In the world of cheap, small cars, Hyundai has long been a go-to name. In the past that came with a reputation of poor build quality and a lack of longevity. Over the past 15 years or so, the company has managed a complete turn around. With a renewed focus on creating well-equipped smartly designed that vehicles, that are less about price, and more about value. That means that their cars have gotten larger and more expensive over the years as well. Does that mean the company has all but abandoned the cheap car market? Well I was given the keys to the new 2015 Hyundai Accent, the least expensive new Hyundai available today, and I intended to find out.
Like so many of my test cars, this one was saddled with almost every option available. This sedan was the GLS model, the highest trim available, and it was equipped with both of the car’s only option packages, the Popular Package and the Style Package. Not a great start for a cheap car, but then you look at the window sticker. The base price for the GLS sedan is $15,745. The two option packages run $600 and $800 respectively. The only other option we have is $125 for floor mats. After the $810 destination fee, the total price rings up at $18,080. Now that is more like it. That is almost half the price of the average new car sold in the US today.
So now that we know that Hyundai can still offer a cheap car, it is time to find out if it’s any good.
Lets start under the hood. Powering this car is a 1.6-liter four-cylinder with direct injection that makes 137 horsepower and 123 pound-feet of torque. That is more than competitors like the Honda Fit and the Nissan Versa. Power from the tiny motor is not overwhelming, but thanks to the car’s light 2,500 pound weight, it is adequate. Acceleration feels quick enough to get you into tight merges, and the engine is thrashing around too much at cursing speeds.
Handling for the Accent GLS is pretty solid for a car of this class. The car’s low curb weight make it feel nimble and playful. You won’t be using this car to set any new records at the local autocross, but the car feels playful, and its easily approachable limits help to make it an ideal car to really push on a back road. Very few drivers will run out of talent before this car starts to give in.
From a more practical standpoint, the Accent sedan is a spacious and well-equipped car. Our tester came loaded with a six-speaker audio system with satellite radio and Bluetooth, 16-inch alloy wheels, fog lights, projector headlamps, and classy-looking piano black accents in the interior. It may not have navigation or a backup camera like you can get on the Nissan Versa Note, but it is cheaper.
Interior space is great for a machine this size, and Hyundai has done some neat tricks to maximize the interior volume without dramatically increasing the size of the car’s overall footprint. The greenhouse is domed upward giving maximum headroom, the door panels are all sculpted inward to give just a bit more room in the thighs and the smaller interior B pillar helps with front should room.
My entire week with this car, one thought kept popping into my head, “this thing is pretty good.” It seems like I may be damning the car with faint praise, but as a nation we have been told for decades that cars in this class are barely worth owning. They are merely lowest denominator transportation for those of us with the lowest level incomes. But the Hyundai Accent reminded me that there are ways you can make a car cheaply, and not ruin its fun, style or usefulness. Yes the Accent could use a little more power, and rear seats could be a bit more comfortable, but on the whole, this little four-door hits it out of the park.
Not only has Hyundai proved that it can still make an affordable car compact car, but the Korean company has proved that they can make a good one.
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