1st Place: 2013 Hyundai Accent, by Michael Bettencourt
   2013 Hyundai Accent. Click image to enlarge |
And now your winner, the 2013 Hyundai Accent, a subcompact car that was so polished, so sophisticated, you almost want to address it as ‘sir’. Its conservative yet modern design speaks of understated elegance, its interior appointments and generous luxury features again reinforcing that notion. Road and engine noise were nicely subdued, and it imperviously rode over rough pavement and expansion joints with minimal head-shake and thumping.
No question, this is the blue blood member of proper subcompact society.
Its greatest strength was its demonstrated capability in every area, with minimal weaknesses, though it surprisingly managed to win it all with the best scores in only two categories: Noise, Vibration and Harshness (NVH), and observed fuel economy. And both of those were ties with another entrant, matching the Rio5 for lowest NVH, and the much less powerful Mazda2 in observed fuel economy.
That observed fuel economy was particularly key for the Accent’s win, as buyers in this segment tend to be cost conscious and, to a lesser extent, environmentally aware. So this parameter was understandably weighted very highly in this group, making it no coincidence that the Hyundai and the similarly efficient Mazda2 finished with gold and silver medals in this contest. Both managed a 7.9 L/100 km average after the six varied test loops we drove back to back in each of the six cars, over a full day of testing.
Interestingly, the Rio5 finished second-last in real-world fuel consumption (at 8.8 L/100 km), even though the corporately related Koreans share the same engine and transmissions: a 1.6L four, here equipped with the same six-speed automatic, with a six-speed manual also available for both. Using EPA five-cycle consumption numbers that are standardized but more realistic than Canadian two-cycle figures, all these cars average between 7.4 and 7.6 L/100 km, except for the short-geared Fit, which is just behind at 8.1 overall. Whether or not the wet, snowy conditions we encountered this day and winter tires (which all cars wore) affected some cars more than others is anyone’s guess. One theory was that the Hyundai’s lower fun-to-drive scores and higher fuel economy numbers suggest that folks behind the wheel thrashed the Kia more than the Accent.
    2013 Hyundai Accent. Click image to enlarge |
No, the Accent was not a car that goaded you into ripping off redline shifts using the automatic’s sequential ‘tipshift’ mode, one of the few automatics to offer that option. Instead it enticed the driver to relax and get comfortable, with heated seats, automatic climate control, satellite radio, and driver’s seat height adjustment. Sure, it didn’t come with the leather seats that the Sonic and Rio5 did, nor the flashy LED headlights, heated steering wheel or back-up camera of the fully loaded Kia. But it also came in about a thousand dollars less expensive than its corporate sibling, and more than four grand less than the priciest Chevy.
In this segment, arguably more than any other, offering a low price along with value for money is key. And that’s where the Accent excels.
It’s amazing to think how far the Hyundai Accent has come in just three years. In 2010, it made headlines in Canada as the first new car in many years to be available for less than 10 grand. Sure, those were stripper, three-door base models, with crank windows, no air conditioning, and outside a low price, not much to recommend it. Now, the Hyundai Accent has evolved into the mature aristocrat of this group, and the winner of this tough subcompact showdown.
Pricing: 2013 Hyundai Accent
Base Price (GX): $18,949
Options: None
Freight & PDI: $1,495
A/C Tax: $100
Total: $20,544
Energuide estimated fuel consumption: 7.2/5.2 L/100 km
Observed fuel consumption: 7.9 L/100 km
