5,208 km -- Fond farewell

Call me crazy, but I will actually miss this little Accent.

The last fill up returned 7.71 litres per 100 km (36.5 mpg) and that was a combination of daily driving and testing (braking and cornering).

Hyundai has done a remarkable job for a very inexpensive fuel miser. I think it would make a good vehicle for any commuter whether around town or coming in on the highway. Having added over 1,300 of not the kindest of kms to the odometer in just 10 days, I was growing accustomed to this fun little car.

Hopping back into my old reliable '82 Volvo was a bit of car culture shock. The Volvo clutch felt very heavy after the Hyundai's flyweight pedal feel but it was nice to be reacquainted with some form of torque such that it is in the Volvo. I'll miss the A/C in the Hyundai and its' easy-on-the-pocketbook fuel economy.

For what it is, an inexpensive, economical to run, commuter daily driver, Hyundai got it right. I would give it an 8 out of 10. Compared to all other cars for sheer delight to drive, it would score a 3 out of 10.

Now, when can I get my hands on the Ferrari F430 long term test car?

4,750 km - Off to the auto slalom

The members of the F-Body Club (Camaros and Firebirds) held one of their club auto slaloms today and I decided this would be a very good (and legal) way of testing the Accent's sportiness. What better way to see if this econobox could perform than to run it head to head against lots of Detroit torque and testosterone?

These V8-style auto slalom courses tend to be fast with long straights and sweeping turns and for these power machines, the straighter the better. Not exactly what the Hyundai needs to show its agility.

When all was said and done, the little Accent held its' own and we finished 17th out of 32 cars in A-Modified Class. Apparently anything that is not a Camaro or Firebird is automatically in A-Modified Class. So we were up against Subaru STis, BMWs, Porsches, Mustangs and the likes. So, with its mere 110 hp buzzy engine and Kumho "no-season" tires, it went up against some formidable competition and managed to beat almost half of them.

The Hyundai handles curves with little body lean and feels quite agile. The tires, with a 440 tread wear rating (read "hockey pucks"), are definitely the weak point of the handling package and are designed more for mileage and ride quality than outright grip. The engine has a "soft" rev limiter, meaning it doesn't violently bang on and off the power when you encounter it like some cars do. The small 1600 cc engine makes its  power higher up in the rev range and requires more upshifts and downshifts the stay in the power during the runs.

The Accent was fun to drive, not as fun as a Miata or Lotus Elise, but it was still fun. I strongly urge anyone wanting to have fun with their cars or learn more about their cars' capabilities to look for any of these many auto slalom events and have your fun in a legal and safe manner.

4,550 km - Running out of space

Smaller might be the way to go for fuel economy and handling, but when it comes to cargo, it has its limitations.

The one thing I will gripe about is the smallish trunk area in this Accent. I can get my hockey bag into the trunk, but my hockey stick is just too long for it. This must be a concern considering the ribbing I take from my fellow old timers on the Goulding Park Old Rangers for using a "short" stick compared to theirs. (I think they are just so old they can't bend over anymore.)

I can fit 2 or 3 hockey bags and sticks in my old '82 Volvo GLT trunk and still get 9 litres per 100 kilometres. Is the extra fuel mileage of the Accent worth the loss of cargo space? I know I can fold the rear seats of the Accent and get considerable more cargo carrying capacity, but if you had a third passenger, it might get a little cramped.

Tomorrow it is off to an auto slalom event at the Powerade Centre in Brampton to see just how much fun this fuel miser can be. If there are any "street racers" reading this, I urge you to join us there and "get it off the streets."

4,500 km - Passing the fuel economy test

I have been commuting all this week from the Newmarket area down Hwy 404 to the 401 and back up again each day. Pulling into the nearest PetroCan, it was a bit of a relief to see prices for regular gas had come down to about $1.24 per litre. I was very interested to see what mileage this little miser could deliver. The trip odometer was showing 439 km and I could only squeeze in 26.2 litres of fuel for a cost of $32 for 3 days of commuting. Not bad at all.

This averages out to 5.97 litres per 100 kilometres (about 47 mpg by my math) and this was without really trying. I kept mostly to the speed limit when possible and considering I was still "feeling out" the car, this is a very respectable fuel economy rate.

Wanting to delve deeper into this phenomenal fuel economy, I enlisted the help of my fellow commuter Troy and the use of a ScanGauge II diagnostic tool that will read out instantaneous mileage readings along with a whole slew of other engine management information. It plugs directly into the car's engine management computer (OBD) for accurate readings. (as seen directly below the radio in photo)

After running trips in both directions north and south on the 404 to get an average, we were seeing 6.05 litres per 100 kilometres at a 100 km/h speed. It was also interesting to see the gauge was indicating about a 3% error in the speedometer at the speed limit on the optimistic side. At a steady 80 km/h our ScanGauge was indicating a fuel usage of only 5.0 litres per 100 k.

On another interesting note, fuel consumption increased approximately 8% when the air conditioner was turned on.

The little Hyundai passes the commuting and fuel economy test with flying colours. How well will it stand up to some sporty driving at an auto slalom? Tune in as I plan to take it to an actual auto slalom event on the weekend.

 

 

4,375 km - Fun in fifth gear

So far there is a lot to be impressed with regarding this little "batmobile."

I'm 470 km into my first gas fill-up and we still have just over a 1/4 of a tank of gas to go. Not bad at all for a tank with only a 45 litre capacity.

I am also impressed with the fact this Accent will happily cruise around town in 5th gear at 60 kph without complaining.

I loafed along Kingston Rd. in top gear at the speed limit and it easily handled all the hills and bridges without begging for a downshift. This is remarkable considering its 1.6 litre DOHC engine is small enough that torque is almost non existent.

The down side to this is at highway speeds (100 kph) the engine is spinning at 3,000 rpm. Although the Hyundai is very quiet at these speeds thanks to its rounded aerodynamic shape, at speeds approaching 120 kph, the engine becomes noisy as it approaches 3,500 rpm.

Owners of these Accents probably won't have to worry too much about the police seizing their Accent for 50 kph over the limit as part of the "Street Racing Law," as they just wouldn't want to spend any time at those speeds.

The 5 speed transmission is very user friendly. It has relatively short throws and quite smooth action. Finding your choice gear is so easy it can be shifted without the clutch. Pedals are well spaced so that sporty drivers can "heel & toe".

There is nothing better than enjoying the finer skills of driving while still getting phenomenal fuel mileage. Not only can you have fun at the race track, but you won't run out of gas doing so.

Hey Hyundai, a 6th gear would be ideal and solve the aforementioned highway engine buzz.

I was very happy to see Hyundai gave this little Accent 4 bright brake lights with an LED high mounted brake light that really stands out. You certainly want to be noticed when applying the brakes on this small car.

Another very sensible move was that the Hyundai engineers designed in amber rear turn signals just as it should be. Now if all the other manufacturers would take note of these tail lights!

Does anyone know what colour this car is? Hyundai calls it "Tango Red" but it looks almost brown to me.

4,000 km - Another handover

As I jumped into the Wheels' long-term tester Hyundai Accent, my first impression was the thought the engineers at Hyundai had put into driver ergonomics.

Knowing how important it is for the driver to have the best access to all the controls to have optimum control of the vehicle, this point is near and dear to my heart.

The steering wheel had those nice little thumb indentations in the correct three and nine positions along with the handy vertical adjustment to make sure the wheel is at the right height.

 

Secondary controls, headlights, windshield wipers and washers are all at your finger tips when holding the wheel at three and nine. The dead pedal was as it should be and large enough to supply support.

The seats are firm and seem to offer enough lateral support to handle the less than stellar lateral g-loads this econo-box and it's mediocre "no-season" Kumho tires can deliver.

My only concern is the larger than needed "C" pillar that offers up a blind spot large enough to hide an SUV! I don't like manufacturers compromising safety for styling!

Hyundai has come a long way, now let's see if it all stacks up in drive-ability.

3,847 km - Arrivederci Accent

On my last trip in the Accent back to the Toronto Star, I plug in the iPod for the first time. Like others have noted before, the auxiliary imput is standard on the cheapest car in Canada. You’ll pay extra in some luxury cars. The very decent sound produced by the radio wipes out the sporadic engine drone which seems to happen at 4000 rpm.

I could be quite happy with this car, though like Kenzie, I’m not sold on the 2-door, it’s awkward for me to stow stuff in the back. Too bad the 4-door sedan is as bland as a strip mall.

The best thing was showing the Accent to people who might never consider it. As one of my guests said, “I wouldn’t be caught dead in an ugly car,” yet she was quite happy to be seen in the Tango Red cheap mobile.

If Richardson was going to be the next driver I’d make sure I tuned all the radio stations to Oprah and Friends as my last act of civil disobedience.  <p>

Arrivederci Accent.

3,804 km - A little pedal heavy

I’m just about to start cleaning up the Accent to take it back to the Star for a new tester to take over.

On Saturday my husband drove it to Collingwood and showed it to his sister and father. They both were surprised how much they liked it. Even sitting in the back seat got the seal of approval from my sister-in-law.

Now about the mileage. Let’s start here. I always remember my father making notes every time he filled up his Pontiac Bonneville with its big 427 engine. I say, what is the point unless you are prepared to change the way you drive?

I got pretty dismal mileage . .  . but with the exception of the trip to Collingwood, it was all city driving, and I guess I’m rev happy. And I showed it to a lot of people and I wanted to showcase the perky engine, and I carried bikes and root vegetables, you know . . . so I averaged 11.5 L per 100 km. So shoot me.

3,154 km - Cruise in the Accent

Near my house in Hamilton there’s a Cruise Night every Thursday at the waterfront.

I took the Accent down just as things were winding up and parked it next to a ton of metal -- a Cadillac Fleetwood.

There were no objections. In fact the Cruise crowd (well, two of them) liked the look, the colour and the intent of the Accent and felt that it had decent room.

A woman slouching near the Fleetwood pointed to the battleship and said, “I bet it’s easier to drive than this thing.”

3,136 km - Mayor kicks Accent tires

Took the Mayor of Hamilton, Fred Eisenberger for a ride in the Accent today. He enjoyed the break -- I took him away from a meeting about bed bugs in public housing.  That’s all I’m going to say about that for now.

Most people tell me they find the styling of the Accent bland, but they all like the perky colour of the Star’s long-term tester.

Here it is looking important in front of Hamilton’s historic CN station.

My observation today is that the surface of the steering wheel is like gripping a pumice stone, might want to wrap that if I owned it.