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10 Best Sedans Under $25,000

2009 Hyundai Accent

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Curious about the newer model? Check out the 2012 Hyundai Accent

Overview

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2009 Hyundai Accent Review

By KBB.com Editorial Staff

Introduced in 1994, the Hyundai Accent led U.S. entry-level car sales from 2000-2005, mostly due to its value for the money and an aggressive warranty. Now that fluctuating high fuel prices have this segment heating up, Hyundai's third-generation Accent will have tough new competition for 2009 – Korean partner Kia's Rio, Honda's Fit, Nissan's Versa, Toyota's Yaris and Chevrolet's upgraded Aveo – but it still should continue to be up to the task.

You'll Like This Car If...

If an ultra-practical and affordable subcompact is your next vehicle purchase, you'll appreciate the 2009 Hyundai Accent's value, which includes numerous safety features, a long warranty and unusual availability of accessories. If your driving aspirations are bigger than your budget, you should also appreciate the SE three-door's sporty look, astonishingly responsive handling and cornering capability.

You May Not Like This Car If...

If you want something a bit more expressive, especially in a four-door sedan, or prefer a Japanese or domestic brand, you should take a good look at the Honda Fit, Toyota Yaris, Nissan Versa and the surprisingly competitive Chevy Aveo.

What's New for 2009

For 2009, cruise control is added to the Popular Equipment Package, and the SE Premium Package now includes a power sunroof. Those with an eye on pump prices and their wallet will be happy to know that fuel economy estimates are up over those for last year's model.

Driving the Accent

Driving Impressions Hyundai's 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine generates 110 horsepower, but it's hardly a strong performer. Driving the optional four-speed automatic in our test GLS sedan, it managed zero-to-60 mph acceleration in a...

bit over 13 seconds. By today's standards, that's on the slow side. The SE three-door with the manual five-speed transmission can do it in about 11 seconds. Also, like most small engines in inexpensive cars, it's a bit noisy and thrashy at high rpm. Otherwise, our GLS rode and drove fairly well and scooted through turns with surprising response. Despite its eight manual adjustments, the driver's seat did not provide a really comfortable position for us, and its rearward adjustment was insufficient for our longish legs. The cloth-lined trunk is relatively roomy and the rear-seat pass-through is handy, but rear roominess is just par for the class.

Favorite Features

GLS Handling
We were pleasantly surprised with the steering and handling of our Premium Package-equipped test GLS on its available 15-inch tires and alloy wheels, and the sports-oriented SE three-door does even better on its 16-inch tire-and-wheel package.

Hyundai Warranty
An extra-long warranty is one thing an automaker can offer to improve buyer confidence and Hyundai's is one of the best, with five-year/60,000-mile bumper-to-bumper and 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain coverage that's matched with impressive quality improvements.

2009 Hyundai Accent Details

Interior

The Accent's interior materials are consistent with its price: Generally inexpensive but with attractive textures and two-tone trim. Among the least-appealing items is the central swing-open bin that's shaped like an ashtray but isn't; the actual ashtray is an odd removable cup that sits atop the console. The radio is an easy-to-use unit with large knobs for volume and tuning, while the three-dial HVAC controls are attractive and have a quality feel – except for a too-stiff temperature dial.

Exterior

While the SE three-door is sporty and expressive, we think the Accent sedan is pretty plain vanilla. Its design is clean, functional and fairly aerodynamic, but hardly exciting. The best part is probably up front, with large wide-eyed headlamps, a full-width lower air intake and distinctive grilles – a body-color bar across the three-door models, a black-out pattern on the four-door. One nice touch is a body-color protective molding along each side to fend off shopping carts and help prevent door dings.

Notable Equipment

Standard Equipment

The modest GS standard-equipment list includes power steering, tilt steering column, eight-way manually-adjustable driver's seat, 60/40-split rear seat, cabin air filtration, tachometer, variable intermittent wipers and a rear spoiler. The SE adds air conditioning, power windows, locks and mirrors, 172-watt six-speaker audio system with CD player and XM Satellite Radio, remote keyless entry with alarm and panic alert, fog lights, sport suspension, four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes (ABS), Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) and 16-inch alloy wheels. The GLS Sedan has base GS equipment plus air conditioning, but needs an optional equipment packages to get ABS brakes, auxiliary input jack, 172-watt CD player and the power items. All models boast extensive standard safety equipment, including seat-mounted side airbags and roof-mounted side-curtain airbags, in addition to advanced front airbags.

Optional Equipment

Optional on the SE are a power sunroof, cruise control and ground effects kit. A Popular Equipment Package for the GLS includes ABS, a 172-watt six-speaker CD audio system, auxiliary input jack and tilt steering wheel, while an available Premium Package adds all that plus 15-inch alloy wheels, power windows, locks and mirrors, remote keyless entry and cruise control. A four-speed automatic transmission is available on all three models, and there's a long list of (mostly sports-oriented) port- and dealer-installed accessories.

Under the Hood

Hyundai's 1.6-liter four has dual overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder and CVVT (continuously Variable Valve Timing) on the intake side. It generates 110 horsepower and provides a very respectable – and wallet-friendly – 26/35 EPA miles per gallon when teamed with the optional automatic in the GLS sedan.

1.6-liter in-line 4
110 horsepower @ 6000 rpm
106 lb.-ft. of torque @ 4500 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 27/33 (manual), 26/35 (automatic)

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2009 Hyundai Accent Consumer Reviews

Overall Rating

8.1

Out of 10

Based on 234 Ratings for the 2006 - 2011 Hyundai Accent models.

Review this car

Value

8.7/10

Quality

8.4/10
Reliability

8.9/10

Performance

8.2/10
Comfort

8.1/10

Styling

8.3/10

Excellent value for city commute

By SimpleGuy on Wednesday, April 04, 2012

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 70,000

10 8.0

overall rating 8 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 8/10
Value: 9/10
Reliability: 9/10
Quality: 8/10
Performance: 6/10
Styling: 6/10
Comfort: 6/10

Pros: "Excellent value for the price you pay"

Cons: "Not enough power when you need it"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 8

"If you want a simple vehicle for daily commute to school, office or college, the Accent offers a great value. You may not even need finance to buy a pre-owned Accent, your savings over a few months will do. Hyundai gives the best power train warranty in the industry (10 yrs/ 100k miles), which unfortunately applies only to the first owner. However, this shows the confidence they have on their vehicles, which rubs off on you. Pros: 1. Excellent value for the price you pay to buy (esp. pre-owned), in comparison with other brand sub compacts. 2. Tall design gives you more head room, better visibility, and doesn't feel like you're sitting in a small car. 3. Short length makes it easy to park and maneuver in traffic. 4. Reliable. Basic maintenance keeps the vehicle smooth running for years. Cons: 1. Not enough power. You'll find yourself flooring the pedal on freeway ramps. 2. Lack of power windows is annoying at times. Especially when passengers at the back forget to lock doors. 3. No fancy upholstery. Functional, however. 4. For a small car, this could give better mileage, but a tall design contributes to poor aerodynamics. 5. No, you wouldn't be making any sort of style statement driving this."

9 people out of 9 found this review helpful

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Great commuter car

By Kyle (CA) on Tuesday, April 03, 2012

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 93,000

10 9.0

overall rating 9 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 9/10
Value: 9/10
Reliability: 10/10
Quality: 7/10
Performance: 8/10
Styling: 7/10
Comfort: 6/10

Pros: "great on gas. Perfect for a lone driver."

Cons: "Gets tossed around a bit in severe."

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 8

"I drove my 2009 Accent off the lot and started commuting 100 mile a day, 5 days a week ever since. It has never failed me. I now have 93,000 miles on it and the only rattle is the drivers window when it is partway down. It's great for one person. Riding with a front passenger can make it feel cramp. The front passenger always wants to use the center armrest, which is designed for the driver as there is no center passenger armrest. Good for hauling kids around town, as long as their little, plenty of room in hte back seat. It works well out on the freeway, but sometimes you can feel pretty small and unseen. No problem gettin up to speed or overall handling. Its a nice tight little car."

2 people out of 2 found this review helpful

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