If you read my review on how to buy a car you know that my daughter was given money for college graduation to buy a new car. She chose the 2001 Hyundai Accent. I test drove the 2000 and the 2001. I also drove it home, which is about an hour’s ride and taught her how to drive a standard transmission. Although I don’t “own” this car, it sits in front of my house and at this point I’ve driven it more than she so I will put down at the end “yes” for own since that is closer to the truth than “no.”

She is a fast learner and is now driving the car. I knew she would love it. I sure did. I went into the Hyundai dealer a little skeptical because I know so little about these cars. I couldn’t imagine they would drive well, be safe or be comfortable. It is all that and more.

How does it perform?

This little 4 cylinder, 1.5 liter, front wheel drive car is amazing. I drive a BMW and am not comparing the two cars. I think, though, it is important for you to know the performance I am used to getting. I can say that the Accent's performance is fantastic. The Accent handles easily and handles the road very, very well. When cornering it hugs the side of the road rather than making a wide turn, which is what my car does. The fact this $10,200 car (with tax) does the same is amazing!

It has great pick up. When I drive it and get onto a highway, for example, and need to merge with other cars, I have no fear that I am going to huff and puff my way into a lane. The Accent quickly picks up and easily gets on the highway. It shifts from one gear to another well.

It is a quiet ride. There is no rattling, no noises that would indicated this is a “cheap” car. It feels solid, strong and well built.

This is really a fun car to drive!

How is it for safety?

The Accent replaced the Excel last year so there is little information about its record. The salesman did tell us that they use a steel safety cage construction – the same type that is used in the very safe Volvo. This construction has structural reinforcements including roof rails and side impact beams that surpass the standards set by the U.S. Department of Transportation!

There are 2 airbags; one on the driver’s side and one on the passenger’s side. In fact a computer checks the airbag system every time the car is started. This may not be unusual; I just find it unusual in a car for this price!

It brakes superbly because of its dual diagonal braking system. I really don’t care why it brakes well, but you might. All I care about is that my daughter will be able to stop on a dime if she needs to and I am confident with the Accent she will.

The Accent has 3 point front seatbelts. (They go over your shoulder.) and pretensioners that cinch the belt the moment of impact. I’ve been in cars where the seat belts just don’t do that. It could be because they aren’t working properly or because they are not designed to do so; the Accent's seatbelts are designed to do so.

The Warranty

You may know by now from the ads that Hyundai has, at this point, the best warranty around. You get a 10 year, 100,000 mile powertrain warranty; a 5-year, 60,000-mile bumper-bumper coverage and a 5-year unlimited miles 24-hour roadside assistance. This covers towing, lockouts, flat tires and jump-starting. The salesman told us that even if we have AAA, to call their roadside assistance because Hyundai pays more than AAA and will go to a Hyundai customer first.

Obviously, we haven’t had to put that to the test, but since we do have AAA, he could have encouraged me to use AAA to save them money, but he didn’t.

What does this car have?

My daughter opted for air-conditioning, which is an option. On the 3-door hatchback, which is what she has, you are just going to get the basics but it is enough for her. She has the usual standard equipment, including a great sounding stereo with a cassette; nice soft, plush cloth seats; remote fuel door and hood releases and warning lights that the doors are low.

One thing to note is the trunk or cargo space. It is amazing. Not only is the trunk roomy, the back seats fold down as a bench opening up the whole back. My car does that too and I love it. She can, as I recently did, fit a 6’ tall box that contained a bookshelf in her car!

Her windows are not power and the seat adjustments are manual also.

A really nice feature I haven’t seen on a car since I drove my dad’s Cadillac is lumbar support. A lever adjusts the back of the driver’s seat to fit your lower back. It works! My back bothers me on long trips and this addition is very nice.

The front seats recline almost to a lying position making it very comfortable to be a passenger.

In spite of its small appearance it is very roomy. The back seat is quite comfortable for 3 adults. The front is a two-passenger front with the stick shift and cupholders in the middle.

The gas mileage is very good getting 28 miles on regular roads and 36 miles to the gallon on highways.

One thing I noted was that there is no clock. That is a feature I am very used to as is she so that will take some getting used to. It is second nature to look at the radio and see the time also.

My daughter’s car is black with a gray (speckled with blue) interior. I would be very happy driving this car; she is thrilled.

In summary, from my experience, if you want an affordable car that rides well, has necessary but basic features, (The GS model has options that can be added such as power windows.) and a fantastic warranty, take a look at the Hyundai Accent. You may be as surprised and delighted as I was!


If you are interested in other car reviews, here are my links:

2000 Nissan Altima
2001 Chevy Malibu
2002 Chevy Prizm
1998 Dodge Ram Van
1996 Nissan Sentra
2001 Pontiac Sunfire
1999 Toyota Camry
2001 Hyunda Accent
1998 Chevy S-10 Pick
1999 BMW 323is
2002 Subaru Impreza
2000 Suzuki Swift
2001 Chevy Metro