2002 Hyundai Accent GL from North America - Comments

Rear strut leak at around 45,000 miles. Replaced free under warranty.

Bad caliper replaced free under warranty at 55,000 miles.

Thermostat problem at around 50,000 miles, replaced free under warranty.

Other issues.

Front brake pads and rotors replaced at 38,000 miles. Not covered under warranty. I let the rotors get damaged by not replacing brake pads sooner. Cost 400 and change.

Minor fender bender last week at 67,000 miles. At first the car is fine, then won't start. New battery and drive belts replaced 300 and change.

I really wanted to buy a new car once my used 87 Honda Accord hatchback died on me at 197,000 miles.

My only other options were a Toyota Echo or Kia. I settled for a 2002 grey Hyundai Accent GL sedan for 11,200 out the door. All in all, I'm very happy with this car. It has been very reliable, starts up every morning. It is definitely a budget car, and the few problems I have had, have been replaced under warranty.

I do regular maintenance and oil changes, and I'm sure this helps a lot with keeping things running.

Fuel economy used to be around 30 mpg, now it has dropped to around 25mpg in the hot summer blasting the A/C. The car has definitely grown on me, and even though it's a cheap car, I take pride in owning it since I bought it new.

Sorry, but I do not see the point of Accent ownership, or Hyundai ownership at all. I know 7-8 different people that either drive a Hyundai or have had Hyundais in the recent past. Here in Europe Accent and Atos are sold as basic budget cars, but I think I more or less can prove that the overall economy of buying a new Accent is poorer that buying say a new compact Toyota (like Corolla). In addition when buying an Accent over a Corolla you get a car that has worse quality in every aspect, including safety. The main problem is resale value. Accents are cheap to buy new, but even cheaper second hand. And the quality is not especially good, it is the same story every time, after 4-5 years these cars more or less falls to pieces while a Toyota will last 10-15 years with no problem. Want to replace expensive ABS parts? Or do a full brake job after 40K? Or change other expensive parts, like the TPS or other sensors? Or what about fixing a failing electric window? Then buy an Accent or Atos. But do you want overall long term economy: Do yourself a favor, add $3000 to your budget and buy yourself a decent car.