Popular Mechanics: 2012 Accent is Excellent

[Hyundai NEWS]

According to Popular Mechanics, “Value is about more than just a price tag,” and that’s a key reason the 2012 Hyundai Accent GLS sedan was recently honored by PM with a 2012 Auto Excellence Award in the “value” category: The Accent—with a price that starts at $12,445—isn’t the least-expensive vehicle on the market, but as opposed to the one that is, “the Hyundai doesn’t feel or behave like a cheap car.”
For one thing, the Accent packs a technologically advanced 1.6-liter I4 that’s the first engine in the segment with direct fuel injection, and it delivers both a best-in-class 138 hp and best-in-class fuel economy of 30 mpg city/40 mpg highway—regardless of whether it’s configured with a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission. Peppy performance and high efficiency combine with a comfortable ride, too, since the all-new Accent rides on a noticeably longer wheelbase than the past model. This helps enable one of the largest, roomiest cabins in the segment, providing occupants with more space than rivals like the Ford Fiesta.
The Accent is available in a five-door hatchback body style as well, for owners who prefer an extra dose of versatility and cargo space.
“With handsome interior trim and a long list of features, the new Accent is one of very few small, affordable cars that we’d happily take on a cross-country drive,” was the bottom line according to Popular Mechanics. “A lot of car for the money, in other words, and we call that a great value.”