OK...so. In 2006 I took a Scion tC out for a ride for 15 minutes and bought it on the spot. Would I do it again? Maybe not. The driving position was uncomfortable so I replaced the driver's seat with a Celica seat. The sheet metal is uber thin. It makes a whining/grinding noise from what appears to be the transmission area. Not a lot of support from Toyota. I might be interested in an FRS but Toyota is going to have to straighten up and fly right first. However, it is a fairly powerful car, awesome brakes, tight steering and is pretty easy to flick around.
So, I took the Accent for a full hour. I drove it everywhere under different conditions; highway, back roads, twisty-turnies, up some pretty slow, steep hils (except one in NH I would REALLY love to tackle some day...).
Fifteen minutes into the test drive I was thinking how uncomfortable the seat was. After 40 minutes I was thinking, Wow! This seat is comfortable! Decent steering, decent handling, not too many bad habits.
In the ~3 weeks I've had the car...
Wow. Does this thing need more power. For every day, town to town driving on my usual route, it's just right. Not gonna win the drag race, but it drives quite nicely for my usual 45-70 mile daily route. The usual hills I encounter don't really give it a hard time. It's only in the wilds of Vermont I really have to boot the ting to get it up some of the hills I encounter. Still looking forward to that one in NH, however...
Highway driving. Not bad. Again, a little more power might be in order. Passing on the highway is OK, although the other day I did almost redline it trying to pass a guy going ~10 MPH under the speed limit (for some reason, ever since I got this car I have been behind people who just REFUSE to drive the speed limit!). Passing on the back roads...I bet a manual transmission would surely help that. I usually just stay behind the slow pokes.
Eight hour round trip to Vermont the other day, I was a bit sore at the end. Eight hour trip to NH the other day...no problem...usually not a problem with my usual 6 hour day, but then I'm not in the car all 6 hours.
Needed a hatch...it's just THAT much too small. I can fold down the seats for more room, but if I leave them up it's a bit tight.
Handling...not bad...not bad at all. When the stock 175/70-14s wear out it's getting shod with either 185/60 or 185/65s. That should take care of the very slight squirminess I get sometimes on the more twisty roads.
Ease of driving. This is where this car really shines. I've had Toyotas. I've had an Accord. I thought the Accord was easy to drive. This car definitely matches the Accord. Uh...the Accord was a hair underpowered as well, but had some vicious lift-throttle oversteer. Hardly noticable with this car.
Gas economy. Not bad. I was expecting a little better, but I'm getting 35-38 overall, and that's acceptable.
Coolness. The thing looks like a snail. I LIKE it! :D Acutlly, my next door neighbour's daughter calls it The Pumpkin. It's that orangish colour...New I might have gone different, but it grows on you.
Now, I made the mistake of stopping by the local Hyundai dealer to ask about a few things, and they had an Elantra Touring there. I don't know how old, or how many miles..there was no sticker yet, and it was black which is OK but not my favourite colour, but it would probably resolve the power and room issues. Maybe if I had seen that first...
The only question that remains is reliability. Overall Hyundais have increased deramatically in that aspect to where they are about to the level of 80's Japanese cars, which is not a bad place to be at all. Still an issue here or there, but no car maker is flawless.
After my Scion I said "I think my nbext car might be a Hyundai." Here I am.
Would I do it again? Most likely. I really like the car. The build is nice; when I open the door the A-Pillar doesn't flex like on the Scion and everything inside and outside is quite pleasing.
Er...except, maybe, the power...:D
So, I took the Accent for a full hour. I drove it everywhere under different conditions; highway, back roads, twisty-turnies, up some pretty slow, steep hils (except one in NH I would REALLY love to tackle some day...).
Fifteen minutes into the test drive I was thinking how uncomfortable the seat was. After 40 minutes I was thinking, Wow! This seat is comfortable! Decent steering, decent handling, not too many bad habits.
In the ~3 weeks I've had the car...
Wow. Does this thing need more power. For every day, town to town driving on my usual route, it's just right. Not gonna win the drag race, but it drives quite nicely for my usual 45-70 mile daily route. The usual hills I encounter don't really give it a hard time. It's only in the wilds of Vermont I really have to boot the ting to get it up some of the hills I encounter. Still looking forward to that one in NH, however...
Highway driving. Not bad. Again, a little more power might be in order. Passing on the highway is OK, although the other day I did almost redline it trying to pass a guy going ~10 MPH under the speed limit (for some reason, ever since I got this car I have been behind people who just REFUSE to drive the speed limit!). Passing on the back roads...I bet a manual transmission would surely help that. I usually just stay behind the slow pokes.
Eight hour round trip to Vermont the other day, I was a bit sore at the end. Eight hour trip to NH the other day...no problem...usually not a problem with my usual 6 hour day, but then I'm not in the car all 6 hours.
Needed a hatch...it's just THAT much too small. I can fold down the seats for more room, but if I leave them up it's a bit tight.
Handling...not bad...not bad at all. When the stock 175/70-14s wear out it's getting shod with either 185/60 or 185/65s. That should take care of the very slight squirminess I get sometimes on the more twisty roads.
Ease of driving. This is where this car really shines. I've had Toyotas. I've had an Accord. I thought the Accord was easy to drive. This car definitely matches the Accord. Uh...the Accord was a hair underpowered as well, but had some vicious lift-throttle oversteer. Hardly noticable with this car.
Gas economy. Not bad. I was expecting a little better, but I'm getting 35-38 overall, and that's acceptable.
Coolness. The thing looks like a snail. I LIKE it! :D Acutlly, my next door neighbour's daughter calls it The Pumpkin. It's that orangish colour...New I might have gone different, but it grows on you.
Now, I made the mistake of stopping by the local Hyundai dealer to ask about a few things, and they had an Elantra Touring there. I don't know how old, or how many miles..there was no sticker yet, and it was black which is OK but not my favourite colour, but it would probably resolve the power and room issues. Maybe if I had seen that first...
The only question that remains is reliability. Overall Hyundais have increased deramatically in that aspect to where they are about to the level of 80's Japanese cars, which is not a bad place to be at all. Still an issue here or there, but no car maker is flawless.
After my Scion I said "I think my nbext car might be a Hyundai." Here I am.
Would I do it again? Most likely. I really like the car. The build is nice; when I open the door the A-Pillar doesn't flex like on the Scion and everything inside and outside is quite pleasing.
Er...except, maybe, the power...:D