2008 Hyundai Accent

Review

I've always liked compact cars; easy on the gas, easy to park, and easy to

tune. So when I was called on to take the Hyundai Accent for the week, I jumped at the opportunity. Truth be told, I really wanted to see for myself what the whole buzz is all about when fellow journalists are raving over how much quality improvement has taken place with the Korean manufacturer. I was not disappointed.

Body Style

Hyundai Motor America calls it Tango Red, but I call it retina burning red. Our Tango Red Accent SE trim with its included sport package accessories is quite a head turner. At certain angles the Accent carries the nostalgic look of the mid nineties Honda Civic hatchback, and other angles, namely the rear lights and hatch contours, remind us of Mazda's Protegé5 and the more recent Mazda3 5-door. Despite the Japanese influences, the Accent does have its own somewhat exotic look. Take the front fascia; the trademark Hyundai-badged body-color grille is anchored between an attractive set of headlamps. Integrated below are rectangular fog lights (exclusive to the SE) set into the black bumper intake. The profile, though eggshell-like, is attractively stretched with a long hood, short raked windshield, and curved hatch. Sporty touches like the roof antenna and hatch lip spoiler add to the athletic appearance. The 16-inch sculpted five-spoke alloy wheels wrapped in low profile 205/45 R16 Kuhmo Solus KH16 rubbers that fit snugly under the wheel wells add to the tuner look. Painted bumpers, side mirrors, door handles, and clear side markers also do their parts to give the entry-level subcompact an upscale image. From the rear, the sporty taillights encased in clear plastic, along with the LED third brake light, complete the Accent's dynamic look. Overall fit and finish of the exterior panels is excellent, and gaps are all uniform.

Performance

Powering this 2,533-pound lightweight is a 1.6-liter 4-cylinder DOHC 16-valve engine with Continuously Variable Valve Timing (CVVT). This power plant produces 110 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 106 lb-ft of torque at 4,500 rpm. Figures not worth bragging about, but nevertheless slightly ahead of most competitors. I found the power adequate for propelling the Accent around the city, if only two are aboard. However, if you add rear seat passengers and then drive up a hill you'll quickly feel the strain of the four banger. Our test Accent SE was mated to a 4-speed automatic transmission. Overall shifts were smooth, provided you're not flooring the pedal. Again, this is more than adequate for city commuting. Fuel consumption ratings are on par for this class of vehicle with a respectable 24 miles per gallon of city driving and 33 miles per gallon of highway use.

Brake feel is soft but linear. Surprisingly the SE still only had front discs and rear drums, although a number of rival vehicles in this class don't offer rear discs. Overall ride is firm due to the sport-tuned suspension that makes for 24-percent stiffer spring rates up front and 11-percent in the rear. Up front are MacPherson struts with gas shocks bound by a 0.9-inch stabilizer bar. The rear is coupled via a Torsion Beam Axle with coil springs. If the tires were wider and shocks stiffer, the cornering would be much improved with less body roll. However, since most consumers in this category aren't auto crossing, the overall driving demeanor of the Accent is comfort-oriented first and foremost, with the practicality of urban transportation in mind.

Opening and closing the solid door really gives the impression of a rigid, safe shell, and once inside the cabin it's a sea of monotone black. Though the dash, console, and door panels are of the hard plastic variety, the integrated use of textures and shades of black plastic add to the sporty appearance. Sprinkled throughout are aluminum accents, with the HVAC controls encased in aluminum rings, gear shift and parking brake buttons in aluminum, as are the aluminum rings that encase the speedometer and odometer. The 8-way adjustable driver's seat is well constructed and supportive. I especially like the attached right armrest. Backseat legroom is best reserved for little ones, although adults can fit in for shorter hauls. The rear seat splits 60/40 and when folded flat provides more than adequate room for storage. In fact, we were able to load in a gliding chair with ottoman with ease.

Sport package details include, as part of the SE trim, a leather-wrapped 3-spoke steering wheel and gear shifter as well as a six speaker CD player with MP3 jack. Completing the value interior ambiance is the power sunroof that is optional as part of the $900 Sunroof Package.

Interior Features

Though not cavernous, the interior doesn't feel cramped at all. Cargo space is generous with 15.9 cubic feet of capacity, which is actually bigger than a Toyota Corolla, a car in the larger compact segment. With a wheelbase of 98.4 inches and an overall length of 159.3 inches by 66.7 inches wide and 57.9 inches high, many will find this amount of space adequate for their needs. Outward visibility is excellent with no blind spots due to the slim C-pillar design. My thumbs are way up for this because it makes lane changes and even parallel parking such a breeze.

As mentioned earlier, the build fit and finish is excellent. Driving over bumpy terrain caused absolutely no interior rattles. The only shaking and jittering was coming from our bodies due to the long suspension travel.

Summary of the 2008 Hyundai Accent

If there were any suggestions for improvement, of course, it would be to increase its power and torque to boost the fun and performance factor. The potential is there, as one can choose to upgrade to the limited edition SR which adds a new intake, a body kit, and other interior cosmetics and audio equipment, or choose to proceed their own way by adding intake, header, and exhaust parts to fine tune the Accent. The widespread availability of aftermarket performance parts makes this little Hyundai customizable to everyone.

The other minor gripe was with the hatch cargo cover that isn't attached to the rear hatch by a rope. Open up the hatch and the cover flips open independently, but remains open after the hatch is closed thus blocking the entire rear visibility. The other peculiar item is the fact that this car doesn't have daytime running lights.

The Hyundai Accent starts at just $10,775 for the base GS trim, mind you, so it's understandable that it wouldn't feature all of the bells and whistles. Our SE trim with its included sport package accessories puts the price as tested at $17,495 and added a significant number of amenities like air conditioning, a power sunroof, fog lights, spoiler, keyless entry and alarm, MP3 input stereo, and a leather wrapped steering wheel, to name a few.

Hyundai has definitely gone a long way since the days of the rust prone Pony and Excel. If you're in the market to downsize or thinking of buying new for the first time, consider the highly competitive subcompact segment and mark the Hyundai Accent down as one of the must-do test drives.