2008 Hyundai Accent: Fuel Efficient and Pretty

Hyundai offers its subcompact Accent as either a two-door hatchback in GS or SE trim, or as a four-door sedan, the GLS. It’s a worthy competitor to its counterparts, the Ford Focus, Honda Fit or Toyota Yaris. For this week’s test I drew a GS sedan from the press fleet. Among the ranks of fuel efficient cars it is a standout.

Accent is what’s known in the industry as an entry level car. In other words, modestly-sized and powered by an engine appropriately sized to get the job done. In this case, a four-cylinder motor spinning double overhead camshafts (DOHC) and variable valve timing. VVT motors make small engines more fuel efficient and powerful. Those efficiencies are very important consideration with a smaller motor.

I struggled coming up with a description of the Accent’s performance. It accelerates adequately, neither fast, nor slow. Yet once up to speed I found it wise to engage the cruise control. Otherwise the car crept up beyond the speed limit. In town there was plenty of power. At highway speeds acceleration took awhile, not enough to be frustrating, but hardly lightning quick.

Both a five-speed manual (standard item) and a four-speed automatic transmission are offered. During my week behind the wheel I noted how the manual transmission accelerated noticeably quicker than an auto trans. Zero to 60 mph took about nine and a half seconds, which isn’t bad. According to the EPA the manual transmission is also projected to get about 4 mpg better than the automatic transmission. On a full tank of gas that equates to a range from 380 to 416 miles.

Overall handling manners are about what you’d expect for a subcompact car: Pretty darn good, but with a caveat. Standard tires are 14 inches (175/70R14). For most drivers they’re fine. You should also know that both GLS and SE offer upgrades. GLS rides on 185/65R14s, with a wider footprint. SE, the sedan, sports 205/45VR16s, taller, and even wider. Better tires make a big difference in road grip, especially when cornering. A big change from last year, ABS is no longer a standard item. Instead it’s offered as part of the $950 GLS Premium.

Ride quality is just what you‘d expect from a short wheelbase subcompact. A big bump in the road jolts driver and passengers more than does a big gunboat of a car. The solution is as simple as road salt. Slow down for a more comfortable ride and fewer trips to the dealership to align the front end geometry.

Hyundai Accent’s comfortable front bucket seats adjust for height and the steering wheel tilts. That and the fairly roomy interior mean any average person will find a happy home, front seat or back. That is, with a qualification. Sliding the front seats back eats up back seat leg room. If you need more room, move up to a bigger, more expensive car. Entry and egress into the back seat is a little tight with the hatchback.

From the driver’s perspective sightlines are exemplary, which pays big dividends in more confident lane changes. Upholstery is cloth. Predictably, sound levels are louder than inside more upscale cars, but still are entirely appropriate for a subcompact. Trunk space is good for such a small car and made even larger by folding rear seats. They also split 60/40. For safety sake the Hyundai Accent comes equipped with standard airbags: dual front, front seat mounted side impact plus roof mounted side curtain airbags.

Understandably, standard items are kept sparse in order to keep the price low. Beyond the items mentioned early on, you get variable intermittent wipers, tachometer, cup holders, digital clock, and rear window defogger. GLS adds air conditioning, and an emergency inside trunk release. Accent SE adds ABS, heated power mirrors, power doors and windows, remote keyless entry, a rear wiper washer, fog lights and a sport suspension.

My GS test sedan came with the premium GS premium package which includes a nice AM/FM/CD player, air conditioning, power windows, heated power heated mirrors, power door locks, remote keyless entry plus a more capable set of 15 inch tires mounted on alloy rims (P195/55R-15). Without the GS package, air conditioning separately, costs $800.

The GLS premium package adds the afore-mentioned ABS, heated power mirrors, power window, power door locks and remote keyless entry with alarm. The sun and sound package includes a power sunroof and an AM/FM with in-dash six-disc CD player, all that for just $1250.

Hyundai’s warranty terms are particularly robust and run for five years or 60,000 miles, with the power train term good for 10 years or 100,000 miles. The anti rust perforation warranty runs for seven years without any limit on the mileage.