2007 Hyundai Accent Review

To say that Hyundai is on a charge would be an understatement. Not only did the South Korean carmaker shoot past Nissan in 2005 to claim the number six spot in global sales, but it also managed tobypass Toyota and Honda to take third place in J.D. Power and Associates’ latest 2006 Initial Quality Study. What’s more, it’s expanding its product lineup so quickly that soon there will be few segments it doesn’t compete in. And while building luxury sedans and SUVs might be somewhat new to the brand, it hasn’t forgotten about its core models or for that matter the all-important entry-level buyer who initially put Hyundai in the running. On that note, all of its entry-level cars and crossovers are now completely revised, including the new for 2007 Accent hatchback.

As has been the case since the Accent replaced the Excel way back in 1994 as a ’95 model, it has represented one of the best values on the road. Nothing has changed with the new model, with that value proposition actually increasing when factoring in the many improvements made, and what seems like a fairly constant base price.Yes, you can buy into Hyundai new car ownership for as little as $10,415, which doesn’t make it the cheapest car in the U.S., but certainly puts it within arms length.

I probably shouldn’t use the word cheap, because while cars in this class are as inexpensive as four wheelers get, they’ve come so far in recent years that fans of pricier midsize models most likely wouldn’t be put off if they were to downsize. Rather, many of the features you’d pay extra for in a larger class are available in the Accent, including such niceties as a leather steering wheel, high-grade materials, power accessories,and more important to many, high quality materials that left me shaking my head in disbelief at how they can do it all for such a low price.

For instance, all the interior plastics are higher in quality than many cars costing thousands more, and the way everything fits together could embarrass some premium brands. The silver car pictured is about as bare bones as the Accent gets, featuring roll up windows and no air conditioning… I’ll pass thanks. There’s a stereo, and a pretty decent one at that, with AM/FM, of course, plus a CD changer with MP3/WMA compatibility targeting that young buyer that the brand is no doubt trying to pull into its showrooms.But hey, where’s the auxiliary plug-in for my iPod? And why doesn’t it have satellite radio? Hyundai put its audio money into a fancy EQ system instead, with presets for rock, classical, jazz and pop, and satellite radio is reportedly on the way.

I really like the aluminum trim here and here, plus the metal brightwork around the instruments, unexpected in a base car. And the seats are extremely comfortable with good lower back support. They can be adjusted up to eight ways, and there’s even a nicely padded armrest. Even the fabric Hyundai has chosen is top-rate, looking pretty stylish while appearing durable too.And yes ladies and gents, there’s a set of large vanity mirrors to make sure you don’t walk into that important meeting with drive-through food wedged between your front teeth. And lastly, adding insult to premium brand injury, when I slammed the driver’s door upon entry I could swear it made that premium car whump that Audis and BMWs make.

The Accent’s doors aren’t the only parts that feel solid, as the entire car seems very well put together. Some subcompacts make me feel like I’m driving around a shipping container on wheels, emitting a sort of hollow sound that resonates with every bump on the road as if it’s a mobile bass drum with the reverb turned on high, but this little Hyundai isn’t like that at all. Some smart engineer has filled all the door panels, pillars and other cavities with sound deadening material, once again giving it that premium ambience. OK, I suppose I’m pushing it a little when I say premium, but Hyundai has at least raised the bar when it comes to subcompacts, and together with the high quality interior what makes the Accent even more enticing is that it’s fun to drive.

Its 110-horsepower 1.6-liter four-cylinder is one of the most energetic in its segment, thanks to continuously variable valve timing, dual overhead cams and four valves per cylinder technology, and when mated to the 5-speed manual transmission it gets up and goes without complaint. With the automatic it’s more sedate, mind you, but the four-speed unit still doesn’t get in the way when merging onto fast-moving highways. It should be said, though, that one of its rivals, the Honda Fit, offers a five-speed automatic, boosting both performance and fuel economy, and it even comes with paddle-shifters in Sport trim.I should also say that the Fit is more expensive. Another, Nissan’s Versa, offers an efficient CVT.

Like the Fit, I also like the way the Accent handles curves. It rolls a bit, which is to be expected, but nevertheless holds the road and keeps the car between the yellow lines. No doubt this would be a fun car to fix up with aftermarket wheels and tires, some suspension upgrades and maybe even a few engine mods, but that will have to wait for a future article. Until then we’ll make due with the stock look and the Accent’s top-tier 16-inch alloys.

Of course, styling is a personal thing, but I can’t see too many people being offended by the Accent’s exterior design. Obviously, the smaller a car is the less canvas there is for the artist to create long, graceful shoulder lines or swooping curves around the fenders, but Hyundai’s design team did a pretty decent job folding metal to form the Accent’s body panels.I especially like this color Hyundai calls “Apple Green”… how creative, especially considering the rest of the Accent palette is made up of colors dubbed Ebony Black, Blue Onyx, Midnight Grey, Tango Red and, like the base model seen in these photos, Space Silver. This green is definitely more sci-fi than silver, so how about Martian Green, or better yet for all you aging Charlton Heston fans, Soylent Green. Whatever the color, the car is most distinctive from the rear where it’s uniquely shaped liftback, topped off with a racy spoiler, melds into a very upscale set of jeweled taillight clusters; a nice touch.

More importantly, the Accent’s style is also practical. Its fastback lines open up to a fairly spacious cargo area, capable of carrying up to 15.9 cubic feet of gear when the rear seats are upright.

And in case you were wondering, it’s pretty roomy in the back, all things considering. Sure, I’m not 6-foot-2, but considering my 5-foot-8 frame has about 4 inches of headroom to spare, my guess is that in a pinch the Accent 3-door could be forced to live up to its five-occupant claim.

And let’s face it, the times are changing. When a family needing to haul around five people might have never considered a subcompact model like the Accent before, now, with fuel prices still hovering in the two and a half bucks a gallon range,those new to the workforce and others on fixed incomes need to make up the difference by buying more fuel efficient cars that cost less to start with. Truly, the subcompact segment has been heating up lately, with regulars like the Accent, Kia’s Rio and Chevy’s Aveo now battling it out with Toyota’s stylish new Yaris, which recently replaced the Echo, Honda’s impressively versatile Fit, with the coolest back seats of any car, and Nissan’s more powerful Versa. Other carmakers have announced plans for new subcompact models too, so the entry-level market will continue to grow.

Hyundai, at least for now, has the advantage of being the most reliable brand in that J.D. Power and Associates initial quality study I mentioned before, plus the best warranty in the class at 5 years or 60,000 miles bumper to bumper, and 10 years or 160,000 miles of powertrain coverage. Even though some of its competitors are made in Korea as well, like the Aveo, it only offer domestic 3-year, 36,000 mile bumper-to-bumper warranties, which is clearly an advantage to Hyundai and Accent buyers.

And while I covered reliability plus the warranty that makes it less of an issue anyway, I haven’t said much about safety. I was initially impressed to hear that a total of six airbags come standard in top-line models, but disheartened to find out that the base model only comes with two. Again, the premium Accent gets rear disc brakes with ABS, both rarities in this segment, but entry-level cars only come with rear drums and without an antilock option. Even the light green Sport model I tested can’t be had with rear disc brakes. How sporty is that? There’s a fix to this problem on the way, however, as Hyundai has promised to soon make an RS model available, which will combine the top-line premium model, including its rear discs and ABS, with features from the sport model, for the ultimate Accent 3-door. I can hardly wait to try it.

For the time being, no matter which model you buy Hyundai’s new Accent is a great deal, although if you’re like me, having to reach across the front seat to roll down the passenger-side window gets old pretty fast. I’d at least buck up for power windows and central locking with remote access, and now that I’m throwing on options, air conditioning would be nice. Hey, even when fully loaded with every option available, it’s priced more like a used car than a new one at $13,915, which is well in the range of most new car shoppers’ budgets. OK, I’m sold.