Great commuter car around town
Purchased a 2007 model hatchback SE about 3 weeks ago. 5 speed manual is imprecise but usable. It's not very smooth and tends to "fight" your hand as you try to shift. The 4 cylinder engine is peppy but not a performance hero, as expected for an economy car.The rear window on the hatchback is small and constricts the view out back a bit. Blind spots around the back corners in the car can be annoying. I wish the front end of the hatch could have been styled a little better but it's passable.The SE model is sporty, with a tolerable ride and stellar handling with the 16" rims and 205/45 tires, although this combo puts the ride a little bit on the harsh side on rough roads. Very well weighted and tight steering. I like the little touches like the theater lighting and the door pockets have a space for water bottles. Tall drivers may find themselves putting the tilt steering all the way up and the seat all the way down in order to be able to see the instrument panel top. The clutch pedal is a little far away (or the steering wheel is too close, take your pick). Overall a great solid car that gets real-world 32 mpg in the city (with 5-speed) and very well-built. It's too bad that cruise control is not even an option on the hatchback.
- Comfort 4.0
- Interior 5.0
- Performance 3.0
- Value 4.0
- Exterior 4.0
- Reliability 4.0
- Purchased a New car
- Used for Commuting
- Does recommend this car
A Good Family Utility
I recently had a chance to drive the Accent Hatchback (with the manual transmission) for a considerable amount of time. From the offset, the car's overally exterior visual appeal is far better than the previous iteration. The car looks sporty, but not over the top. The SE which I drove was a refreshing sight compared to the lunch-box look of its Kia cousin (the Rio) and is even easier on the eyes than the Honda fit. Inside, the spacious interior was very impressive... even more comfortable than cars above its class and price range. Driving the Accent around town was a pleasant experience - and that is a good thing and a bad thing at the same time, with this car. It handles corners quite well, and the brakes, once I got used to them (very sticky) did the job. The engine was unusually quiet even at highway speeds, an uncommon feature for a subcompact car. The bad part about the pleasantness of driving the Accent is that its sporty pretentions are completely contradicted by the lathargic engine. Going down a road, I shifted to second gear and nailed the throttle... in return, I was greated by a slight bump in acceleration and a noise from the engine that sounded like a cat yawning. After I returned the keys to the rightful owner of the Accent, I do admit I had a good overall impression of a car that is best used as a get the groceries/pick-up the kids from soccer practice - car. Now if Hyundai can make a GT model with the 1.8 liter World Engine in it, this subcompact would have the performance to match its looks.
- Comfort 4.0
- Interior 5.0
- Performance 2.0
- Value 4.0
- Exterior 5.0
- Reliability 4.0
- Purchased a New car
- Used for Commuting
- Does recommend this car
First small car I have owned
I bought a 2007 Hyundai Accent with automatic overdrive transmission, electric window and locks, keyless entry and several other features. I and my wife are retired, we put about 5000 miles a year on a car. We are both very happy with the comfort of the ride, the mileage and the outside finish. The interior is excellent. The value for our money is there. We are happy we our purchase and know others in our position will be also.
- Comfort 5.0
- Interior 4.0
- Performance 5.0
- Value 4.0
- Exterior 4.0
- Reliability 5.0
- Purchased a New car
- Used for Commuting
- Does recommend this car
My Accent
I own a 2007 Accent 2dr HB with A/C, pwr windows, pwr mirrors,pwr locks, 5 sp man. trans. The cost with the options was over $1800.oo less than competators. Steering is tight and responsive like driving a sports car. The car is very quick off of the line and in traffic. The transmission is the low point in this automobile. Down shifting is hard and the gear shifter seems too loose. Getting it into reverse sometimes requires double clutching. Comfortable to drive but the tilt steering wheel is awkward to adjust and for me at 5'11" full up is the position most comfortable which is about what a standard steering wheel would be at. All of the controls are very comfortable to reach and with eyes on the road adjustment very easy. The waterbottle holder in the door is a neat little addition. I'm not a big fan of the push button odometer/trip gauge. visibility: mirrors are big with overlapping visibility. visibility over the left shoulder is poor which in my view detracts from my mirror confirmation of left lane traffic and merging onto a highway. Passenger comfort is excellent for a small car. the back seat area is roomy with adequate leg room for me. Rear seating A/C-heater vent is a nice touch. I owned a 96 accent and comparing this to my new car is almost unfair. Far better ride, much quieter, greatly improved all around performance. I love the look of the 2dr. (although it resembles my neighbors 2002 focus a lot) mine has more headroom and more fwd visibility.
- Comfort 4.0
- Interior 3.0
- Performance 4.0
- Value 5.0
- Exterior 4.0
- Reliability 5.0
- Purchased a New car
- Does recommend this car