2012 Hyundai Accent GLS sedan

The Accent by Hyundai has been generally considered to be the “low end” car of the manufacturer. This is the car that could be advertised for “under $10,000” because last year's bottom MSRP was just $9985. Then, all the add-on's and package options bumped the price upwards of $16 or $17 thousand. That's not unusual in the marketing aspect of small cars. The Accent is definitely a small car, classified as a sub-compact and competes with the Honda Fit, Nissan Versa, Ford Fiesta, Mazda 2, Kia Rio, Toyota Yaris, and others.

So what makes the 2012 Hyundai Accent sedan special? It is slightly bigger and that provides more room for the front and rear seat passengers. Even the trunk space is surprisingly large. In fact, the new Accent is almost the size of the Hyundai Elantra, which is a terrific vehicle.

The Accent is powered by a direct-injected 1.6 liter engine that offers 138 horsepower. The sedan is fairly light weight and that helps in the mileage. Most of the time, it was a smooth and enjoyable ride. However, I loaded the trunk down with some very heavy bags of dog feed and other items. I was surprised at how much difference the additional weight made. With the heavy load, it sounded as if the engine was struggling to provide enough power to climb even the smallest of elevated roadway. There is an “Eco” mode that is supposed to increase gas mileage and I never took the car out of Eco. Perhaps the engine would not have sounded like it was laboring had I moved the button to “normal.”

Overall, the ride is very good for a sub-compact car and it is definitely fun to drive. The mileage is terrific – 30 city and 40 highway. For the week, I averaged 38 mpg, which included some back roads, over hills and such, that made the engine sound louder than I would have preferred. But that was not a bad trade-off for an almost-40 mpg result.

The seats are comfortably shaped and firm, but I kept trying to adjust the driver's seat so that the bottom cushion would tilt. It appears that Hyundai as well as many other manufacturers have decided that a tilt seat is not necessary for comfort. Consequently, I had to take many more stretch breaks during any lengthy drives of an hour or more.

The looks are nice, with smooth flowing lines. In fact, the overall appearance is quite attractive for a sub-compact. With a small body, there is not much to work with unless it is a sports car. Our test model was a bright blue that definitely drew attention to the vehicle. It was called Marathon Blue. The interior was gray. There was just enough chrome trim to make the cabin area a bit more appealing than the typical hard plastic in most sub-compact, low-priced vehicles. There was a laundry list of standard equipment, much of which was surprising for a low-priced car, such as a rear-window defroster.

The beginning base price for the entry level model has been bumped up to $12,445 plus delivery charges. The test-model GLS with automatic transmission, fog lights, cruise control, air conditioning, Bluetooth, and a few more package items bumped the price up to slightly over $16.625. It was interesting to note that an iPod connecting cable was included, but at an additional cost of $35. I used my own connecting cable, which costs a lot less.

Some of the competitors are priced slightly less or offer a few more standard features, but they also may offer less for the money or be priced higher. Either way, the new 2012 Hyundai Accent sedan is solidly in the middle of the mix for those wanting a small sedan. Many of my fellow journalists say the Accent offers great value and looks and leads the class of sub-compacts in many areas.

Obviously the Hyundai folks think that there is enough increased value in size and packaging that will make this more in demand for those wanting a small sedan. With a 40 mpg EPA rating, it certainly gets your attention. Check it out yourself at a Hyundai dealership and see if the 2012 Hyundai Accent sedan might be a good choice for you.