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Used Hyundai Accent review: 2000-2010

2006 Hyundai Accent

Hyundai Accent replaced the Hyundai Excel in Australia in June 2000, but didn’t achieve the outstanding sales success of that model. That was partly due to a price rise, but the biggest hassle from the Accent’s point of view was its smaller brother, the Hyundai Getz. 

Hyundai’s build quality, which was a bit hit and miss in the South Korean company’s earlier years, was on the improve by the time the Accent arrived. Check for fit and finish of internal components during your test drive. Anything that squeaks and/or rattles should be treated with suspicion.

Having said that, the main structure of the Accent generally holds up well when subjected to the rigours of rough Aussie roads. 

There's good interior room for its class and buyers with pre-teen children can use the Hyundai Accent as a full-on family car. The boot is roomy and easy to use and has a good shape that’s reasonably easy to load. The extra size over the Getz is appreciated by these owners.

2006 Hyundai Accent Interior. 2006 Hyundai Accent Interior.

Hyundai's Accent has good handling and the feel through the steering is good, though you would exactly describe it as being sporty. There's a understeer if you push hard but the car is reasonably neutral until then. A good set of tyres can really improve things in the handling department and investing in a set give you an enjoyable car at a very modest price .

Model choices are quite limited because slow sales meant that the upmarket Accent hatchbacks, and all sedans variants were pulled off the Australian market in 2002. The sedan made a return in May 2006 with the introduction of a new Accent.

In September 2003 the Accent received a facelift to move it away from the somewhat bland look of the original model. This facelifted version is more popular on the used scene and it’s worth paying the extra if you’re looking for a bit of pizzazz in an affordable car. 

At the time of the 2003 body revamp, the Accent’s engine was increased in size from 1.5 to 1.6 litres. Performance from the new 78 kW unit made the small-medium Hyundai reasonably zippy on the road. Still not really sporting, but the car became more pleasant to drive, with shorter overtaking distances and the ability to climb hills with fewer gearchanges.

Gearbox options are five-speed manual and four-speed automatic. The manuals are generally good in their gearchanges but can bind up at times for no obvious reason. Automatics do sap a fair bit of engine power in a car of this size and are probably best left to those who do a lot of heavy-duty commuting in serious traffic.

2003 Hyundai Accent. 2003 Hyundai Accent.

These days Hyundai is well and truly established as part of the Australian automotive scene. The dealer network is large and widespread, though as is often the way in a car in this class, representation in the outback can be on the sparse side. We have heard of no real complaints about the cost of servicing or spare parts.

The Accent is a simple design and has good underbonnet space, so it’s easy enough to work on. A lot of routine work can be done by a good home handyperson, though safety related items should be left to the professional. It’s always a good idea to have a workshop manual on hand before starting your own servicing and repair work.

Insurance charges are moderate and there doesn’t appear to be a great deal of difference between companies as to the premiums they charge. Shop around but, as always, make sure you are doing a full apples-with-apples comparison before making your final choice.

What to look for

Turn the steering wheel all the way from one side to the other whilst travelling at a very low speed and listen for clunking noises near the front wheels. These probably indicate the universal joints are worn.

Rust isn't normally a problem, but look at all the lower body areas and around the front and rear windscreens to be safe. Any cars we have seen with rust in their bodies have been poorly repaired after crashes.

Do an engine check for easy starting and smooth idling. Where possible this should be done with the engine cold, preferably after it has been sitting overnight.

Feel for a manual gearbox that baulks during fast gearchanges, especially during the three-two downchange.

Look over the interior, including the boot, for signs of rough usage. This may be a sign other out of sight areas have also been mistreated.

How much

Expect to pay from $4000 to $7000 for a 2001 Hyundai Accent GL sedan; $5000 to $8000 for a 2003 GLS five-door hatch; $7000 to $12,000 for a 2007 Accent S three-door; $9000 to $14,000 for a 2008 SLX three-door; and $12,000 to $17,000 for a 2010 SLX.

Car buying tip

Try to find out the service history of the car you’re buying. Owners who have a car serviced by the book often drive it more gently and keep up routing cleaning and other maintenance. 
tors and auto-charging systems take care of pretty much everything including ensuring engine-start power.

Pricing

Year Price From Price To
2010 $3,740 $6,710
2009 $3,080 $6,270
2008 $2,750 $6,710
2007 $2,640 $5,830
2006 $2,420 $4,950
2005 $2,310 $4,400
2004 $2,200 $4,290
2003 $2,090 $4,730
2002 $1,760 $4,070
2001 $1,760 $4,070
2000 $1,760 $4,070

View all Hyundai Accent pricing and specifications

Pricing guides

$4,989
Based on 4 cars listed for sale in the last 6 months
Lowest Price
$3,999
Highest Price
$4,999

Range and Specs

VehicleSpecsPrice*
GL 1.5L, ULP, 5 SP MAN $2,040 – 3,190 2000 Hyundai Accent 2000 GL Pricing and Specs
GL 1.5L, ULP, 4 SP AUTO $2,200 – 3,520 2000 Hyundai Accent 2000 GL Pricing and Specs
GLS 1.5L, ULP, 4 SP AUTO $2,640 – 4,070 2000 Hyundai Accent 2000 GLS Pricing and Specs
GLS 1.5L, ULP, 4 SP AUTO $2,530 – 3,960 2000 Hyundai Accent 2000 GLS Pricing and Specs
Ewan Kennedy
Contributing Journalist

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Disclaimer: The pricing information shown in the editorial content (Review Prices) is to be used as a guide only and is based on information provided to Carsguide Autotrader Media Solutions Pty Ltd (Carsguide) both by third party sources and the car manufacturer at the time of publication. The Review Prices were correct at the time of publication.  Carsguide does not warrant or represent that the information is accurate, reliable, complete, current or suitable for any particular purpose. You should not use or rely upon this information without conducting an independent assessment and valuation of the vehicle.