1st Review: All new 2012 Hyundai Accent. IT'S GOOD

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Originally Posted By: Spazdog
I like the 5-door but I'm sure that to get a manual transmission you have to get the base model with plastic hubcaps.



Nope, you can get the 6 speed manual with all trim levels on the hatchback, including the fully loaded GLS model with alloy wheels. On the sedan, you can get the 6 speed manual on the L and GL model, but not on the GLS. At least that's how it is offered in Canada anyhow.

I was actually just about to start a thread in here on the 2012 Accent when I saw this topic, as I'm seriously considering this car for my new daily driver (to keep the Corvette out of bad weather from now on, especially winter weather!)

I had also been considering the Fiesta, Elantra, Civic and the Mazda 3, but the Accent just offers way more stuff for a lower price. The MSRP on a fully loaded GLS hatchback with 6 speed manual is just $17,199 up here. And for that price you get air, power windows and locks, power heated mirrors, keyless entry with alarm, heated front seats, power sunroof, 172 watt stereo with 6 speakers (2 of them are dedicated tweeters, which is nice to have!), satellite radio, iPod aux input and USB port, fog lamps, steering wheel mounted cruise control and audio functions, bluetooth, 16" alloy wheels, rear seat heater ducts, leather wrapped steering wheel and shifter knob, 4 wheel discs with ABS, traction control, stability control, 6 airbags, and a trip computer showing average MPG. That is some serious stuff for such a low price! None of the other cars I mentioned offer all of this stuff together. And don't forget the engine, a direct injected 1.8L making 138hp. That should have no trouble moving such a light car around.

I really like the fuel economy rating on this car too, Hyundai Canada lists this car as getting 6.7L per 100km in the city and 4.9 highway, which works out to 35 MPG city and 48 MPG highway! I know this is a lot higher than Hyundai claims in the US, but I guess our testing methods up here are done a little bit differently.

I'm hoping that Hyundai Canada will knock the price down even further, perhaps with cash incentives or something, or the dealers are willing to come down a bit off MSRP and maybe I could end up getting one for $16,000 even. Although even if they don't budge off MSRP, it's still worth it! If I didn't buy something new, my alternative would still be to go for a 2007 Civic EX coupe, but those are going for close to $10,000 up here, so that's why I'm leaning towards spending just a few thousand more to get something brand spanking new that I know can last me a few years longer than a used car that's already 5 years old. It's also been a very long time (end of 1999) since I bought a brand new car and I miss that new car smell!
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Since they don't list this info on their website, I'm curious if anyone knows if this car calls for 5w20 or 5w30 oil? I'm hoping they call for 5w20! I still haven't decided whether or not I would go with conventional oil and change it every 6 months or go with synthetic and do it once per year.

If I do buy one of these, it probably won't be until the fall, although it might be worth my while to start checking out the lots of Hyundai dealers over the next few months to see if any of them are even going to be stocking the GLS hatchback with a 6 speed manual or if they'll choose mostly automatics. If I notice that none of them are stocking what I want (I also really want it in the nice bright blue color and I really don't want to settle for another color) then I'll place a factory order, and I want to make sure I get the car before November.

It's been a while since I owned a manual transmission car (since I traded my 95 Escort GT for the 2000 Civic) and I've got the itch to own one again (especially since my commute to work at this job really doesn't have much stop and go traffic like my old job had) I'll definitely take one for a test drive first to see if it's got a decent clutch and shifter! I hope I'm not disappointed!
 
Seen where up to 50% of parts in foreign produced vehicles are from North America . So , helping some .
 
Originally Posted By: sciphi
....Glad to see Hyundai/Kia are still on their roll....
Like buttah. 6 speed AT, not 4 like Corolla, not 5 like Civic. And 4 wheel disc, not the Corolla's rear drum.

It seems Hyundai/Kia is making hay while Japan's big two are resting on their laurels.

And the styling continues H/K's major redesign improvement. On a roll for sure.
 
If Hyundai is not careful, accent hatchback might cut into the Elantra sales - that Hatchback looks really good, IMO, and the dash is less gimmicky-looking.

an I agree with the chrome in the cockpit comment - unless done VERY subtly and carefully, it only adds to the cheap-look.

I like all 3 of our cars' dashes/cockpits - NONE of them have any chrome in them.
 
That's an impressive spec sheet that car's toting around. I'm seriously considering looking at the SE-trim hatchback for a daily driver.
 
Originally Posted By: odie
Seen where up to 50% of parts in foreign produced vehicles are from North America . So , helping some .


I'd like to see where you read that bit of info.

Either you are paraphrasing incorrectly or they were just flat out wrong. Because, as written, your statement is pure fiction.

If you mean the transplant cars that are assembled here, then yes, some of them have a higher domestic content, some in the 70 and 80 range. But when their entire models lines are factored into the picture the number drops like a rock.
 
Import, Domestic, who cares. The car seems to be a winner. Other manufacturers should be vary wary of Hyundai. They are producing some great cars at the moment. Value and reliability are all that matter. This import vs domestic [censored] has to stop.
 
The way I figure it, South Korea has been a very consistant ally of the United States. We've been to war against Japan, Germany, England, Italy, Mexico, and even technically Canada. Never against the Republic of Korea.

When we went to war in Vietnam, who else came? South Korea and Australia. The Communist Vietnamese forces genuinely feared the ROKs. The ROKs took the spread of communism very personally and seriously. They had first hand experience of the spread of communism.

I never really paid too much attention to the Accent. To me they were just brightly colored Easter Egg offshoots of the Excel. I actually want to drive this one and see if the Koreans have gotten better at making a shifter and making a car that handles well.
 
Originally Posted By: Autobahn88
Import, Domestic, who cares. The car seems to be a winner. Other manufacturers should be vary wary of Hyundai. They are producing some great cars at the moment. Value and reliability are all that matter. This import vs domestic [censored] has to stop.


I care...but your view point is valid as well.

On the other hand, statements of fact, such as those I responded to, should be based on reality. Agreed? Or is accuracy just another "who cares" scenario for you?

Opinions are one thing, and I don't disagree with your opinion of H/K products, but statements of fact are not allowed the same latitude in my book.
 
An amazing increase in mpg from the previous years. I was researching this car as a possible replacement for the !echo!; when I queried a Michigan owner of an older one, he said RPMs were about 3800 @ 70mph and got about 32 mpg. Pretty embarrassing for a 1.6L; glad they moved into a reasonable fuel efficiency #, (and apparently added 3k to the price)
 
^^^^
This is not a personal attack at you. Yes, I agree that people like to throw facts and figures without any proof just personal opinions. The only thing that bothers me is the OP posted on a car that interested them, then the domestic content comes into play. Everyone here has their personal choice. If someone likes imports or domestic, that is their right. I'm sure the OP just wants a good reliable vehicle and does not really care about domestic vs foreign content.
 
If the USA imports more stuff, it exports more stuff, jobs are not lost, they are gained.

Also, labor is not a big part of auto manufacturing anymore, robots took over.
 
Guys,
How about getting back on topic of the specific car and leave the US economy/import/export topic to a separate thread?

We are discussing a specific car here, not the economy.
 
Originally Posted By: 97tbird
Guys,
How about getting back on topic of the specific car and leave the US economy/import/export topic to a separate thread?

We are discussing a specific car here, not the economy.


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Chrome in the cockpit. really makes me go W. T. F. when I see all this chrome glare around the gauges and vents.. I mean who the heck wants glare?


That also drives me crazy with all the glare, plus chrome actually cheapens the look of any car/truck interior.
 
Originally Posted By: LT4 Vette
Quote:
Chrome in the cockpit. really makes me go W. T. F. when I see all this chrome glare around the gauges and vents.. I mean who the heck wants glare?


That also drives me crazy with all the glare, plus chrome actually cheapens the look of any car/truck interior.




Yep. SICK AND TIRED OF THIS ANNOYING TREND FOISTED UPON THE US CONSUMER BY MARKETING FOLKS THAT THINK THEY KNOW WHAT PUBLIC WANTS.

Just like the tired old mantra the US consumer will not buy hatchbacks.
 
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Of all of Hyundai's recent styling jobs, I think I like this one the best. If they could super-size this interior layout for the Elantra and Sonata, I think they'd have a winner. I don't care for how each of Hyundai's new sedans look like scale copies of the others. The Elantra looks like a 7/8ths scale Sonata, and the Accent looks like a 7/8ths scale Elantra.
 
Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
Of all of Hyundai's recent styling jobs, I think I like this one the best. If they could super-size this interior layout for the Elantra and Sonata, I think they'd have a winner. I don't care for how each of Hyundai's new sedans look like scale copies of the others. The Elantra looks like a 7/8ths scale Sonata, and the Accent looks like a 7/8ths scale Elantra.

Isn't Honda like this as well? Accord and Civic have same interior, with Civic slightly on a smaller scale.
 
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