2005 Accent
- Size: Subcompact
- Engine Size: 1.6L - 4 Cylinders
- Model: Accent
- Year: 2005
- Class: Coupe Sedan
- Seating Capacity: 5 Seats
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Low Price, Few Features, Small Car - Great, Unless You're 6'3"
Pros
Entry level price, good warranty if though dealer, good MPG.
Cons
Small, not good for tall people.
Recommended it?
No
The Bottom Line:
I will freely admit this wasn't the car for me but it could have fit my wife just fine.
I feel it important to point out at the beginning of this review – this review is based off of a test drive experience. Although my wife and I came close, very close, to buying this used car – we ultimately walked out of the dealership empty-handed. All pros and cons discussed here are thoughts that popped into my head in the two hours we were at the dealership, looking over the car, taking it for a test drive, discussing specifications, and asking questions.
WHY HYUNDAI:
We decided to look into a Hyundai for four primary reasons:
► A good friend of ours owns a Hyundai Elantra (the next model up) and has had only positive things to say about her ownership experience.
► A dealer here in Las Vegas was advertising Accent's for as low as $4,000.*
► Hyundai serves up one of the best warranties in the business, a standard 10 year/100,000** mile limited warranty.
► The Accent gets around 33 miles per gallon which is important to us since gas prices keep rising.
It also didn't hurt that we really needed a new car to replace our crapped out Kia Sephia which was emitting smoke from its engine block. Initially our only drawback to a Hyundai or any car for that matter is dealing with car salespeople which can be very stressful. In addition we had no down payment and our trade in was worthless.
WHY THE 2005 HYUNDAI ACCENT:
The sales staff at Hyundai tried their hardest to convince us that we wanted to buy a new 2006 Hyundai Accent instead of a 2005 model year. It was rather odd to listen to the salesperson basically bash one of his own cars (which made me think of what they would say in a couple of months about the 2006 model after the 2007 models are released). Regardless we stood firm and decided that it was a 2005 Hyundai we wanted.
Upon first inspection – the 2005 Hyundai Accent is like any other entry level car. The car is small, with a slightly peppy engine, and plenty of trunk space. We test drove the five speed manual and found the car to have plenty of pep to it surprisingly so for the 2005 Accent only sports a 106 horsepower engine.
The first person to test drive the car was my wife. She's around 5' and overall felt comfortable with the car. She did notice that in order for her to properly reach the clutch pedal she had to lean forward slightly pushing her body closer to the steering wheel. The driver's seat, like that of the passenger, is adjustable front and back and can lean backwards or forwards – but there is no height adjustment. She found the gear shift to be smooth and changed gears with limited jerking of the car. She told me she found the controls easy to locate and use.
While she was driving the car I found the front passenger seat a little crowded. Being 6'3" I find most small cars uncomfortable and the Hyundai Accent was no exception. I found the ride to be smooth with little engine noise or road noise. I've heard quieter of course, but this wasn't roaring loud.
After my wife driving the car a bit it was my turn. I had issues fitting into the drivers seat; even with the seat all the way back my knees were in an uncomfortable high position. Immediately I went to adjust the steering wheel only to find out that the steering wheel could not be adjusted***. If I was the primary driver of this car and not my wife I would have walked away from it right then and there. I was able to operate the car and drive it throughout the test drive – but there would be no way I'd be comfortable in driving the car long distances. I found the clutch firm when pushed all the way in but a little weak when released. I had no problems driving the car once I got used to the clutch but again the car was no where close to be comfortable for someone of my height. The car braked firmly and handled quite well.
After test driving the car we took an opportunity to check out the rest of the car. The backseat area was small – too small for anyone my height unless the seats were pushed all the way forward. Kids would have no problem fitting back there.
The trunk was pretty impressive. It was square with a flat lying bottom. I could easily see fitting a basket full of groceries back there or a couple of suitcases, blankets and pillows – our basic necessities when we take a quick weekend drive out to California to visit family.
The dealer popped the engine hood so I could look at it (I guess he figured since I was the male I'd know what I was looking at – it's all Greek to me!) and well, it looked like a nice clean engine. Like most new cars these days everything that requires maintenance that even an idiot could perform (oil, water, washer fluid) was clearly marked and highlighted with yellow handles.
As for safety, the dealer pointed out three safety features that he says goes above and beyond what most other manufactures provide in an entry level car. The first, was an engine block that collapses on itself protecting the driver and passenger in the case of a head on collision. The next were two metal bars that run alongside the car hidden in the body – this of course, protects people from side impacts. The last feature was in addition to front and passenger air bags the car was also equipped with side curtain air bags that came standard.
I paid a little attention to the fact that the tires were small and the only thought that popped into my head was that they would be inexpensive to replace if need be. We didn't check the air conditioning or the radio but should have.
WHY WE WALKED AWAY FROM THE CAR:
Our reasons for walking away have little to do with the car. The major reason was because of financing but we also became very unpleasant with the salespeople at this particular Hyundai dealership (Metro Hyundai in Las Vegas on Sahara & Eastern). Besides "cornering" us and making us feel little and laughing at us instead of staying professional – it became clear to us that the sales staff wanted to and say just about anything to get us to buy the car. The worse was when I asked the sales guy how much horsepower the 2005 Accent had. After stuttering a bit he said it had around a 120 horsepower. Later back in their office I flipped open the brochure to read that the actual horsepower was significantly less at 106.
Since this was going to be my wife's car I was willing to buy it even though I didn't fit well in it. I figured I could drive to in emergencies – but would not drive it long distances.
BOTTOM LINE:
We are no longer considering Hyundai's. After more research there are three new models being released this year that are comparable in price but at least on paper seem to have more power, leg room, features, and are, well, more hip than a Hyundai. I will admit that our feelings lean to the negative because of our unpleasant experience with the dealership who had this car and we freely admit that each time we drive by them we give them the finger – but I'd be lying if I said we didn't like the car solely because of the car.
FOOTNOTES:
* In order to quality for the $4,000 dollar price tag you have to trade in a previously owned Hyundai and be an ex-member of the military.
** The 10 year/100,000 mile warranty is only provided on brand new cars, of which the 2005 was not. We could only get the factory warranty of 60,000 mile warranty minus any mileage already on the vehicle.
*** I looked for a couple of minutes and the salesperson who was along for the ride even looked and couldn't figure out how to adjust the steering wheel. The salesperson then said, "oh yeah, you cannot adjust the steering wheel on the 2005 models but you can on the 2006 ones!" – although according to the Hyundai website "Tilt-steering wheel" is listed as one of the car's features.
****The dealership continues to call us almost everyday telling us that they have a deal "just for you." Don't give them your number unless you are seriously about to buy from them.
WHY HYUNDAI:
We decided to look into a Hyundai for four primary reasons:
► A good friend of ours owns a Hyundai Elantra (the next model up) and has had only positive things to say about her ownership experience.
► A dealer here in Las Vegas was advertising Accent's for as low as $4,000.*
► Hyundai serves up one of the best warranties in the business, a standard 10 year/100,000** mile limited warranty.
► The Accent gets around 33 miles per gallon which is important to us since gas prices keep rising.
It also didn't hurt that we really needed a new car to replace our crapped out Kia Sephia which was emitting smoke from its engine block. Initially our only drawback to a Hyundai or any car for that matter is dealing with car salespeople which can be very stressful. In addition we had no down payment and our trade in was worthless.
WHY THE 2005 HYUNDAI ACCENT:
The sales staff at Hyundai tried their hardest to convince us that we wanted to buy a new 2006 Hyundai Accent instead of a 2005 model year. It was rather odd to listen to the salesperson basically bash one of his own cars (which made me think of what they would say in a couple of months about the 2006 model after the 2007 models are released). Regardless we stood firm and decided that it was a 2005 Hyundai we wanted.
Upon first inspection – the 2005 Hyundai Accent is like any other entry level car. The car is small, with a slightly peppy engine, and plenty of trunk space. We test drove the five speed manual and found the car to have plenty of pep to it surprisingly so for the 2005 Accent only sports a 106 horsepower engine.
The first person to test drive the car was my wife. She's around 5' and overall felt comfortable with the car. She did notice that in order for her to properly reach the clutch pedal she had to lean forward slightly pushing her body closer to the steering wheel. The driver's seat, like that of the passenger, is adjustable front and back and can lean backwards or forwards – but there is no height adjustment. She found the gear shift to be smooth and changed gears with limited jerking of the car. She told me she found the controls easy to locate and use.
While she was driving the car I found the front passenger seat a little crowded. Being 6'3" I find most small cars uncomfortable and the Hyundai Accent was no exception. I found the ride to be smooth with little engine noise or road noise. I've heard quieter of course, but this wasn't roaring loud.
After my wife driving the car a bit it was my turn. I had issues fitting into the drivers seat; even with the seat all the way back my knees were in an uncomfortable high position. Immediately I went to adjust the steering wheel only to find out that the steering wheel could not be adjusted***. If I was the primary driver of this car and not my wife I would have walked away from it right then and there. I was able to operate the car and drive it throughout the test drive – but there would be no way I'd be comfortable in driving the car long distances. I found the clutch firm when pushed all the way in but a little weak when released. I had no problems driving the car once I got used to the clutch but again the car was no where close to be comfortable for someone of my height. The car braked firmly and handled quite well.
After test driving the car we took an opportunity to check out the rest of the car. The backseat area was small – too small for anyone my height unless the seats were pushed all the way forward. Kids would have no problem fitting back there.
The trunk was pretty impressive. It was square with a flat lying bottom. I could easily see fitting a basket full of groceries back there or a couple of suitcases, blankets and pillows – our basic necessities when we take a quick weekend drive out to California to visit family.
The dealer popped the engine hood so I could look at it (I guess he figured since I was the male I'd know what I was looking at – it's all Greek to me!) and well, it looked like a nice clean engine. Like most new cars these days everything that requires maintenance that even an idiot could perform (oil, water, washer fluid) was clearly marked and highlighted with yellow handles.
As for safety, the dealer pointed out three safety features that he says goes above and beyond what most other manufactures provide in an entry level car. The first, was an engine block that collapses on itself protecting the driver and passenger in the case of a head on collision. The next were two metal bars that run alongside the car hidden in the body – this of course, protects people from side impacts. The last feature was in addition to front and passenger air bags the car was also equipped with side curtain air bags that came standard.
I paid a little attention to the fact that the tires were small and the only thought that popped into my head was that they would be inexpensive to replace if need be. We didn't check the air conditioning or the radio but should have.
WHY WE WALKED AWAY FROM THE CAR:
Our reasons for walking away have little to do with the car. The major reason was because of financing but we also became very unpleasant with the salespeople at this particular Hyundai dealership (Metro Hyundai in Las Vegas on Sahara & Eastern). Besides "cornering" us and making us feel little and laughing at us instead of staying professional – it became clear to us that the sales staff wanted to and say just about anything to get us to buy the car. The worse was when I asked the sales guy how much horsepower the 2005 Accent had. After stuttering a bit he said it had around a 120 horsepower. Later back in their office I flipped open the brochure to read that the actual horsepower was significantly less at 106.
Since this was going to be my wife's car I was willing to buy it even though I didn't fit well in it. I figured I could drive to in emergencies – but would not drive it long distances.
BOTTOM LINE:
We are no longer considering Hyundai's. After more research there are three new models being released this year that are comparable in price but at least on paper seem to have more power, leg room, features, and are, well, more hip than a Hyundai. I will admit that our feelings lean to the negative because of our unpleasant experience with the dealership who had this car and we freely admit that each time we drive by them we give them the finger – but I'd be lying if I said we didn't like the car solely because of the car.
FOOTNOTES:
* In order to quality for the $4,000 dollar price tag you have to trade in a previously owned Hyundai and be an ex-member of the military.
** The 10 year/100,000 mile warranty is only provided on brand new cars, of which the 2005 was not. We could only get the factory warranty of 60,000 mile warranty minus any mileage already on the vehicle.
*** I looked for a couple of minutes and the salesperson who was along for the ride even looked and couldn't figure out how to adjust the steering wheel. The salesperson then said, "oh yeah, you cannot adjust the steering wheel on the 2005 models but you can on the 2006 ones!" – although according to the Hyundai website "Tilt-steering wheel" is listed as one of the car's features.
****The dealership continues to call us almost everyday telling us that they have a deal "just for you." Don't give them your number unless you are seriously about to buy from them.
