Sometimes I wonder about folks who drive a lot, yet have disdain for inexpensive cars.
And you might ask, "Heck…if you drive a lot, wouldn't you want the best vehicle that you could afford?:
Not necessarily…and especially if most of that driving is in the city.
More on that in a moment, tho'
First let's talk about reason #1 to not be afraid of today's $15 - $20,000 vehicle…the lightly-freshened '19 Hyundai Accent. It's the lowest-priced vehicle that Hyundai makes…and in "Limited" trim, it's actually quite nice. Really.
Let's start with the looks. The Accent had a big update last year, so no major changes were needed. Last year's work gave the Accent the "family" grill, and, in my opinion, made it look thousands more expensive than its window-sticker.
And let's say a few more words about those window stickers, OK?
Accents come in three levels of trim. The "SE" starts right around 15K. Add a thousand for their 6-speed automatic.
The "SEL" has a window sticker in the 17s, and delivers 15" alloys, a 7" screen, Apple and Android compatibility and dual charging USB ports. Automatic is standard on the SEL.
And 20K gets you pretty much everything that the Accent offers. 17" alloys that give the Limited a more expensive look than the SEL's 15s, moonroof, forward collision avoidance, rear-seat charging, a proximity key, push-button starting, 6-speaker audio with Sirius XM, heated front seats and a few other nice little touches.
The engine is the same throughout…a 1.6 liter four with 130 HP. A 6-speed stick is standard with the base SE…all others come with a 6-speed automatic. Mileage is rated at 28 City and 38 Highway. I usually got low to mid-30's in pretty heavy traffic.
So for somewhere between $15 and $20,000, you can have a new 4-door that'll carry four in relative comfort…hold a good 13.7 cu ft of luggage in the trunk…and go to LA and back maybe 20 times while getting close to 40 MPG…all the while covered by Hyundai's 10-year/ 100,000 mile limited power train warranty.
And that's part of the appeal of today's $20,000 vehicle. You get a lot of value for your dollar.
Plus you get in-town maneuverability. The Accent's compact size allows you to effortlessly slide into parking spaces and garages. You have a couple more inches of "buffer room" between you and the idiot on their phone who's edging further and further into your lane. And for those looking to make a smaller footprint, there's a solid argument to be made that vehicles like this have no more impact on the environment than do today's hybrids.
And hey…while NOBODY wants to get a scratch on their vehicle, it just doesn't hurt quite so bad when that vehicle costs $20,000 or less…right?
So there you have it. Easy on the wallet, kind of an easy on the mind / low maintenance profile, and now it's easy on the eyes, too. That's Hyundai's 2019 Accent.
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AutoNSider Review | 2019 Hyundai Accent Limited 1
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Photo Credit: Bob Jackson / Entercom Atlanta
