664 km - Jim Kenzie takes the wheel

As Mark Richardson says, you gotta love hatchbacks. So why don't Americans love hatchbacks?

Maybe they're just weird.

But I must say, I love four-door hatchbacks better than two-door hatchbacks.

With childproof locks now universal, there's no reason not to have four doors on a car like this.

The Aussies won't buy a two-door car unless it only has two seats. Makes sense.

Also, if you don't get in and out of the car through it - and I'm talking usually here, not some campus prank - then it isn't a door.

Hence this is NOT a "three-door hatchback".

The full review is aborning in my brain, but so far - essentially from Mark's house to mine, a distance of about 12 km - my opinions mirror his.

Continuing the International theme here, the Brits have a phrase for it - cheap and cheerful.

652 km - Second fill-up

THIS GAS: 16.8 litres / 208 km = 8.08 L/100 km

OVERALL GAS: 8.82 L/100 km

Time to give the car to Jim Kenzie for a proper review. Maybe he can get used to these independent door locks.

557 km - Stacking wood

I needed to get some lumber today.

My own car is a four-door Saturn sedan and my wife's is a Toyota RAV4 with a side-opening rear door, so the hatchback Accent was the best vehicle for it.

I shoved a 12-foot length of 4x4 in the back with no problem, put an eight-foot length alongside and picked up a couple 40 kg bags of water softener salt for good measure.

Gotta love hatchbacks.

525 km - Leg room and iPods

My two boys like this little car. There's plenty of leg room for their 11- and 8-year-old limbs, and the front passenger seat even moves forward and down with a press of a foot pedal by the person in the rear seat.

One little pedal makes all the difference. Makes it really easy for those stop-and-start errands around town with the kids.

I'd have thought Hyundai would have cut the pedal out to save a buck, but not at all. Pretty thoughtful really.

They like that the basic radio comes with an auxillary jack, too, so we can listen to an iPod. I drove a Bentley a couple of weeks ago that didn't have an auxillary jack, leaving me to load CDs like a poor cousin.

466 km - Friday 13th

Rode the motorcycle to Friday 13th in Port Dover, so the Hyundai sat in the driveway all day.

466 km - First fill-up

THIS GAS: 36.57 litres / 397 km = 9.2 L/100 km

Filled up at 443 km, which is 397 km from the last fill up. The car took 36.57 litres in its 45 L tank, giving a consumption of 9.2 L/100 km. Not very good, but then I haven't been driving her gently.

And perhaps she wasn't full when she was delivered to the Star. The claimed gas mileage is 7.4 City, 6.2 Hwy.

If there's one thing that's going to bug me more than the locks, it's the damn chime that goes off the instant I turn the key in the ignition without wearing my seat belt.

Yes, I always wear my belt, but I don't put it on until after I start the car - more often than not, I'm backing down the driveway and I don't want to wear the seatbelt backing up.

But I don't want to listen to the silly little chiming bell of the warning signal which, according to the manual, will sound 11 times for six seconds each until I put the belt on. I think this is the same for all Hyundais.

Just give me five or 10 seconds, please, before the warning bell, like most every other manufacturer.

310 km - Figuring out the locks

Still can't get used to those door locks. The Accent hatch was unlocked in the driveway all night.

It's a hassle that I have to put the key in each lock and turn in order to lock the vehicle, though it's easier to push in the interior handle locks for the two front doors. I guess this is how it used to be for my parents' old Humber back in the 60s, and i never heard them complain.

I could have upgraded to central locking in the GL version for an extra $1,700, but that would have included the $1,000 option of air conditioning, as well as power windows.

I'd recommend the GL version to anyone younger than my parents.

186 km - Cruising the highway

This little car holds its own well on the highway.

It's not exciting, but what do you expect for 10 grand?

It accelerates onto the 401, cruises at up to 120 km/h (though strains to stay over that, which is no bad thing), slows down when you press the brake pedal.

No more, no less.

56 km - Wheels editor Mark Richardson takes delivery

Just took delivery of the Accent.

It's very shiny and has a new car smell. It also has wind-up windows, which I've not used in years. There's no central locking fob and if you're outside the car and want to lock it, you have to lock each individual door.

Hey - maybe that means I should have locked the hatchback door.

Better go back out to the parking lot to check...