
Comments
Thanks,
Okie
I put about 35k miles/yr on the car due to commuting. I've had a couple of minor problems but this is the biggest to date. Hope they will fix it under warranty.
Scott
My new 2002 accent has 5,500 miles on it in 2.5 months. The drivers side window does not seat very well and the dealer is going to replace the the seal. The passenger side window also rattles when it is lowered about two inches from the top.
Everything else works so far, Iam keeping my fingers crossed.
95 accent hatch 106k
2001.5 Elantra GT (me) 3600m
2002 Elantra GLS 1k
love em and the elantra is actually bigger than my other car... XJR (on the inside of course)
Only problems: check engine light came on last winter, dealer replaced a sensor, seemed to fix it. Recently took it in for a warranty recall about location of some hoses.
Maybe Hyundai is the next Honda. I remember the first civics, the Accent reminds me of them a little. Cheap, no frills, and seems to be reliable.
https://dcsonline.hyundaidealer.com/customer/index.jsp
It's a black 5spd 1999 Accent 2DR Hatchback with 32,548 miles on the button. I was amazed. A 1999 with so few miles, $4300 out the door. There was a dent in the trunklid, so I couldn't drive the one I'm buying because its in the bodyshop. I test drove a 2002 4dr just to see what they're like. Where do people get off saying these cars don't have power? For their size, it's incredible. They accelerate smoothly and keep right up with traffic, and the handling is tight and extremely responsive.
I used to laugh at these little things, but not anymore. The 1.5 liter has more get up 'n go than my Cavalier's 2.2!!
I'll have it early next week and I can't WAIT! But down to my question. Is there anything to watch out for with these cars? Things that seem to just go wrong with the model? If so, I'd appreciate it if someone could let me know. I've heard they're very reliable from people who own them, but its nice to get second opinions.
Peace out, rock on.
The nice thing about the current Accent is that it is priced right and actually benefits from being so spartan (less to break).
Thanks for all the comments and stuff. I'll be sure to keep an eye on all the things that were mentioned. Things are looking pretty good right now, though. My parents went and picked it up from the dealer earlier tonight while I was at work and parked it at our mechanic's garage. He's going to look it over in the morning to make sure we aren't getting screwed.
From their comments, I could tell that they were really pleased with it. They said the car was forgiving, easy handling and very quick. Now...my father recommended staying away from speeds above 65 for extended periods of time...such as long trips. Now, I know this is an economy car, but I wouldn't think this would be a problem. Say I were going to visit someone who lived 4 hours away. He says that if I keep the speed up there, I'm going to break something. Any comments on that? Can they keep up with highway traffic for longer trips, or are they limited to what they're designed to be...little short-hop commuter cars?
They also said that the stereo sucked...but I'll fix that. Oh will I EVER fix that...heheh
Anyway, thanks again guys. Keep it frosty.
fun
since 95 they have made very good cars . much improved ... to say the least .
i own a 95 accent with 170k on it .... bought it new in 95 and it has been the best car i have ever owned hands down . it still has original clutch and back brakes even , i have never had to do any major repairs on it and the ac still blows cold .. for the money i don't think that can be beat at this time . but if you can i would move up 1 class to the elantra it is a much more refined car and the sedan is about the same price as a well equiped accent . so do you home work
Seriously folks, if you're going to make suggestions, compare apples to apples.
Anyhow we are drifting off topic, I love my '02 Accent GS. For the money, it's the most fun car I've ever owned. I've been driving Metro's for years and this car has them beat hands down.
Only problem:
1) engine light came on, the dealer replaced the solenoid.
The car has only 16k miles, but it is a city car, so those miles have been ugly. Nothing has broken, falling off, etc. The car is scraped front and rear from the braille method of parking so many drivers use in Chicago.
I would recommend this car for urban dwellers, where small size is an advantage for parking. Also, why buy an expensive car when it will be dinged and scraped by other cars in the city?
If I lived in say, Dayton Ohio, I would get a larger car, but the Accent fits city life perfectly.
One caveat; if you buy any Hyundai, you will not be able to sell it for a fair price later on, like a Honda, plan on driving it til it dies.
On October 1st of last year I began a trip that took my Accent GS about 14,000 miles around the country. I took off from Boise, ID, and headed down to Salt Lake to pick up a friend. From there, we headed east, eventually hitting the east coast. We went through DC, NY city, the New England coastline, and going as far north as Kennebunkport, Maine. From there, we decided to make our way back to Salt Lake (taking the scenic route, of course). After I dropped him off, I made my way down to Phoenix, picked up my brother, and we shot over to San Diego to watch the Chargers play the Broncos with our two younger brothers. (By the way, on our journey from Phoenix to SD, I found a straight stretch of freeway that allowed me to test the high speed of my car--120 mph, with the car mostly loaded with suitcases and two large people. I may have been able to go faster, but I had to slow down for other cars that I was quickly approaching).
I eventually ended the trip in Sacramento, CA where I finally decided to move to.
Except for a right rear brake being out of round when I first purchased my car, I have had zero troubles with my car. Absolutely no troubles.
To say I am happy with this car is somewhat of an understatement. I'm glad I bought it and I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a hatchback.
Just a note to mpgman on post #36--I was able to fit a large mtn. bike in my Accent GS (barely).