1996 Hyundai Accent GS review from North America

Ignoring normal maintenance such as tires, struts and brakes:

The car had a tendancy to always lose its alignment (I needed to perform 8 alignments on the car).

The wheel bearings in the front of the car went bad after 60,000 miles.

The alternator died around 60,000 miles.

The transmission stalled out on several occasions.

The oxygen sensors went bad after 60,000 miles (there are two of them in the 1996 Accent, apparently).

The rotors warped after 19,000 miles (95% of which was highway driving).

All of these problems occurred despite performing the manufacturer's maintenance schedule.

The car cost $12,000 new, and taught me the hard lesson "You get what you pay for." The car's performance is acceptable (but not great) around town, but is actually bad enough to be dangerous on the highway (e.g. merging with traffic was a matter of luck). I sometimes wondered if the "92 HP" motor was "92 Hamster Power" instead of "Horsepower".

On the bright side, the seats are comfortable and the A/C works quite well. The car also handles well and is fairly efficient on gas (which it should be as it has a very small engine).

It would work OK as a commuter car within a big city, but it is really not meant to be a highway cruiser. Overall, I feel a good used car would be a better use of your money.