mmarshall

By CL member-request, a review of the 2013 Hyundai Accent Hatchback

http://www.hyundaiusa.com/accent/

IN A NUTSHELL: A good entry-level car, and still a decent value, but both quality and price have risen in recent years.


CLOSEST COMPETITORS: Kia Rio, Toyota Yaris, Chevrolet Sonic, Ford Fiesta, Nissan Versa, Honda Fit, Mazda2.






(Hatchback)



(Hatchback)



(Sedan)



(Sedan)











(Hatchback)


OVERVIEW:

In 1986, few if any persons in the U.S. were much aware of the large Korean firm Hyundai and its place in the auto-manufacturing buisness. By then, I had been driving and reviewing cars for years, and I knew very little, if any, about the company myself. Toyota and Honda, for the most part, ruled the small imported-car buisness in the U.S., with some interesting designs from Mazda, Nissan, and VW. Fiat and Renault were pretty much on the way out by then, and AMC was also closing up shop. So, that year, into the growing small-car vaccuum, stepped a new (to the U.S.) stranger.....Hyundai with its Excel sub-compact.

When the Excel first debuted in the U.S., many people were attracted, at first, by its ultra-low-price...along with the Yugo GV, one of the least-expensive brand-new cars available in the American market. Several people asked me if I felt it was a good or sensible purchase. There was no denying the car's low price, of course. But, as I knew little about Hyundai or Kia at the time (and I had some misgivings about the Koreans being able to equal the excellent quality of the Japanese-badged cars of the era), I replied that the Excel, at best, would be a significant reliability-gamble. My thinking, at the time, was that those cars were cheap for reason. I'm not just being a Monday-morning quarterback here, either, 20 or 30 years later, and relying on hindsight. When I first actually went to a Hyundai dealership to test-drive an Excel, I was appalled at the car's slipshod engineering and sloppy assembly......there were numerous squeaks and rattles, though I thought the Pontiac Fiero 2-seaters of the period were even more poorly-built. The Excel not only squeaked and rattled like a can of marbles, but, especially on a hot/humid Washington summer day, had weak A/C, and the wimpy engine couldn't get out of its own way. The 1986-87 Excel, though with squeakes and rattles, did not show as many defects in it (based on the one I test-drove) as the 1984 Pontiac Fiero, which was, hands-down, the worst-assembled brand-new car I ever test-drove. The Fiero, though I respect the fact that some 2-seater enthusiasts liked it, was, IMO a joke...but I'm not going to dwell on it, as that is not the purpose of this review.

The Excel, of course, went on to develop a very poor reputation, quality-wise, yet continued to sell well (along with the almost-identical Mitsubishi Precis, which was its twin) because of its low price. A 2-door Scoupe version debuted a couple of years later (and got some national attention by winning the 1992 Pikes' Peak Hill Climb). Still, Hyundai became the butt of jokes on the late-night TV shows. Consumer Reports warned potential buyers of the poor reliability, yet they still kept coming....yep, low prices talk.

Hyundai, of course, began to rapidly improve their quality and engineering in the late 1990s, and, by the early 2000s, had, IMO virtually equalled the Japanese in build-quality....while still undercutting them in price. Quality, though, costs money, even with the low labor rates that the Korean auto firms had had for years (one reason for their low prices), and, of course, something had to give. Hyundai and Kia list-prices started inching up...to the point where it became noticeable. While they are still considered low-priced cars (still some of the least-expensive cars in the American market, bested only by the base-level Nissan Versa), the days of new Accents and Rios, without a lot of options, going out the door for $10,000-$11,000 are clearly gone. A shame, too, since many buyers were attracted by those prices, and I helped a number of people shop for them and sat in on the deals myself.

The days of 10-11K Accents and Rios may be gone, but they are still, IMO, a decent value...and are, IMO, well-built, with decent materials. The Accent's materials and interior, overall, are, IMO, a little better than the Rio's, but that is at least partially reflected in the Accent's slightly higher pricing. The styling of the newest versions doesn't impress me, as I thought the older ones looked better...but that, of course, is an objective opinion that varies from person to person. The excellent 10/100 drivetrain and 5/60 total-vehicle warranties remain...but, in some cases, only parts of them can be transferred to a second-owner outside the immediate family. Hyundai likes to keep its vehicle-ownership where they can be easily-tracked for service and records.

For 2013, two body styles for the Accent are offered in the American market....a 4-door sedan and a 5-door hatchback. GLS models (at 2013 prices) start at $14,545, GS models at $14,795 (not much of a difference), and SE models at $16,095. One engine is offered...a GDI 1.6L in-line four with 138 HP and 123 ft-lbs. of torque, and a choice of a 6-speeed manual or 6-speed Sport-Shift automatic. The automatic version adds $1000 to the GLS and SE prices, and $1200 to the GS. There was a substantial 2013 price increase for new GLS models.....more on this in a second.

For the review, brand-new 2013 unsold Accent models, right now, were rather hard to find, and I didn't have much to pick from. There were relatively small price increases on the GS and SE models for 2013, but a BIG $2000 jump on the base GLS models. I ended up reviewing a black automatic 2013 SE hatchback with gray cloth interior and minimal options....at a hair over 18K even without many options, still somewhat on the high-priced side for an Accent. There are no factory-rebates currently in for 2013 models in effect as I write this....but individual dealers, of course, may be willing to discount a little. Actually, though, considering the big $2000 price increase on the base GLS models this year (same with base Kia Rios), the top-line SE models may (?) actually be a better-value this year, in comparison to the GLS, than it was last year.



MODEL REVIEWED: 2013 Hyundai Accent SE Hatchback Automatic.

BASE PRICE: $17,095


OPTIONS:

Cargo Net: $45

Cargo Tray: $80

Carpeted Floor Mats: $95


DESTINATION/FREIGHT: $775 (about average for today's small cars)

LIST PRICE AS REVIEVED: $18,090


DRIVETRAIN: FWD, Transversely-mounted 1.6L GDI in-line four, 138 HP @ 6300 RPM, 123 ft-lbs. of torque at 4850 RPM, 6-speed Sport-Shift automatic transmission.

EPA MILEAGE RATING: 30 City, 40 Highway, 33 Combined.


EXTERIOR COLOR: Ultra Black

INTERIOR: Gray Cloth.





PLUSSES:


Still a low price.......but not quite the value it once was.

LONG Hyundai Powertrain and Bumper-to-Bumper warranties.

Excellent EPA 40 MPG Highway rating with both manual and automatic transmissions.

Pleasant, BMW-like power-steeering feel.

Excellent brake-response, especially for a subcompact.

Good handling/steering response.

Smooth refined 6-speed automatic transmission.

Reasonably smooth ride except over some bumps.

Good underhood layout.

Well-done paint-job for the price.

Nine paint-colors offered...and, IMO, some nice ones at that.

Comfortable front seats even for my large frame.

Well-done primary gauges.

Generally well-done, easy-to-use controls/*****/buttons....with one exception.

Good stereo sound for an entry-level car....but not a killer.

Adequate front headroom for tall persons my size.

Good interior hardware....excellent in some cases.

Nice-quality interior chrome/brushed-metal trim (but no wood-tone).

Well-done steering wheel.

Reasonably well-trimmed cargo area for the price.





MINUSES:


Long powertrain warranty transferable only to immediate-family-members.

Shortage of both 2012 and 2013 models currently at a number of dealerships.

No factory rebate on 2013s.

Exterior styling a little too Geeky for my tastes.

Wimpy engine power, especially in ECO mode.

Noticeable wind/tire/road noise on grainy surfaces, but not excessive.

Noticeably thin exterior sheet metal.

Manual hood prop-rod instead of struts/springs.

Annoying (IMO) zig-zag transmssion-shift pattern for the automatic.

Hard to flip, overly-small side-mirror-select control tab.

Quirky bar-graph fuel and temperature gauges.

Tight rear-seat headroom and legroom for adults.

No body-side mouldings for parking-lot protection.

Tire-inflator kit instead of a spare.

Cheap-feeling sun-visors and headliner.




EXTERIOR:

As you walk up to the latest-generation Accent, particularly the sedan model, you can see that, overall, its exterior tyling is closely related to that of the larger Elantra and Sonata. There is a strong family resemblence here....perhaps not surprising, as that seems to be the way that Hyundai has chosen to go for the future. The Accent hatchback, though, has a markedly different rear end, more reminiscent of those on the small Ford Fiesta and Honda Fit hatchbacks. Neither the new Accent sedan nor hatchback (nor the larger Elantra and Sonata, for that matter) has styling that I particularly like. I find them all somewhat Geeky for my tastes, and, overall, much prefered the styling of the older models (such as the last-generation Elantra wagon, which continued in production until just recently, and can still be found on some Hyundai lots).

Everything on the Accent's exterior, including the trim and hardware, seems well-assembled and fits tightly. I'd like to see a little more chrome instead of the flat-black trim areas, but, at this price, of course, you can't expect the bling of a Cadillac Escalade. In fact, inside, they actually have done a good job with bright-metal...more on that later. The exterior sheet-metal is noticeably thinner than on past Accents, with doors that don't seem to close with quite as solid of a thunk this year, though they do close precisely and seem to seal up OK. Whether the thinner sheet-metal (something that we're seeing on a number of new vehcles) is simple cost-cutting or an attempt to cut weight for better fuel-economy/performance (or both) is unclear. The paint-job, as on most newer Hyundais, is quite well-done, especially for the price. Nine exterior paint-colors are offered...more than in a number of more expensive cars (indeed, Hyundai's own $60,000 Equus only offers four...white, black, silver, gray, which IMO is absurd). I especially liked the Accent's Neon-like Electrolyte Green...that color definitely opens your eyes (how about that for the Equus, Hyundai marketers?). As usual these days, the body-panels lack a side-moulding for parking-lot ding-protection. The twin outside-mirror housings snap/swivel/lock smoothly and slickly, ss they do on most Asian-designed vehicles. The Accent GLS and GS have high-profile 70-series tires for a smooth ride and pothole-impact protection (70s are nearly extinct today for regular cars), while the SE gets firmer-riding, more sport-oriented 50-profiles.




UNDERHOOD:

Lift the somewhat thin but steel-strong hood, and you are greeted with a manual prop-rod to fumble with instead of nice struts or springs. But, of course, this is an entry-level subcompact, and some cost-cutting may be expected. The hood, though seemingly made of tough steel, is still fairly light...the metal is rather thin. Underneath the hood is a small insulation pad. The transverse-mounted 1.6L GDI four fits in pretty well, with a reasonable amount of space to reach things and work in around the block. Many entry-level cars don't have any engine or underhood-covers at all (which, of course, makes things easy to reach). The GDI four does have a small-to-medium-size cover, which blocks some top-engine components, but, overall, it's not bad....the reason why I rate general underhood accessability good instead of excellent. Otherwise, no problems.....the filler-caps, dipsticks, fluid-reserviors, and battery are all uncovered, readily-accessable, and easy to reach.




INTERIOR:

I was generally more impressed with the new Accent's interior than with the exterior. Inside, it clearly was not a luxury car, but, nevertheless, for the price, was well-trimmed with decent-quality materials. There were a few signs of cost-cutting, such as the cheap-feeling sunvisors and headliner, but, in general, you got more than what you paid for inside. The steering-wheel, IMO, was well-designed and well-shaped. The chrome and brushed-metal trim on the steering-wheel, dash, and door panels was liberally applied for an entry-level car, though I would have preferred some imitation woodtone or carbon-fiber trim. The inner door panels used nice-looking/feeling but rather thin trim (probably for weight-control). The front seats had adequate leg and headroom (minus a sunroof-housing) for tall persons like me, but rear seat headroom and legroom was quite cramped for adults....consider this mostly a car for kids in back. I was quite surprised by the physical comfort of the front seats, even for a big wide torso and rump like mine. The seat cushion and seatback, though somewhat thinly-padded, fit my portly frame almost like a glove....more so than in a number of more expensive vehicles. The fabric on the seats seemed of decent quality. The twin primary gauges on the dash were well-designed, clear, and simple to read, but I didn't care for the quirky, smaller electronic bar-graph fuel and temperature gauges. The buttons/*****/controls were generally clear, logically laid-out, solid-feeling, and easy to use. The lock for the center-console compartment flip-up cover (which often is flimsy in some vehicles) was solid as a tank....the glove-box lock, OK, but not quite as solid. The shifter for the automatic transmission had the usual Hyundai zig-zag pattern instead of the simple fore/aft motion that I prefer. The stereo sound-quality is not a killer, but better than expected in this class (yeah, it's marginally good enough for a KISS concert with Paul and Gene's vocals). The upper-surfaces on the dash were of a hard material, but the nice textured-surface (and in the center of the door-panels) made it look and feel less-cheap. Overall, the Accent's interior, IMO, is significantly better than that of its slightly less-expensibe cousin Kia Rio, IMO probably making the small price difference between the two justified.




CARGO COMPARTMENT/TRUNK:

Open the light yet fairly strong rear hatch (like the doors, it doesn't close with as solid a thunk as in the past), and the hatchback's cargo area is fairly well-trimmed for the price. Only one El-Cheapo piece really sticks out....the tire-inflator kit under the floor instead of a spare-tire. The rest of the cargo area, though not huge (the car's small size and short rear-overhang impact on some cargo space) will carry a few decent-sized items. On the floor there is a gray fabric-carpet, though rather thin. On the walls are solid gray/black plastic panels. A cargo-cover, trimmed in matching gray fabric-carpet, helps keep valuables in the rear from prying eyes. The rear seats, of course, fold down for extra cargo-room.....even in the hatchback, you will probably need that extra room if you carry some big bulky items.




ON THE ROAD:

As expected, you start up the GDI four with a old-fashioned ignition-key and column-ignition switch. The four idles reasonably smooth and quiet, though certainly not like a Lexus V8. On the road, the flexibility of the 6-speed automatic transmission helps some, but, even with that flexibility, this rather wimpy powerplant is more suited to Grandma than to Tony Stewart. Hit the A/C and/or the ECO button, which lights up a green bulb on the dash while restricting what little torque this engine has to start with, and even Grandma's paitience may be tried. The power level is probably adequate for normal driving on level roads without a heavy load, but I wouldn't try any stoplight-contests with Mustangs/Camaros or driving in steep hills with a load. On the other hand, the sacrifices made in the power-department seem to have paid off at the gas pumps....the EPA 40-MPG highway rating for both automatic and manual-transmissions (also shared by a few other 2012/2013 compacts and subcompacts) is excellent.

The 6-speed Sport-shift automatic is light-years ahead of some previous entry-level Hyundai/Kia automatics in flexibility, and is smooth and quiet to boot. The only thing I didn't like on the transmission (a common complaint I also have with some other vehicles) is the zig-zag shifter motion instead of the simpler fore/aft that I prefer.....but the shift-lever itself operates smooth as butter.

The chassis was pretty well-done, especially for a Korean entry-level vehicle. I was significantly more impressed with the suspension and steering than I was expecting. The effort of the power-steering was smooth, had a nice effort-level, and, IMO, felt very BMW-like. The steering response was fairly quick, with very little body-lean/roll. Ride comfort on the SE's 16" 50-series tires was probably not as smooth as on the 14" 70-series tires of lesser models, but was still not overly-firm unless you hit a sharp bump. There was some audible wind and road-noise on grainy-surfaces (more road noise than wind, because of the good sealing on the doors and windows), but neither was excessive. By compact-car standards, I was also very impressed with the brakes. While not Porsche-911-powerful, the pedal gave instant response with virtually no sponginess or free-play. The pedal, like that in many vehicles, is mounted a little too close and too high in relation to the gas pedal for my big size-15 clod-hoppers (the 85-degree temperature today meant I could wear my normal clown-shoes again instead of the open-toed sandals I had to wear last week driving the VW Tiguan in the 100-degree heat).



THE VERDICT:

Yes, the big price increase this year on some versions of the Hyundai Accent and Kia Rio may be cause for some complaints, especially combined with the (apparantly) thinner and cheaper sheetmetal and bean-counting omissions like no body-mouldings, no hood-struts, and the idiotic tire-inflator bottle in the trunk. But, on the other hand, these are not expensive cars to start with. They won't leave you in the poor farm or out sleeping on the grates. Better yet, many people can pay cash for them where they would probably be making car-payments (and wasting money on interest) on more-expensive cars. And, even better yet, benefitting both your wallet and the environment, some of those price-increases this year can be made up at the gas-pumps if you drive (yes, like Grandma) and have a little paitience behind the wheel. Hyundai and Kia, with few exceptions, have both been making well-built and reliable cars for some years now, and these new 2013s should be no exception. They are covered, of course, by one of the best warranties in the buisness, though those warranties have limits on their transferability. The only problem is that the Accent and Rio have now reached the point (and price-levels) where there are other good small entry-level compacts and sub-compacts in this size and price-class, so some looking around and comparing may be justified (I, of course, review these cars by request, but I can't review everything at once).

And, as always, Happy Car-Shopping.

MM

blacksc400

iTrader: (4)

Totally agree on the Excel, that's was my first car.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

great review as always.

drove a sedan for a week in costa rica, which i think had an even smaller engine (1.4?) and fewer cogs, and i agree with your review - the one i drove was pretty gutless (and there's some serious hills/mountains/volcanoes there ) but otherwise quite refined, comfortable, and completely reliable and defect free, even though it had 25K (of no doubt brutal rental car) miles on it.

mmarshall

Yeah.....the Excel's quality drove some people away, but the low price, of course, attracted many new customers as welll. That kept Hyundai in buisness in America long enough for the old guard to go out in the mid-late 1990s, and for new management to come in that was more serious about improving the product....sort of like with Detroit in the last few years.

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

Nice review Mike!

Fiesta buddy

mmarshall

Thanks.

Can't say for sure, but my guess is that the one you drove in Costa Rica was not built to American-market specs, and was probably lighter.....hence the even smaller powerplant.

(BTW, Paul, I remember the recent thread and the picture-posting you did here in CL on your Costa Rica vacation.....that was nice). I made a comment about SUVs and what I thought was (still) the Third-World road-conditions down there, but you assured me that it was generally not the case any more.


Yep, that's (today's) Hyundai. The days of the Excel/Precis and Scoupe are long-gone....hopefully never to return.

mmarshall

Thanks.

I'll correct that......it's not the first time I've typo'ed those two similiar names. They are easy to confuse.

Ironically, the old Festiva was also at least part-Korean. It was a Mazda design (actually the Mazda 121 subcompact), built by Kia in Korea, and sold under the Ford nameplate.

(and people wonder how the auto buisness got so global and complex)

mmarshall

Great. Thanks for sharing your views. Sounds like we agree on just about everything here but the exterior styling. I admit, though, that I'm rather conservative in my styling views.........somewhat more so than a number of other auto enthusiasts.


That's generally the case with conventional torque-converter automatics (like the one in the Accent), but not necessarily so with dual-clutch automanuals, computer-shifted manuals (SMGs), or continuously-variable CVT's. Depending on the specific design and vehicle, they sometimes outdo conventional manuals in power, MPG, or both.

Unfortunately, 15-16K won't get you a top-level Accent any more like it could a few years ago, especially with options. With Hyundai's quality, warranty, and features have also come higher prices.

SaintNexus

Thanks for the review MM.

You mentioned a few times that the seats were comfortable and nice head and leg room for a person of your size. How tall are you?

I'm 5'11 and weigh about 235, are you around this size, or much taller?

I agree with you on the steering wheel, it looks great, and the interior of the car looks real nice.

Really wanting to get the SE hatchback, but all the dealerships in Southern California just have the GLS Sedan, and maybe a few GS hatchbacks, but the SE just looks nicer with the fog lights, and slightly larger wheels.

Hoping they'll have some in stock in a few months.

The Marathon Blue is my color of choice, followed by the Electrolyte Green. Cyclone Gray, and Ironman Silver.

Again, thanks for the review.

mmarshall

Sure. Anytime.

The front seats were comfortable, and had adequate headroom for my 6' 2" (plus baseball cap) and stocky 275-lb. frame. Definitely not the case in back, though....consider the back seat primarily for kids or small adults.


See my reply, just above.

For only a few more $$$$$, the Accent's interior, IMO, handily beats that of its brother Kia Rio.

I'm not sure about the West Coast Hyundai zone, but here in the East, dealers generally can't specific-order cars......they have to take whatever Hyundai allocates and ships to them. No ship, no stock.

Agreed.......both the green and blue will turn heads.