Zero_Gravity

Sice you have a 2004 accent, I wanted to inquire your opinion in terms of power. I did a test drive of the accent and found the acceleration a bit slow. What is your take? I'm thinking I should test drive it again, before I make the purchase.

 

my take on it (i test drove an auto, similar model) was that the accent with the automatic transmission is agonizingly slow. it was downright painful.

getting a 5-spd manual makes a HUGE difference! it'll never be fast by any means, but its far better. the car is not built to be fast, its built to be economical. my personal opinion is that the piddly little 1.5 and 1.6L engines just do not have the power to run an auto transmission and give you any decent acceleration at the same time.

for me i can live with it, i plan to build up a toyota supra for something fast. might as well do it right and go for gobs of power and torque i figure. keep the accent as a cheap DD

 

i just bought my accent last feb, 2013 and experienced very low power after 6 months. they said the spark plugs already needed change. there was no warranty considering that i just had my car for less than a year. labor was free though but still i had to pay 2,200 pesos for the spark plugs. btw mileage was only 8th plus kms.

 

That's not a lot of miles on plugs. Did they do anything else or just replace the plugs, and did that cure the problem?

 

Hopefully, nothing is damaged in your car.

I've heard that Gasoline Direct Injection engines need to stay away from 10% ethanol blends. Go to pure-gas.org to find rare gas stations dispensing 100% gasoline(ethanol-free). Run your gas tank low, just before you fill on 100% gasoline, to get as much ethanol out as possible. Over a number of tanks, your mpg will go up 5% to 8%. Some drivers report 9 to 10+% using 100% gasoline. Ethanol needs higher compression ethanol engines to get the efficiency out of ethanol. Extra power will be less noticable, but careful observation may detect extra smoothness, quietness & a trace extra low rpm torque.

If pure-gas.org shows no 100% gasoline near by, look carefully at airports & marinas, for unadvertised fuels behind hangers or on small fuel docks you may have to walk to. You may have to carry gas cans to fuel. I would do such, to stay away from ethanol.

This is NOT rocket science. Gasoline engines were designed & built to use 100% gasoline & that is what you need to use. Even the EPA uses the equivalent of 100% gasoline to get the best mpg ratings for gasoline engines sold in the U.S.

 

For what it's worth, I ought a beater 99 Accent and it's consistently been reliable, easy to work on, and practical. No mechanical issues whatsoever and I average 38 mpg. The stick shift makes a difference.

 

I would suggest anyone buying a accent for the first time to go for its good sedan looks, excellent space and comfort,low maintanence and performance..

 

I purchased a 2010 Hyundai Accent about 6 months ago. So far I love my car. Im getting close to 32mpg in my car. Most of my miles are hwy miles. So far ive only had to replace 2 spark plugs in my car that went bad. Seems to be a issue when I got on the interstate. I rarely drive the interstate but the two times i did and i had to get on my car to merge in to traffic my plugs failed. I bought them from Advance Auto and my fiance replaced them. It was only a hundred a piece for them with a lifetime warranty. Ive had no other issues since.

I just recently got back from a trip out of town where I drove on the interstate and I had no issues at all. I have a local Hyundai dealership here and Im finding their prices are pretty reasonable.

 

I just bought a 2012 accent GLS sedan. Though I cannot contest to any longevity issues with the car, having this be my second hyundai I will say the accent with the automatic in it is plenty quick even compared to the Honda civic. Just dont expect acceleration like a V6 and youll be fine.
The build quality is superb much better than any eco car I have tested while looking for a commuter car. The styling is great, and the economy is top notch. A ten gallon tank and more than 400 miles per tank puts a smile on your face at every fill up.
Of the two hyundai I have personally owned I will say also that hyundai dealerships have been very helpful, and straight forward with me.
In fact the lack of customer service, backing their warrantees, cars, or their customers is why I have backed away from anything made by chrysler.

If you do your shopping, for the price your looking at you might be able to get a much newer car for close to the same money. I would think a 2011, or even a 2012 accent might be possible. And the 5 yr 60K warrantee would still be there for your piece of mind.

Just my 2c

 

I just purchased the 2013 hyundai accent and I must say I am having fun driving this car. Its not as fast and powerful as my V6 montero but it is very economical. It uses much less fuel for the same mileage and it certainly has a great interior. The suspension is stiff but it handles the road very well. For its price i am happy with its features and reliability.