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2009
Hyundai Accent Review
Common wisdom suggests that a manual transmission auto gets better mileage than an automatic. Well, not always. As this 2009 Hyundai Accent review illustrates, the car boasts an eight percent gain from a year ago in highway mileage and a six percent boost during city driving, besting the manual's only gain, a three percent improvement in highway mileage. Numbers do count. Hyundai calls it "an improved weapon" against high fuel prices.
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2009 Hyundai Accent Interior |
The Korean automaker has its high-tech gurus to thank for the better showing, earned with a combination of technical tweaks, including powertrain management, power steering adjustments, tire pressure monitoring, and overall improvements in its engine and transmission. Technicalities aside, that has to be good news at the gas pump where every fuel economy tic upwards is money that stays in the pocket.
Despite its subcompact roots and small size, Accent is surprisingly refined in looks and in action, with good interior space even for the tall thanks to a slightly longer wheelbase and higher seating positions. Rear seats that fold down expand cargo room. A simplified exterior that leans on strong design lines keeps clutter at bay, with carefully added accents, including sport lights. The high rear window line and rounded rear deck of the three-door version have brought some complaints of blind spots.
Accent comes in a GLS sedan version, or GS or SE three-door hatchbacks, both with five-speed manual or available four-speed automatic. It is powered by a 1.6-liter inline four delivering 110-horsepower that has earned accolades for its clean engine technology. Extended warranties include 10 year/100,000 miles on the powertrain.
And those fuel economy gains we mentioned earlier? It's 27-33 for the manual, 26-35 for the automatic, and new cruise control availability to make sure those numbers keep registering that way. Better manual numbers might wait for a sixth gear at some point. The manual, however, wins in the pricing competition. A base GS three-door stick shift starts at $11,395. |
