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Subcompact car; Built in
  • 4-door hatchback
  • 4-door sedan
  • transverse front-engine/front-wheel drive
Good condition price range: $5,800 – $14,600*


2014 Hyundai Accent


2014 Hyundai Accent


2014 Hyundai Accent

Pros:
  • Control layout
  • Quietness
Cons:
  • Automatic-transmission performance in hilly country
  • Fuel economy

The redesigned Accent moves up a few notches not only in standard safety equipment, available features, power, and fuel economy, but also in price. As such, it’s not the bargain-basement transport it used to be, but it does offer a fine combination of room, refinement, features, and performance for the money. That’s what makes it a Best Buy (2012) subcompact car.

Overview

Accent was Hyundai’s entry-level car. Ever looking to move its products upmarket, Hyundai brought a redesigned Accent to market for 2012. The design was supposed to be more high-end. Also higher were prices, more than $2,000 in some cases.

The South Korean-built Accent competed against cars such as the Chevrolet Sonic, Ford Fiesta, Honda Fit, and Toyota Yaris. Note that Accent lent its basic design to the Kia Rio, which was produced by Hyundai’s corporate subsidiary.

New styling and updated features highlighted the redesigned-for-2012 Hyundai Accent. Also new was a 4-door hatchback body style, which replaced the previous Accent’s 2-door hatch. A 4-door sedan returned. The new car rode on a wheelbase that was 2.8 inches longer than the 2006-2011 version.

Accents equipped with the available automatic transmission included a new “Active Eco” button that altered throttle and transmission programming in an effort to increase fuel economy.

The Accent sedan came in a single GLS trim level. The hatchback was offered as the base GS and sporty SE.

Accent had only one drivetrain. All were front-wheel drive and powered by a 138-horsepower 1.6-liter 4-cylinder engine. Buyers did have a choice of a 6-speed manual or 6-speed automatic transmission for both the hatch and sedan.

The Hyundai Accent included a standard complement of expected and federally mandated safety features.

Yearly Updates

2012 Accent
Accent was new for 2012, but Hyundai made a few changes for 2013. Most of them involve the base GLS sedan with manual transmission. That model got a whole host of new standard equipment, along with a corresponding jump in base price. All models received standard heated outside mirrors and remote keyless entry. A power sunroof was a new option for the top-line SE hatchback.
2013 Accent
For 2014, Accent gained some added standard features including tilt/telescopic steering wheel for SE models.

Engines

transverse front-engine/front-wheel drive

Accent had only one drivetrain. All were front-wheel drive and powered by a 138-horsepower 1.6-liter 4-cylinder engine. Buyers did have a choice of a 6-speed manual or 6-speed automatic transmission for both the hatch and sedan.

dohc I4
Engine Size (liters/cubic inches) 1.6/98
Engine HP 138
Engine Torque (lb-ft) 123
Avail. Trans. EPA MPG (city/hwy) MPG avg. as tested
6-speed manual
6-speed automatic 		28/37
28/37 		33
29

Road Test

Regardless of transmission, Accent offers adequate acceleration off the line but only modest highway passing response. The automatic downshifts fairly quickly for more power, but frequently hunts between gears on hilly terrain.

In Consumer Guide testing, an automatic-transmission sedan averaged 29.6 mpg. A manual hatchback averaged 32.5 mpg. Our extended-use SE with the automatic averaged 29.3 mpg over its first 11,335 miles. Neither figure is impressive for a subcompact car. Accent uses regular-grade gas.

Ride is better than the subcompact norm. The suspension in the SE, which rides on lower-profile 16-inch tires vs. other models’ 14s, soaks up most bumps with little fanfare. We actually think the SE has slightly better control. One test GLS suffered from occasional clunking over bumps.

All versions display a modicum of body lean in fast turns, and steering feel isn’t sports-car sharp. Still, it feels nimble enough to be mildly entertaining to drive. It’s a small tradeoff for Accent’s good ride quality.

Wind and road noise are generally well controlled, though these become a bit intrusive at highway speeds. The engine is loud only at high rpm under brisk acceleration.

Radio and climate controls are within easy reach, though the climate knobs are mounted a bit low. Both feature simple-to-use buttons and dials.

The interior looks nice enough, but it’s awash in hard plastic; not even the door armrests are padded, though the console one is. A few classy trim bits keep things from looking 100 percent low budget.

There’s plenty of front headroom and legroom for taller adults, and even base models have a height-adjustable driver seat. Some of our testers had trouble finding an ideal driving position. A telescopic steering wheel would help, but this feature is not available on most models. Visibility is generally good in hatchbacks, though the tiny quarter windows in the thick rear roof pillars aren’t enough to alleviate a large blind spot to the back corners.

Rear headroom is barely adequate for 6-footers, but they won’t have enough legroom to squeeze in behind a like-size front seater. Egress is fairly easy for such a small car.

At 13.7 cubic feet, the sedan’s trunk is quite spacious. The hatchback’s roomy cargo area can be expanded by dropping the standard split-folding rear seat backs, which can be easily done without having to remove the rear headrests. However, the folded seat backs rest about three inches above the level of the cargo floor, making loading bulky or heavy items a chore. Interior storage consists of a decent-size glovebox, a large forward console bin and a smaller one behind the shifter, two molded-in console cupholders, and door map pockets.

Ratings

Model Tested: 2013 SE automatic

Ratings values are on a 1-10 scale, with 10 being the best. With the exception of Value, these numbers reflect how the vehicle compares against the universe of vehicles, not just against rivals in its class.

Performance

Acceleration - 4
40%
Fuel Economy - 8
80%
Ride Quality - 5
50%
Steering/Handling - 6
60%
Quietness - 5
50%

Accommodations

Controls/Materials - 6
60%
Room/Comfort Front - 5
50%
Room/Comfort Rear - 3
30%
Cargo Room - 8
80%

Other

Value - 8
80%

Total: 58

Specifications

4-door hatchback
Wheelbase (in.) Length (in.) Width (in.) Height (in.) Weight (lbs)
101.2 162.0 66.9 57.1
Cargo Volume (cu/ft) Payload Capacity (cu/ft) Fuel Capacity (gal.) Seating Capacity
47.5 11.4 5.0
Headroom Legroom
Front Rear Front Rear
39.9 37.8 41.8 33.3
4-door sedan
Wheelbase (in.) Length (in.) Width (in.) Height (in.) Weight (lbs)
101.2 172.0 66.9 57.1
Cargo Volume (cu/ft) Payload Capacity (cu/ft) Fuel Capacity (gal.) Seating Capacity
13.7 11.4 5.0
Headroom Legroom
Front Rear Front Rear
39.9 37.2 41.8 33.3
Safety Ratings

Model Tested: 2014 Hyundai Accent 4-door hatchback 4-door hatchback

NHTSA

(5 is the highest rating)

Front Impact Test

Driver Injury - 5
100%
Front Passenger Injury - 4
80%

Side Impact Test

Driver Injury - 5
100%
Rear Passenger Injury - 3
60%

HLDI

(A score of 100 is average. Lower is better)

Collision N/A
Injury N/A
Theft N/A

Trouble Spots

None
Description:

Recall History

Equipment Lists

Equipment lists are only viewable on larger screen sizes.

Pricing

Used-car pricing varies widely depending on local market conditions. Therefore, we recommend visiting websites that list used cars for sale to get a better idea of what a specific model is selling for in your area.

More about Tom Appel
Written by: Tom Appel on April 20, 2016.
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