2008 Hyundai Accent GL from North America - Comments

Nothing.

Purchased the Hyundai Accent with new Canadian pricing. Went for the upgrade with A/C power windows and power locks. It is a standard car.

I tested both from the dealer, and the manual seems more peppy than the automatic, which seems to lag from gear to gear.

So anyways, I have not owned this car for long, but I must say it drives well, corners nicely, however it rev's rather high. At highway speed ranging from 100-120 kmh, it is about 3250 rpms, which seems rather high to me. Perhaps it is due to the 110 horsepower it is packing. Also for passing, there is enough power in that 110 to make it a breeze

I don't know how it will handle in winter yet, but I will keep you posted on that when the season arrives.

The only thing I can complain about is the reverse gear. I don't like it; I am unsure why, but it just feels a little funny to me.

It's a joke to park mind you; the headrests do interfere somewhat.

The interior is plain and simple. The way I like its no nonsense, easy to use controls. Nice instrument panel with nice lighting.

Headlights work wonders compared to my last car.

Adequate sound system.

Would not recommend the hatchback if you're looking to drive with many people. My friend was in the back for 2 hours; he is 6 feet tall and his legs were cramping.

I get about 600-700 km on 45 L of full. I have not done it accurately as of yet, as I have not driven it to empty. In the weeks to come I shall.

I know exactly what you mean about the reverse gear. I also just bought one, and shifting into reverse does feel a little different than the rest of the gears. I don't know why but it does feel funny.

The high revs bothered me at first, I have over 1000 miles on it now, and I'm used to it. I'm accustomed to other vehicles where 3 or 4000 rpm's are a lot, but this car redlines at 7000, and sounds perfectly happy at 4 or 5000; no real complaints.

I like the car so far. I'm getting about EPA estimates, 35 miles per galloon mixed city/highway driving, can't wait to see what happens on a long trip. Maybe at or close to 40 mpg. Good solid car so far.

I took my wife's Accent up to Mt. Rainier & 5500 foot Chinook Pass from sealevel. With good feather footing the Accent turned 42.6MPG! Given a flat highway drive I bet the 42.6MPG will be in second place.

Easy does it, tho. It works for alcoholics & gasaholics trying to reduce oil consumption.

My comment is just above. I said the 42.6MPG tank would probably be in 2nd place with a good flat highway run. I went on a run (not flat, but including a 1400 foot pass & two 600 foot hills) & nailed down 45.1 MPG. Another day I went in 101 degree heat quicker than my normal driving. Went over 4000 & 3000 foot passes with other ups & downs & got 41.5 MPG. Yes, the 2008 Accent likes to sip gasoline.

I picked up my 2008 Accent 4Door sedan June 28, 2008. I traded in my 2005 Accent GT for it, so I have experience with the "Alpha" 1.6L engine, not to mention prior to the 2005 I drove a 1992 Elantra 288,000 miles.

The Elantra had a 1.6L 4 cylinder also. What strikes me about these cars is the refinement that takes place as the years go by. My 92 Elantra sedan was somewhat smaller than the 2005 AccentGT, although the Elantra was a 4 door. The 2005 AccentGT had power windows and locks, but was not as dependable as my 1992.

Two years and 60,000 miles into the life of the 2005, I'd had it with repeated visits to the shop for water pumps, alternators, mounting brackets for the transmission, and several problems the dealer "couldn't" find to fix. Via various negotiations and arbitrations, they replaced the car with a 2008 4-Door Accent sedan. This car is quite like my 1992 Elantra in that it has manual windows and locks, 5 speed, air conditioning and a nice touch, MP3/XM/FM radio.

That's the history. I've been driving Hyundai since 1986, so this is a brand I'm intimate with. This 2008 is a wonderful car 1500 miles into its life. Smooth, quiet, and refined. I have friends whose Civics and Corollas are like bumping along in a buckboard stagecoach, and they agree with me that this sedan is a wonderful contrast to their base level sedans.

The car is very, very smooth at low RPM, it runs wonderfully in 5th gear at 45MPH, but as a consequence, it does rev higher at 65-80 MPH. But the isolation of the engine via rubber mounting grommets, the harmonic balancers and the fact that this engine is MEANT to spin makes the higher RPM inconsequential, to me at least.

The car is roomier than my 2005 Accent GT of course, and it does gain a couple of inches wheelbase, and is heavier by 600 pounds. Nonetheless, it somehow gets a little more than 4 MPG more than my GT which was outstanding at around 35MPG.

Performance seems the same, acceleration-wise, too. The 2008 has the variable valve timing Honda refers to as V-TEC, which is another refinement over the 2005. The 2008 also has, in spite of being bigger (not to mention a 4-door), a much shorter turning radius than my GT.

Overall, I'm very, very happy with this one. The 2008 has the feel, the performance, and the "livability" of my 1992 Elantra I drove 288,000 miles, a feeling I never had with the 2005 Accent GT.

I advise anyone that buys one to be religious about the oil changes (keeping the rev capability of this engine in mind), maintain the dealer's maintenance schedule, and I think you'll have a car that you'll be quite happy with, and for several thousand dollars less than Hondas, Toyotas and Nissans. This Accent sedan is easily the equivalent of comparable sedans from those brands.