IL Track Tested: 2009 Hyundai Accent GS vs. 2009 Nissan Versa 1.6

I could find 100 fun-to-drive cars that can be had for under $15K. None new of course. :-)

What's the point? Seriously...

wait a sec thats not fair i have a nissan versa 1.6 auto and its a good car and the braking is good and its smooth and it feels right to me it may not be a 370z or a spec-v but its just fine even when you have to turn real quick like a tire is in the road its just fine it doesnt feel lack of control maybe you guys or girls are just used to the higher model cars like the 370z, gtr, spec-v so forget you guys cause that car is good and its funny how you didnt get the gas milage down i average 32 in mine so i will back up my car cause its a very good car and i like it maybe you guys have money and could afford bigger and better cars dont be putting the little cars out of the picture and f the honda fit its just over priced

@ offroadboy

How old are you? 13? Sometimes it's nice to use a comma and period here and there you know?

Nobody is putting the little cars out of the picture but IMO it is just a bit pointless to track test them. Like you have said, they are great as daily drivers but on the track, they seem a bit out of place...

first of all im 20 and who really gives a shit about commas and periods its not like a essay for college and its not pointless cus some people would like to know its not all about the big cars you include all cars even the little ones so shut the fuck up

first of all im 20 and whos cares about comma or periods its not a essay and its not pointless to test them you should include all cars not the big ones and how can i be 13 with a brand new car are you stupid

wow offroadboy...YOU are the stupid one. Do you realize how impossible it is to follow your incessant babbling? I bet 1/2 the people who read this will get about 3 words into your post and then give up.

All I have to say is, thank god you're not my kid. Small wonder the world laughs at Americans.

its not impossible its called the new generation this is what we do we dont give a shit and if i was your kid i would beat your ass i dont take shit from no body and it seems like you understand what im saying so i guess your part of it

I can tell that American hight school education really pays off. No wonder this country has been needing the immigrants to support its persistent vegetative state thoughout the history.
Anyway, there is no such thing as pointless test. For some people, especially for those who drive these cars, this test was a necessary link to missing knowledge. I remember when in my early 20s I was driving an old four-speed manual Honda Civic - I would be more than glad to find out its track test results. But maybe it's because I'm interested in cars and digest any bit of information related to them. I take my hat off to people who did this test. It required a lot of patients. Next time they should test Ferrari and Lamborghini as a reward.

its the immigrants kids that failing and making the Los Angeles school look bad cause of chewy cookie and spooky just care about the streets more then they do of there work if they were all gone it would be a lot better

I still don't understand why they don't have a radio. I always assumed that car companies knew that radios were a given at any price.

I also don't understand why people just dont buy a used Civic, or Focus.

Commuter cars. Period. These two cars really make sense as a family's second car. The one for driving errands, work commutes and anything around town. Sadly, no one cares to be seen in them. Oh, well.

"By offroadboy on September 16, 2009 3:10 AM"
And yet you babble on incessantly...doing nothing but proving a point. To everyone else herein, this is what is to come from the "me/texting" generation. Yay for us.

offroadboy,

In the wonderful words of Ralph Wiggum, "Me fail English? That's unpossible." Seriously, if grammar and punctuation were not important, you wouldn't be expected to take so many classes on the subject. Just because you're in an informal setting doesn't mean you forget you're not completely uneducated.

zoomzomn,

I agree totally about being a commuter car. Their for strictly point A to point B travel, no enjoyment necessary. You could argue buying a beater car for this, but atleast these don't put your safety in jeopardy.

As a european reader I'm just surprised at the poor spec of these cars, even for bottom-of-the-range. Even Hyundai's cheapest car on sale here in Britain (the i10 with a 1.2 engine) has ABS with 'electronic brake force distribution' (yadda yadda) and disc brakes front and rear.

I'm also reminded that small-engined city-car hatchbacks just don't exist in the US. I'm surprised these bottom-of-the-range cars are 1.6ers. Although, the power and torque outputs seem a little outdated for 1.6 engines - Hyundai's recent engines outperform these figures surely.

No offroadboy, this is a site for adults, and unless you're going to speak like one, you're only going to be made fun of.

By the way, you drive a trash can. How are you "off road" boy? Do you have a jeep in the garage?

I like the comparison. While I wouldn't be caught dead in either even as a rental, it is interesting to see the bottom of the barrel since we always see the top (Porsche, Ferrari etc) on these sites.

I especially like the comment that ABS should never be optional. How true is that!

Firstly, I don't understand the relative condemnation of driving a basic transportation vehicle. My '82 Sentra has roll-up windows, no A/C, and an AM band-only radio, and yet it performs as Nissan designed it: to be simple and reliable. Last month, the odometer registered 250K, just 20K beyond its original clutch.
Secondly, a 0 to 60 time of 9.4 seconds is far and away unobtainable for this car. It gets to 60 in about 16 seconds-apropos for cars of its type and date of manufacture. As such, I believe some of you are spoiled into believing if a vehicle achieves 60 m.p.h. in more than 8 seconds, its not worth having, let alone being seen in.

"...spoiled into believing if a vehicle achieves 60 m.p.h. in more than 8 seconds, its not worth having, let alone being seen in."

I agree with this statement whole-heartedly! When did we become so power hungry? Just 20 years ago 8 seconds was fast. 10 years ago 8 seconds was quick and now 8 seconds is considered the bare minimum that should be expected. Why? Would it not be better to use these powerful engine management systems to enhance fuel economy even if it is in lieu of bottom line performance? I mean, while it is kind of funny that my Nissan Armada can dust any "average" and even some quick cars I'd rather that it could manage 18, even 20 mpg. Even if I had to give up 1 or 2 seconds on the 0-60 trap time. (Just for the record, I clocked my SUV at 6.4 seconds to 60 on a cool day with the AC off...that is stupidly fast for this type of vehicle and it feels that way at times, too...in spite of all of it's stability nannies!)

With the used car market growing, and quality and reliability steadily rising, sub-$10k new cars make less and less sense in today's market. There's really no need to sacrifice ABS, A/C, or other features when you can get them all in a 2-4 year old used car. I can only see cheap new cars as useful in developing countries where their used car market isn't as saturated. That's not to say we shouldn't have new, small, economical cars, just that there's no point stripping them down.

Both of these cars are available with abs, AC, etc and that's the way most are sold. These two are the stripper price leaders which are great for marketing but not intended to sell in large numbers.

My two cents...

I don't get why anyone would buy either of these two cars brand-new. I can see a use for extremely basic-transport (I used to have a Ford Aspire to drive in the winter when the Z28 wouldn't get out of its own way)...but why brand new? The only good thing about either of these cars are their price. If you can get one a few years old for 5K then you have reliable transport for very cheap. But for 10-12K why on EARTH would you buy a Versa or Accent new? You can get a much nicer car (basically, everything else that is sold is nicer!) thats slightly used which would be a far nicer ride. A year old Focus would be a great choice.

I rented a Versa while on Vaca recently..and with the auto, it was a pig. And it was the 1.8L version. Ouch! So for you guys saying that the 0-60 time of 9.4 isn't bad..you are right. But thats with the stick. You put an automatic on either of these cars and you are looking at 11 or 12 agonizing seconds, with frightening lack of power to merge on the highway. Yikes.

It is astonishing just how little 10k buys in a NEW car these days, and equally so how much USED car it'll get you. I still don't understand why people buy new, but I guess if they didn't, there wouldn't be all these awesome used cars to buy. Thanks people!

@playdrv4me: I think you've forgotten that $10k now is the equivalent of $5k twenty years ago.

What would that $5k have bought you in 1989? The 1989 Toyota Tercel EZ started at $5999 with a four-speed manual transmission, without power steering, a/c, airbags, carpeting, or a passenger-side sun visor. It was priced about $500 over the base Hyundai Excel, which was also poorly equipped but at least had carpeting. Both cars would run 0-60 in about 14 seconds.

Only the Yugo GV was available for $5k in 1989, and a/c wasn't even available as an option on it.

"By stephen987 on September 16, 2009 9:28 AM"

Amen. I owned an early 90's Tercel EZ (by neccessity!). It had a "value" package that added hubcaps and a right side outer rear view mirror. It also had the dealer installed accessory AC and radio. It did nothing particularly well except be reliable and get good gas mileage. I even had to tint the windows and put cloth seat covers on the front seats just to make it more livable on hot summer days!

I remember that the Tercel EZ was promoted with a lot of Happy Days-style ads and "a price that starts in the Fifties."

"It's so easy to own Tercel"--to the tune of Buddy Holly's "It's So Easy (to Fall in Love)."

@stephen987:

Oh man, I had completely forgotten about that Tercel commerical! Wasn't it Linda Ronstat (sp?), or was she covering Buddy Holly?

offroadboy, reading your posts I have found a number of grammatical errors. I have taken the time to correct them for you below.

"It's the immigrant's kids that are failing and making the Los Angeles schools look bad. Chewy, Cookie and Spooky just care about the streets more than they do of their work. If they were all gone it would be a lot better."

Seeing as I myself am 23, I can say that the way you write is not a generational problem, but rather one of ignorance and apathy. I hope you enjoy your Versa 1.6, because that is likely to be the nicest car you will ever own.

trash,

> As a european reader I'm just surprised at the
> poor spec of these cars, even for bottom-of-the-range. Even Hyundai's cheapest car on sale here
> in Britain (the i10 with a 1.2 engine) has ABS

United States and Canada do not follow UN rules for car safety, so no ABS, no ESP, no rear 3-point belts required. It is Wild Wild West, remember?

There are no "UN rules for car safety."

@trash & vvk: Can't say I agree about the 3-point rear belt comment. I can't think of a single car sold here that persists with lap belts.

As for standard ESC and ABS, that regulation is in place and we are in the midst of a phase-in period. We get to 100% ESC & ABS in model year 2011 or 2012.

Yeah, it's been a while since I've seen only lap belts. And I don't think wk meant UN rules, but EU rules. The EU does require all of those safety devices, and they have much better crash safety testing than the US. Anyone else notice how all cars now get a "5-star" crash rating in the U.S.? But seriously, these cars are like a '90s dodge viper, aka death trap. I can just imagine what would happen if an average sedan like a CamCord T-boned one of these trash cans that don't have side airbags.

I'm impressed that you can still get into a new car, even a stripper, for around $10k. I bought my first car new 18 years ago for just over $9000. It was a compact with a 3-speed auto, no AC, and only one side-view mirror. $9k then is worth $14-15k today, and for that you can buy a much nicer new car. Of course, with $15k to spend today, I would almost certainly not buy a new car. Modern used cars are so much more reliable than years ago and represent a great bargain.

@cwmoo740

Neither of these cars is available without side airbags, even as a used rental.

@actualsize
The Ford Ranger has 2 point lap belts for the rear seats, although they are only jump seats.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OffZ-gC87cM

Skip to 1:16 in the video

"Braking Comments: Braking performance, while not impressive, is better than that of any non-ABS car -- like the Accent"

IIRC the Dodge Viper for the longest time did not have ABS brakes. Is Insideline saying this Versa has better brakes than the previous gen Viper?

I agree with those who believe in punctuation and proper grammar. Sad is the day that one run-on sentence is passable in *any* generation. Coherence is available even from a 4 year-old. Please bring your "A" game when in a public forum as it makes discourse and diatribes more interesting.

As for this comparison, I'm glad to have it. Good job IL for even comparing the bottom of the barrel. Economically priced cars are needed and I'm glad to at least have the knowledge.

offroadboy, don't you dare speak for anyone. Your inane gibberish is representative not of a generation, not of two generations, but of a group of people. I usually call this class of people "idiots," though naming differs among other groups of people.

I'll start with this quote here. It's a real gem, don't you think?

"its not impossible its called the new generation this is what we do we dont give a shit and if i was your kid i would beat your ass i dont take shit from no body and it seems like you understand what im saying so i guess your part of it"

It's not the new generation. It's not what "the new generation does." It's what you, and other members of the group I defined above, do. You think you're important, but you're really not. You think you're tough, but you're not. You think you're hot shit, but you're not. In reality, you're nothing.

It's easy to be a badass on the Internet, a person who "dont [sic] take shit from no body [sic]." In the real world, though, you probably skulk around with your head in your chest, murmuring incoherently to people you interact with that aren't a member of the group you belong to, and yelling incoherently to people that are.

Have a nice day, "bro". (N.B., others: " 'Bro' is a common lexeme among members of this group. Its meaning is varied -- anything from "friend" or "dude" to "male sibling". It's often used as an interjection among them.)

I like small cars, but there is no *way* I would buy either of these. If you only have 12k to spend on a car, buying new is simply not smart.

People need to remember that a car is a long term commitment. Buy a used car you are happy with, and keep it forever. You will have saved far more than selling some POS at a low residual value 5 years down the road when you absolutely can't stand it anymore.

If you're only interested in a simple commuter car, perhaps you would be content with a 'very' used beater car.

www.beaterreview.com
^ actually one of my favorite car sites

I know this is Straightline and not Long-Term Road Tests, but I'd love to see aloysius_vampa's comment on the comments of the week thread.

I just HAVE to comment on the ignorant runt, Offroadboy or whatever, acting all thug while driving a Versa.

I have yet to figure out what the fascination is with the cut-rate, base Accent. It's cheap, and doesn't have many amenities or safety features, I get that...by why is it so often reviewed? I have to scour the internet to find a review of the Accent SE....the version I own, which is a much nicer car, with actual safety features. I have found a few reviews, and they are quite favorable, even glowing. Why not compare the Accent SE against the best version of the Versa? With it's sport-tuned steering and suspension, better looks and stronger warranty, the Accent SE would win hands down. It would beat the Versa in a straight line, or in the twisties, and look better doing it. Search this on Youtube: "2007 Hyundai Accent SE chaos". The last 20 seconds says it all.

The uniform hammering of offroadboy is delightful. I wonder where he is? This is like kissel, but more fun.

hako - good question. How about a big comparison of all the cheap (but not bottom-rung) cars, like your Accent, the better (or best) Versa, a Fit, whatever Toyota is selling, the Aveo etc. Especially once the Fiesta hits.

I would love to see this comparison "fuhteng" and in the end the winner should be compared to let's say Ferrari 308 1979. How do you like this idea for a comparison test Inside Line? I bet that any of this budget cars would outperform a thirty year old legend.

wow you guys so got me at least i got a new car when i was young and not a old car or your parents car plus is that why i already got a A.A. degree and im heading to ucla wow you guys got me im probaly going to have a way nicer car then you samjpatrick and like i said its not an essay i use my grammer on more important things and jays83gsl you think your cool now cause you added ur little comment how am i acting like a thug if you want me to i could and why do you want to get a used car you dont know what happend to it where its been how it was taken care of everyone i know that got used cars and it just broke down on them why trust them and aloysius_vampa was that suppose to change me or somthing cus i really dont give a shit so shut the fuck up and i could do this everyday i will have no proplem with that how much time do you guys have

offroadboy,

I'd like to give you a better username. I'm thinking along the lines of "Petunia" or "Daisy"... something pretty, like a flower, as watching your posts and the reactions to them have been deftly entertaining. Part of my brain begs the question on the issue of if this is an elaborate joke.

What really puts a smile on my face is how you're repugnant to the point that you perpetually hurt your own argument as you make it. Your "grammer" is what you say you use on more important things. How about spelling? Is that just not even an issue? It is just a given that you will plow through a bafflingly and hilariously written post?

You got a new car when you were young? Just how young were you? Plus, why would you want a new car such as that when the used market would provide a far superior car at the same price point? This is a car that I would genuinely pity the owner of such a vehicle... not just due to the lack of amenities, but just how ugly it is in general. I guess this is a foolish exercise in an interrogation, as the obvious answer is that the kind of person who would buy a penalty box vehicle such as a Versa 1.6 is the same kind of person who would sign onto Edmunds and act like the kind of person that natural selection would have eliminated a lot time ago, such as you are.

Best of all, I like how you just made UCLA look even worse for accepting a codfish such as yourself. I'm a USC fan, so I literally just started laughing when I read that.

UCLA's going to be so proud....

"like i said its not an essay i use my grammer on more important things"

His "grammer" is so good, guys, that he has to save it for special occasions. Or, more likely, making sure he "uses his" correct grammar taxes his brain too much.

My first car was my father's 1983 Mazda RX7 GSL. When I received it, it had 20,000 miles on it.
It already had a Yaw Carburetor (they were used to deliver fuel to the engine back before you were born, 93 or so), so I added some Enkei 92 rims, ported it out, added a full Racing Beat exhaust, and did some emissions stripping.

It's now looking at 320,000 miles (I rebuilt the motor to port it at 35,000). I'm very proud that I started with a true classic sport car rather than a $10,000 pile of crap.

I'd love to note that I average around 24 mpg averaging between a 20 minute stop free commute and around town driving, which is probably around what your Versa gets. It has power windows, ice cold air conditioning, a Blaupunkt Hi-Fidelity Compact Disc player, 4 wheel disc brakes, a limited slip rear differential, a choke-free starting system, direct fire electric ignition,clear tail lights, and sport bucket seats.

It clears the quarter in around 14 seconds flat, hits a top speed of about 140, has 15" polished lip rims, and brakes in around 120 feet from sixty to a dead stop.

Tell me, thugsta, er, offroadboy, can your Versa match any of that?

You know guys, I think we may have been wrong about offroadboy. I mean he has already received his associates degree after only two years of community college! That, no doubt, has to be some indicator of his vastly superior intelligence. And I'm sure that Faulkner, Locke and even Dubois tired of writing in structured sentences. So let's look past the fact that he missed the point of this comparison completely to begin with and that he will continue to vehemently defend a car that few would park next to without embarrassment.

And you just might be right offroadboy, it takes very little talent or intelligence these days to make money. So it goes without saying that you very well could end up driving a Versa 1.8SL someday and I could be stuck in my five year old car that came loaded from the factory and cost about 30k new.

When I clicked this blog, it was just out of the most basic level of curiosity. I could care less about any of the numbers, the Versa, or the Accent.... but this blog, wow, what a blast to read. Thanks to everyone who posted for making my morning class just fly by.

@samjpatrick:

All it proves is that at least one community college in California has a serious quality control problem.

It also proves that UCLA might have a serious quality control problem too...

Man, you guys must not hang around slashdot or digg much. The first rule of the internet is:

"Don't feed the trolls"

The second? Seriously, don't feed the trolls.

I find it hard to believe that anyone could be so outspokenly ignorant without simply trying to provoke others.

Actually, mortal1, rules 1 and 2 of the Internet are (1) Do not talk about /b/, and (2) Do NOT talk about /b/. Rule 14 concerns arguing with trolls, stating: "Do not argue with trolls - it means that they win"

I'm willing to overlook this impersonation of an Internet Police Officer, but don't let it happen again.

offroadboy's lack of punctuation in his messages is awful, but what's the point of jumping on him ? In his defense, he didn't actually get rude until someone said he was expressing himself like a 13yo.

In any case, how is buying this car new any worse of a decision than buying any other car new?

In fact, if one assumes that cost of repairs are a function of vehicle mileage (and ignoring luxury cars and European cars where service and repairs tend to scale with original vehicle cost) then your per mile costs are going to be higher in a $10k 50k-mile used Civic (which may require some service and repairs) than in your $10k new Accent (which won't require any repairs/tires/batteries/brakes/shocks etc for a few years). As the car gets more expensive the premium to buy new is an increasingly high dollar amount (even if it is the same as a percentage) so that buys more and more "repairs" until the equivalence point.

Looking purely at $/mile then, the lower the new car price the more it makes sense to buy it new.

@ fuhteng & iwatchf1:
YES! I would absolutely LOVE that kind of comparison!How about we compare ALL of the tester cars against a Ferrari Testarossa? Its got a big, heavy and slow V12 that still costs more than 10 years worth of my salary.

@ slickersdrip, samjpatrick, aloysius_vampa:
Thanks for your entertaining condemnation of UCLA's latest, greatest and hilariously "special" drop out. I couldnt help but laugh(Really Hard) since I know how difficult it is to get into that school since I've been trying for a while now. Then again I'm from Texas, not an LA resident. I think he's just posturing with his Pseudo/E-Peen. I mean his great wall(s) o' text makes me want to punch a baby.

@ jays83gsl:
That car must be a beast. I'd love to see it; I'm a huge fan of the RX-7 model, both early and late.

@ trash:
I envy you. The UK gets some of the coolest cars before we do, if at all. Especially versions of American cars that are not available in America Such as the Focus RS and the brand new VW Golf R.

Sorry for such a huge reply guys but that was one of the most enjoyable reads I've had the pleasure of laying eyes on as of late.

Would you guys laugh if I told you I've seen both of these cars with 15'' & 17'' blades on them? Talk about poor taste? haha.

@ fuhteng & iwatchf1:
YES! I would absolutely LOVE that kind of comparison!How about we compare ALL of the tester cars against a Ferrari Testarossa? Its got a big, heavy and slow V12 that still costs more than 10 years worth of my salary.

@ slickersdrip, samjpatrick, aloysius_vampa:
Thanks for your entertaining condemnation of UCLA's latest, greatest and hilariously "special" drop out. I couldnt help but laugh(Really Hard) since I know how difficult it is to get into that school since I've been trying for a while now. Then again I'm from Texas, not an LA resident. I think he's just posturing with his Pseudo/E-Peen. I mean his great wall(s) o' text makes me want to punch a baby.

@ jays83gsl:
That car must be a beast. I'd love to see it; I'm a huge fan of the RX-7 model, both early and late.

@ trash:
I envy you. The UK gets some of the coolest cars before we do, if at all. Especially versions of American cars that are not available in America Such as the Focus RS and the brand new VW Golf R.

Sorry for such a huge reply guys but that was one of the most enjoyable reads I've had the pleasure of laying eyes on as of late.

Would you guys laugh if I told you I've seen both of these cars with 15'' & 17'' blades on them? Talk about poor taste? haha.

Ronnie!

I go to the University of Texas at Austin!

My dad went to USC, so I just have been raised on a steady diet of that school.

Is there any chance you're going to UT now? I am. We could hang out and make fun of offroadboy's comments over a beer or something.

Ronnie, everyone thinks that when I describe it, but, really, it's not terribly loud, it doesn't do any teenager loved burnouts, it's just a fun little car. 90% of the stuff I listed is bone stock on the car. ^_^

I wish Edmunds would do some comparison tests of the first generation RX7 and some modern cars, just for giggles. Primarily, there hasn't been a professional road test of one in 30 years almost, and logic dictates that just adding modern tires onto the car would increase 1/4 performance, handling, and braking in extreme ways.

I'd like to see one compared to the RX8, and an economy car, certainly. Maybe the Mazda 3?
It's nice to be humbled by what your car did bone stock when it was new. . . .

To note, as equipped, the sticker for my 83 said it totalled $8K, which would be around 25,000 in today money. That's very very cheap for a car that isn't 'cheap.'

In other words, your RX7 cost about what an RX8 does now, in real dollars.

Right, back in '83. Goes to show how the market price doesn't really change that much after all.

@dg0472 and cwmoo740

Both of these cars have standard side airbags..... and the versa even comes with active head restraints.

It would be interesting to see a comparison between the Accent GS and Accent SE. Same engine, different suspension, wheels, brakes, and shifter.

Then again, an SE will set you back about $15K.

@slickersdrip:

UT Austin is my next choice, but I'm a while off from being transferred into that school and lack the wheels to get there ;P. haha.
Hanging out could be a possibility if enough time is given.

@Jays:

Awesome idea. Mazda Speed 3 Vs. an 83 Rx-7.
Personally I'd love to see an updated version of the Supra MK3. (Old car with new tires and bits to modernize it.) Then pit it against another car of its era such as your Rx. :3.

I have an 09 Accent GS, but the only 'upgrade' features I received was A/C (I live in South Florida, it's a necessity!), radio with XM (c'mon, do I even have to explain) and the MP3 jack/port.

I don't have many complaints, even without ABS because it's a manual and I can down shift if needed but haven't had to mash on the brakes yet.

It's GREAT on gas in the city and is actually fun to drive, for me anyway. I don't mind it. I bought it brand new and got it for just under $10k. I preferred this because I take care of my vehicles and didn't want to inherit somebody's problem. This way I know the maintenance is getting done and it should last quite sometime.

It probably has the best warranty out there which is why I ultimately chose this vehicle over the other equivalents (that and price of course). Also it has acceptable safety features. It's also roomier than it looks on the outside. The vents under the seats for the rear passengers was a nice surprise as well.

My only complaints really are the rear shocks can get bouncy if you have passengers in the rear. Also on the highway, the RPMs get up there say around 70 mph, 4,000 rpms in 5th gear, so your mileage suffers. Luckily I live 3 miles from work and it's city streets commute. Having the bicycle is a great option too.

There is nothing wrong with this vehicle. I had a 1995 Chevy Blazer prior to this vehicle that I bought used and after I put 30k on it and not harsh driving or towing it turned out to be nothing but problems, a pure money pit.

I'm satisfied with my 2009 Accent GS. Just cracked 5k after 8 months of ownership.

4,000 rpms around 70 mph? Sounds kinda high to me....I'll have to check that out for myself. I think it's more like 3500 rpms around 70 mph, and maybe 4000 around 80 mph. But, like I said, I will check that out today in my SE....which is a manual as well.