2003 Hyundai Accent Review and Specs

Summary

What Edmunds.com says

A decent buy for those determined to own a brand-new car with full-warranty coverage, though we'd encourage prospective owners to shop the used car market before closing the deal.

Pros

Excellent warranty, low price, nicely appointed interior, solid build quality, smooth ride.

Cons

Weak tires, low handling limits, can't get cruise control, ABS or side airbags.

What's New for 2003

For 2003, the base single overhead cam 1.5-liter engine is dropped from the L hatchback; all Accents now come with the dual-overhead cam 1.6-liter inline four-cylinder. The 1.6 is rated at 104 horsepower -- a drop of only one horsepower following Hyundai's September 2002 announcement that it had misstated engine outputs across the board. Note that the engine itself is unchanged. In other news, all Accents get a facelift this year. In front, you'll see a new bumper, grille, hood and headlight assemblies, and in the back, the bumper, rear quarter panels and taillight units are new.

Consumer Ratings & Reviews

Satisfied

Written by: Accent fan on 06/27/2007

Detailed Ratings

Overall Rating


Performance:	7	Fun-to-Drive:	7	Build Quality:	7
Comfort:	7	Interior Design:	7	Reliability:	8
Fuel Economy:	8	Exterior Design:	8

Vehicle

2003 Hyundai Accent GL 2dr Hatchback (1.6L 4cyl 5M)

Review

I got the 5 spd manual 2003 GT model and added the cruise control after the sale for approx. $200. This car has been great, the only problem I had was the muffler corroding, and this was replaced under warranty. With the manual version I don't find any lack of power unless the A/C is on. The car is comfortable and has all of the features that I need in a car. So far I have only driven 48k in the car, but I far prefer it to the Sonata that I also own. Having got the sports version, my only real complaint was the fact that they put 'premium' tires on the car that had very little traction. Driving on snow and even wet streets was difficult until I replaced the tires.

Favorite Features

Comfort, reliability, handling, A/C, fog lights, stereo

Suggested Improvements

Don't put sports tires on such a light car. ABS was not available on this model.

Report inappropriate post

Good Basic Transportation

Written by: Chris on 04/27/2007


Performance:	7	Fun-to-Drive:	7	Build Quality:	9
Comfort:	8	Interior Design:	9	Reliability:	10
Fuel Economy:	8	Exterior Design:	9

2003 Hyundai Accent GL 4dr Sedan (1.6L 4cyl 5M)

This car was purchased mainly for my wife, and she loves it. It is almost 4 years old now and it has NEVER broken down. All I have done was change the oil & filter every 3,000 miles. Sure, it could have more power, but what do you expect. In a vehicle this size MPG is more important than horsepower, and besides, my wife never seems to complain that it is slow, so I guess it is not that bad.

Adjustable seat belt height, power windows and locks.

Better paint on plastic body parts. The door handles are fading faster than the rest of the car.

Cheap, Great Cars!

Written by: Ashley on 10/17/2006


Performance:	10	Fun-to-Drive:	10	Build Quality:	10
Comfort:	8	Interior Design:	9	Reliability:	10
Fuel Economy:	9	Exterior Design:	9

It's so hard to find a foriegn car for a reasonable price. The Hyundai Accent is a reliable car for a great price. It definatley beats American made cars and are absolutely wonderful. I love mine!!

The door won't lock with the key in the ignition and if you turn the car off with the lights on, they dim to save your battery.

I wish I had cruise control, but the newer models have them.

1 out 1 people found this review helpful

New Transmission at 22K

Written by: Eileen on 07/09/2006


Performance:	3	Fun-to-Drive:	7	Build Quality:	6
Comfort:	7	Interior Design:	6	Reliability:	2
Fuel Economy:	6	Exterior Design:	6

At 18K miles, it started to ride sluggishly so we had the transmission looked at. At 22K it needed a new tranmission - fortunately, it was still under warranty although we bought it used...with 12K on it.

Great small car

Written by: Danielle on 06/04/2006


Performance:	8	Fun-to-Drive:	8	Build Quality:	7
Comfort:	6	Interior Design:	6	Reliability:	7
Fuel Economy:	10	Exterior Design:	6

I love my little car! It's great on gas, and very peppy in traffic. It is also easy to park and very manuverable. Smooth ride, but a little loud interior, particularly on the highway.

Pretty good cabin, although the cup holders are odd, and the storage space is limited.

rear windshield wiper standard on all models

2003 Hyundai Accent Consumer Ratings & Reviews