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#71 of 80 carlady by mzn

Apr 16, 2000 (3:41 am)

Friends, let's focus on why we're here. We want to share our information and experience in a respectful and friendly way. If you have some negative information to share, please provide it without a "car-bashing" attitude. There are good points and bad points to every manufacturer and model. No one car is right for everyone.


If you need a refresher, please reread the participant agreement to which you agreed. This topic is about Hyundai hatchbacks. Other conversation is off topic.


Thanks for everything you do to make this the best place on the net to talk cars!


carlady/host

#72 of 80 Driving is believing! by lngtonge18

Apr 19, 2000 (5:22 am)

 It's so disturbing how a few people can cause such a distraction in a topic, as if they have nothing else better to do but to bash cars they have never driven or have never owned. Let's keep this topic to those who actually have experience with these cars shall we??
 On another note, I just bought a 2000 Accent and absolutely love it. Sure I feel hesitant about the cars long-term reliability, but this car is put together way better than the Sephia I test drove, and on equal terms to the Focus ZX3 I drove. The car's fit and finish is as good as my mom's (92)and sister's (94)Hondas were when they were new. Hyundai is not as crappy as you think they are! I have heard nothing but praise for the 98-2000 Elantras and mostly praise for the Accent. Also, the tranny problems I have heard about all center around the automatic, which I have no interest in and did not buy, so do not care! Who buys an economy car with an auto anyway?!
 Since I have test drove the Focus, I can compare it to the Accent. The Accent has a nicer, more contemporary Honda-like dash treatment (looks very similar to my mom's 92 Accord). I could not get used to the rear end looks of the Focus, though the front is aggressive looking. The Accent and Focus were on equal (surprised me) terms in light to moderate acceleration. I could not tell any difference between them engine wise! Pretty good considering the much better hp and torque of the Focus. Another thing, the Focus engine is no quieter than the Accent's and they both are equally smooth. They both had a solid structure and a solid high quality sounding thunk to the doors. The particular Focus I drove had a jumpy engaging clutch, something I did not encounter in 3 different Accents I drove. In fact, the clutch in my car is buttery smooth and very easy to engage. I am one that loves a sport seat with big side bolsters, as I also own a VW GTI with recaro lookalike seats, but the Focus's seat was way to confining for me. I could not get comfortable the entire time I drove the car, and had to sit unusually close to the steering wheel to reach the pedals. The seat also felt way too soft and unsupportive (exactly like my friends ridiculously uncomfortable soft and spongy 99 Taurus seats). The Accent, on the other hand, has very firm comfortable seats that provide good support and allow me to keep a good distance from the wheel. Anyway, that is my subjective comparisons of my experiences driving both cars.
 Most cars come with a minor production defect from the factory, sometimes numerous ones. I have looked over the car many times and can't find a single mistake made in its production. I think that speaks well for how well the car was assembled. My roommate likes the look of the car and loves how it drives, and he owns a Mitsubishi Diamante luxury car!
 And for all those who think that Korean cars are made of inferior thin tin can metal, I know someone who hit a Mack dump truck head on in his 94 Excel at 70 mph and lived to tell about it. I have seen pictures of the car to prove it. It took him a couple months to recover from his injuries, but he is completely back to normal now and has no permanent damage from it. He told me he had no problems with the car except the radio did not work. To prove how much he believed in the Hyundai and how it saved his life, he went out and bought a 92 Elantra and loves it!
 My sister recently bought a 2000 Honda Odyssey and with less than 1000 miles on it has already had the A/C compressor replaced due to a loud clunking metal sound heard on start-up. She is not convinced that was the problem; she thinks it is the transmission. I haven't heard whether it fixed the problem or not. My point here being that even Hondas have big problems with few miles. Once my Accent gets up to 1000 miles with no problems, I can already start my gloating
 To make a long story short, I think the Hyundai slogan says it best, "Driving is Believing". It sure made a believer out of me.

#73 of 80 gojo1 by gojo1

Apr 21, 2000 (5:49 am)

I bought a new Accent on Feb 28 2000, it now has 2000 miles. I average 36 miles per gallon living in a small town and comutting 5 miles to work. The car is peppy for an econnobox. Fit & finish is very good with no decernable wind noise. Road and engine noise do come into play, but not more than I would accept for a car in this price range.
The only defect has been loose threads on seat back which I still am waiting to be replaced.
To this point in time I am very happy with it, but it is still to early to give a glowing recomendation. I just try to report the facts and let you decide. Will try to post every other month.

#74 of 80 general observation by newbie4

Apr 28, 2000 (3:54 pm)

You know what I find amusing? That you consider the Accent an "econobox". That term reminds me of the square cars of the early 90s (Sprint, Aspire, Metro, etc.). If I had been able to get a car that looked like the Accent back then!...I mean, it looks like a real car with no sign of the "box" effect. It looks nice! What I would have given for a trunk back when I owned a true box!


Very happy to hear the performance and drive more than matches its appearance thus far.

#75 of 80 any information by vonr91

May 01, 2000 (5:12 am)

My wife and I purchased an Accent GS in Feb.98.
Since that time, it has died on her four times on the road.Each time the dealer/mechanic had to replace the spark plugs and wiring harness.They can offer no explanation as to why this problem keeps occuring.Now the fuel gauge doesn't work, and with 50,000 miles on the car and the warranty long expired, this will be a costly repair.Has any one heard of the spark plug/wiring harness problem? We purchased this vehicle to be a reliable commuter car (120 miles per day)but now I believe we made a mistake. I was initially impressed with the Accent but now I'm just frustrated.

#76 of 80 CHANGED MY MIND AFTER READING by marby

May 01, 2000 (7:37 am)

I WAS GOING TO GET A 2000 ACCENT , BUT AFTER READING COMMENTS I WILL NOT GET ONE,OR KIA!!!! I AM GOING WITH A CHEVROLET METRO

#77 of 80 It takes all kinds... by jtnett

May 04, 2000 (7:51 pm)

I'm really amazed at how some people can find a flaw and pick it to death. 181kmiles and focuszx3r need to go find a place where they're happy and quit blowing hot air around here in the name of truth. Marby, I'm sorry if you'd let comments like theirs sway your decision. I'm hard pressed to think of a make of car that doesn't put out a lemon every once in a while. I feel bad for people who get ahold of these cars and wish them the best at resolving their problems. Please check and see if your state has laws to help you out.
For the nay-sayers, check out the latest issue of Popular Mechanics and see what their top pick was for sub compact cars. Yes, of course it could be slanted!!!! As for the Accent - drive it yourself then go jump in a Metro and if you choose the Metro over the Accent, to each their own. I wish you many happy days. I simply couldn't see stepping down to a Metro for the same price. Also, take a look at the Metro posts and see some of the stuff there. My bottom line is as I mentioned earlier - all cars have some troublemakers. And you know what? Being the humans that we are, we seem to have a propensity to focus on the negative. Who in their right mind would spend their time reciting all the cars that came thru their life that had no problems? Heck no! Its the problems that stick out more (sore thumbs, squeaky wheels) and get the spectacular attention.
    Anyway, I'm still really likin my Accent. Could it be a bit quieter? more powerful? have more luxuries? Sure, but then it wouldn't be my Accent and I couldn't have touched it for the price I did. I get 36 mpg average on the last 4 tanks, the high was 39 around town. I'm trilled that I got just what I was looking for and my blessings seem to be holding out. Best wishes to all.
   In a sad but impressive local story, a 99 Accent tangled head-on with a massive cement mixer (not the usual rear mix deal, this one was a HUGE one that discharges over the front cab). The Accent driver (new driver)lost big partly because he was doing 70 in a 45 zone and swirved into the mixer which was going 45mph. It was an offset head-on (one of the worst type for any car) crash with a 115mph impact but the Accent totaled the mixer too. No kidding. I was amazed as I thought the mixer would've just thumped over the little car but it didn't. It's not like the Accent didn't get a scratch but I only mention this because a friend showed me that story saying, "Bad news for your new car." I laughed thinking that a monster construction vehicle would be bad news for any car. No doubt the bad mouthers would turn this into concrete proof on why to not buy a Hyundai.
    So, there's lots of bad stuff going on out there, do your best to avoid it. Also if your buying any car please check out the buyers guides on this site and be firm with the dealers. They ain't nothin special. The sales manager here still won't look at me on the rare occasion that I stop in. It's funny.
   Well I've rambled enough, I've got to get back to enjoying my GS. See you later.

#78 of 80 Rental by wipeout9

May 05, 2000 (11:51 pm)

I am the proud owner of a brand-new loaded Ford Focus wagon. Just picked it up on Monday. Had to wait six months exactly to get it with all the options I wanted.


Just over three weeks ago, my old car ruptured a break line. Since the arrival of my new car was imminent (at least according to the computer printouts at the dealer) I chose to send it to the wrecking yard instead of fixing it. In the meantime, I rented a car for a week and a half. I went for the cheapest I could get. The rental agency gave me a 2000 Hyundai Accent with 8000 kilometers. Automatic transmission and a radio.


This doesn't qualify me to say anything about long-term reliability, but the vehicle seemed well put together. The transmission shifted smoothly and the car handled well. Noise wise, you could ask for a quieter car, but it was at least as quiet and likely better than my old 1975 Honda was. At 80 kilometers per hour the noise was quite tolerable. At about 105 kilometers per hour the car began to have a resonating rumble from the engine/exhaust.


One thing I noticed was that the engine RPMs are quite low. There is a lot of torque at the low end. On the highway, RPMs are about 75 percent or less of what I was used to with my Honda. The Honda had absolutely no guts below 2000 RPMs. However, these low RPMs contribute to a steering wheel shake when sitting at a stop light.


For the price, I am now considering getting one as a second car. I can lease it, put on 15,000 kilometers for work, 5000 for myself each year, and still make money from the business mileage. I am basically looking for something that is cheap (the Accent is the cheapest available) and reliable (according to comments I have seen). So far any negative comments about recent Hyundai Accent's or other Hyundai's seem to be all secondhand. The "I know somebody who...". I am not in any hurry and can change my mind in an instant, so we'll see.

#79 of 80 by ymt65w

Jun 04, 2000 (5:01 am)

I bought my 2000 Tiburon 6 months ago and have driven 10000 miles so far. And I personally think that it is the best car for 17K (with all the options), period. During my car shopping, I have considered and test-driven a lot of cars that were under 20K, and Tiburon was the best fit in terms of design, performance, and warranty in the current market. If those of who have written harsh critiques think that Hyundai should be criticized because of its previous reputation, think of Honda. When Honda was introduced in the U.S. market, it had pretty much same bad reputation as Hyundai. However, you would mind one of those Honda Accord these days. If you want brand name other than true value and quality, why don't you buy BMW or Lexus. If you can't afford one of those, you better shut up and appreciate the value of 'NEW' Hyundai.

#80 of 80 Question by toyotabuyer

Jun 07, 2000 (1:24 am)

Hello everyone. I'm trying to decide whether to buy a (new) 2000 Accent, or a used Tercel, Civic, Corolla, etc. To be honest I've only owned a car once before (it was a piece of crap Plymouth Horizon that broke down after a few months)so I'm a bit unsure of what to do. I'm afraid of getting ripped of if I buy a used car, but I'm wondering about reliability of Accent (I may not be using it all that much--just to get around town and for occassial trips to other cities). Any advice? Thanks in advance

Messages Page 8 of 8

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