As mentioned above, I must feel that a car is safe, reliable, stable and able to handle whatever I put it through in order to make
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| According to the 2005 Strategic Vision Total Quality Study, the Hyundai Accent is at the top of the small car segment. (Photo: Alexandra Straub, Canadian Auto Press) |
the grade. According to the 2005 Strategic Vision Total Quality Study, the Hyundai Accent is at the top of the small car segment. The Total Quality Study "surveyed over 40,000 new-vehicle owners who purchased their new 2005 vehicles during the October-November 2004 time period. Buyers were asked an extensive array of questions about their complete ownership experience including buying, owning and driving their new vehicles." So it's not just me who finds the Accent to be an overall well-made, spunky-looking, good-handling, entry-level car. But what makes the Accent 5 so appealing? For one, I really like the styling. It kind of reminds me of its older brother, the Elantra GT, which is also a fabulous car. Its hatchback booty mixed with the funky front end make for a harmonious and functional set-up. It's clean-looking from the outside and also looks sportier than its non-identical twin brother, the Accent GL four-door.
From the inside, the seats are comfortable to sit in, and the cabin is also
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| From the inside, the seats are comfortable to sit in, and the cabin is also cleanly finished and easy to manoeuvre in. (Photo: Alexandra Straub, Canadian Auto Press) |
cleanly finished and easy to manoeuvre in. While the cloth material pattern isn't the most stylin', it works nonetheless. My tester came with the standard five-speed manual transmission which is my gearbox of choice, especially in lower-powered cars. I found the shifts to be fluid from gear to gear and the clutch was comfortable to push in and out in city traffic. But what really got the car going was the motor's ability to rev up to a 6,500 rpm redline. Being able to spin the engine made it feel just that much sportier. What's more, peak torque is achieved in the low range, at 3,000 rpm, so it still gets up and goes when starting out, but also has the ability to get up and go faster if pushed.
