Which commuter car? 2009 Accent or 2009 Spectra

[kendrickson]

I've been looking for a decent car for my long commute to work, and have come across a 2009 Hyundai Accent 3 door hatchback, and a 2009 Kia Spectra. I did not purposely seek out the Korean brands, but these are both decently priced.

2009 Hyundai Accent:
29,000 miles.
Automatic transmission.
A little better on gas than the Spectra.
Still under warranty until 60,000 miles.
A little more difficult to put the kids in the back on the rare occasion that they will ride in that vehicle.


2009 Kia Spectra:
56,000 miles.
Manual 5 speed, which I prefer.
Only has 4000 more miles of warranty.
Not quite as fuel efficient for my long commute.
Easier to fit extra people in this vehicle.
This car will be $500 cheaper than the Accent.

I know that there are other brands that could be recommended, but of these two vehicles, which would you recommend for my 100 mile a day work commute? I am most concerned about decent reliability and low cost of operation. I have found both to be comfortable to drive, and I am having a hard time deciding which one would be best suited for me given each vehicles' pros and cons.
Any helpful advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[fdcg27]

$500.00 more for a car with 27K fewer miles and better fuel economy, even with the handicap of an automatic, plus 31K remaining on warranty?
This is a no brainer.
By '09, Hyundai cars were really decent, not so sure about the Kias, even though they were by then a stepchild of Hyundai.
Question to ask sellers:
What is the story behind such a new and low-miles car being sold used?

 

[sciphi]

Hyundai. For $500 more, it's a no-brainer.

 

[VVTinme]

Out of those two, I would go for the Hyundai. It's a no brainer when looking at the difference in the mileage between the two.

However, both cars got mediocre safety ratings. I don't know how important that is to you, but I would be wary about putting kids in either car.

 

[Popinski]

Kia Spectra. The Hyundai 2.0L is bullet-proof. I believe it has better reliability than the Accent. Double check consumer reports.

 

[JTK]

Is one of them significantly higher to insure than the other?

Does one offer better dealer access than the other? While I did love my Hyundai, lots of parts are dealer parts counter only.

Joel

 

[eljefino]

I test drove a 3 year old used hyundai accent with 35 or 40k miles. Whomever had that car before used it HARD, the brakes were warped, pedal near the floor, oil like soot, and the shady used car dealer didn't even pop the ten bucks for clean oil.

That's what I get for price shopping on autotrader.com. Obvious nimrod owned the car previously. It is possible if not probable that being one of the cheapest new cars available it attracted (attracts) those looking for a "disposable car".

But then I found the good car online at a dealer too.

 

[Popinski]

Originally Posted By: JTK
Is one of them significantly higher to insure than the other?

Does one offer better dealer access than the other? While I did love my Hyundai, lots of parts are dealer parts counter only.

Joel


Majority of the parts in my '97 Elantra I got from aftermarket. I got nothing from the Hyundai dealer.

 

[daves87rs]

Originally Posted By: Popinski
Kia Spectra. The Hyundai 2.0L is bullet-proof. I believe it has better reliability than the Accent. Double check consumer reports.


+1

Not quite bullet proof, but they do hold up well.

 

[kendrickson]

Thanks for the input thus far.
Both cars are in nice shape.
The kids will rarely be riding in the vehicle...we have a minivan for the family car.
There are multiple dealers for both brands in my area.

 

[4x4chevydude]

Hyundai for sure I love my 09 Sonata and would defintely say with the warranty better fuel mileage and less miles that will be your best bet.

 

[hemitom]

Well speaking from experience, i have a 2008 kia rio5 and a 2006 kia spectra, i would take the spectra over the rio all day everyday. The rio has the 5 spd and the spectra the auto. City driving, the rio is a little better on gas, on the highway the spectra is just as good or slightly better. The spectra rides and handles much better, way and i mean way less road noise, the seats are also more comfortable and has more interior room. Both have been very realiable.

The only thing is how much you value the longer warranty period on the accent.

 

[earlyre]

is this a dealer purchase, or a private party?
i know when i bought my Y2k Sonata in summer of '01, the dealer talked me into the extended warranty that basically bumped everything back up to the 10/100 original owner level. (which came in handy a few times. regulators on both front windows, Tach that died, the dive axle boots that cracked open,covering the insides of my front wheels with a thick layer of grease, and had to be replaced summer'09 @ 99,990 mi. etc.)( i remember watching Micheal Jackson's memorial in the dealership waiting room)

A little super quick research(Wikipedia) shows the spectra is basically the Hyundai Elantra, if that would help anyone with a more direct comparison..

 

[sciphi]

Oh yeah, the 09 Spectra is basically the 01-06 Elantra with a Kia badge on it. I had a moment of brain flatulence. Great little cars as Hyundais, not sure how the Kia badge affects matters.

The Spectra WILL need a timing belt done in 4000 miles. It's about a $300 job DIY, or about $1000 at a garage. Hyundai recommended every 60k miles for the t-belt on the Beta engine in the Spectra. It's an interference engine, so best to have it done on time.

 

[Spazdog]

If it's a Spectra5 I would get that.

But I'm biased towards the wagon. The 3 door Accent is okay but if the Spectra5 had a better feeling shifter, I might be driving one of those today.

Otherwise, everything else favors the Accent.

 

[kendrickson]

So I purchased the Hyundai. I got a pretty good deal on it, and it was rather important to me to have the better fuel economy and the longer warranty. I liked it a little better than the Kia anyway, and it has lower miles as well. I would have purchased the Kia for the lower price, but the timing belt is due, and I could not get them to include a timing belt change for the price I wanted, plus the other reasons I already mentioned. The only thing I am a little unsure about is the automatic transmission in the Accent. I hope it lasts. I will be changing out the transmission fluid in short order.
Thanks to all who offered their input.

 

[Popinski]

Originally Posted By: kendrickson
So I purchased the Hyundai. I got a pretty good deal on it, and it was rather important to me to have the better fuel economy and the longer warranty. I liked it a little better than the Kia anyway, and it has lower miles as well. I would have purchased the Kia for the lower price, but the timing belt is due, and I could not get them to include a timing belt change for the price I wanted, plus the other reasons I already mentioned. The only thing I am a little unsure about is the automatic transmission in the Accent. I hope it lasts. I will be changing out the transmission fluid in short order.
Thanks to all who offered their input.


Be sure to use genuine Hyundai ATF fluid. For some reason, Hyundai ATFs are picky about transmission oil.

 

[earlyre]

not to mention that they folks overseeing the Hyundai Power train warranty can get in a "NO PAY" mood if you use an other fluid...
or so i heard from a local transmission shop.
When my sonata hit 60k or there a-bouts, i took it to a local Branch of a national transmission chain(don't remember the "brand" but it was just down the road from my apt, and they had a coupon out for the service i needed), just to flush and fill, per the maintenance schedule, he pretty much said he wouldn't touch it, for the simple fact he'd owned a similar sonata, and done the work himself, and used a non-Hyundai fluid, and when something popped up a bit down the line, they refused to pay for the transmission b/c it had the other fluid in it.

That car also liked to chew up and squeal any belts that weren't genuine Hyundai. JFYI
(2000 Sonata 2.4l I-4, w/ 4 speed Auto)

 

[JTK]

Originally Posted By: Popinski


Be sure to use genuine Hyundai ATF fluid. For some reason, Hyundai ATFs are picky about transmission oil.


That's not entirely true.

Granted I didn't own an Accent, but was a follower of everything Hyundai for several years having owned a 2008 Santa Fe.

I have never heard of a Hyundai AT issue when a "suitable for Hyundai SP-III use" ATF was used. Not a single one. Nor have I heard of any warranty denials associated with this.

Now, tossing something in there that doesn't say anything on the bottle about Hyundai/Kia SP-III on it's specs? Yes, you're going to have problems.

ATFs that have proven over and over to be perfect for Hyundai SP-III spec'd transmissions:

Amsoil
Amalie
Valvoline Maxlife
Castrol Multi Import
(to name a few)


Joel

 

[Popinski]

Originally Posted By: JTK
Originally Posted By: Popinski


Be sure to use genuine Hyundai ATF fluid. For some reason, Hyundai ATFs are picky about transmission oil.


That's not entirely true.

Granted I didn't own an Accent, but was a follower of everything Hyundai for several years having owned a 2008 Santa Fe.

I have never heard of a Hyundai AT issue when a "suitable for Hyundai SP-III use" ATF was used. Not a single one. Nor have I heard of any warranty denials associated with this.

Now, tossing something in there that doesn't say anything on the bottle about Hyundai/Kia SP-III on it's specs? Yes, you're going to have problems.

ATFs that have proven over and over to be perfect for Hyundai SP-III spec'd transmissions:

Amsoil
Amalie
Valvoline Maxlife
Castrol Multi Import
(to name a few)


Joel


Then you have been missing something. A lot of the premature and mature transmission problems happened because people either: never changed out the ATF fluid or they changed the ATF fluid but with non-Hyundai ATF fluid.