The Absolute BEST Use of $20 You'll Ever Find.

[AZhitman]

Performance cars battle with horsepower numbers. Hybrids fight over fuel mileage. Econoboxes, well, they exchange blows with MSRPs.

Hyundai, not content with Nissan claiming the Versa as the least expensive car in America at $9990, dropped the price of the entry-level 2009 Accent to $9,970.

The Accent undercuts the Versa by $20.

So what exactly does $9,970 buy? Well, you’ll get a frame with three doors, four wheels, four tires, a 1.6-liter engine mated to a manual transmission, paint, a windshield, and controls to operate everything.

How long will Hyundai hold the cheapest car claim? Chevrolet’s next Aveo5 looks to provide the fiercest competition, in the absolute least sense of the word. We’ll keep you updated on THAT thrilling battle.

Here's a hint, Hyundai - We remember when you got here. And you sucked then. We're pretty sure your cheapest car still sucks.

I'll spend the extra $20, even if it's JUST so I don't have to tell people I drive a Hyundai.

[APEXi240]

Sucks compared to what? A Versa...

[MinisterofDOOM]

Sucks compared to what? A Versa...

Hey, which outhouse would YOU rather go in? The smellier one?

[grogman]

Sucks compared to what? A Versa...

like i have stated in previous postings. nissan is a high brand logo.........hyundai is not. period. buy a hyundai watch your 10,000 shrink faster than a guy coming off viagra. when you buy a nissan, even the cheapest one, you buy into a high brand car company,. when it's time to trade up, nissan will be there to get you to the next level. hyundai? well, they will be there to tell you it would be better to sell the car yourself because your car won't be worth anything. a versa might sukk but a hyundai is a bad investment.

[AZhitman]

^ Good point.

Nissan has always had "budget" cars - So has Hyundai.

How many 91 Sentras do you see on the road? TONS.

How many 91 Hyundais? Yep. None.

[Andrews Chalmers]

A name brand's image can change much more slowly than its actual quality of the products.

In 1991 Hyundai's were budget crappy vehicles. Today? They're budget vehicles from a company that has demonstrated its desire to improve its quality.

Who'll know if there are any Versas or Accents on the road in 2020?

[grogman]

A name brand's image can change much more slowly than its actual quality of the products.

In 1991 Hyundai's were budget crappy vehicles. Today? They're budget vehicles from a company that has demonstrated its desire to improve its quality.

Who'll know if there are any Versas or Accents on the road in 2020?

i can safely say the nissan v has a better chance @ arriving in 2020. am i right, mitsubishi gave engineering rights to hyundai for the powertrain. that might be the only saving grace for the hyundai. sure, the accents will arrive in 2020 but what will the exterior on those cars be like............i have seen some pretty beat up nissans, but one amazing constant about nissan is that they look like they can take abuse..........plus like the ceo said..........choice says nissan...........

[Andrews Chalmers]

i can safely say the nissan v has a better chance @ arriving in 2020. am i right, mitsubishi gave engineering rights to hyundai for the powertrain. that might be the only saving grace for the hyundai. sure, the accents will arrive in 2020 but what will the exterior on those cars be like............i have seen some pretty beat up nissans, but one amazing constant about nissan is that they look like they can take abuse..........plus like the ceo said..........choice says nissan...........

Sorry Grogman, I'm having difficultly comprehending your reasoning. Are you suggesting that Hyundai is incapable of developing a refined vehicle/engine/drivetrain without the assistance of others?

Whether or not there will be more Hyundai or Nissan vehicles in 10 years will depend the costs of keeping each vehicle running... which essentially revolves around mechanical reliability & cheapness.

I wouldn't discount Hyundai.

[Shad0wXCalibur]

Yea because Versas certainly haven't had any problems...

[grogman]

Sorry Grogman, I'm having difficultly comprehending your reasoning. Are you suggesting that Hyundai is incapable of developing a refined vehicle/engine/drivetrain without the assistance of others?

Whether or not there will be more Hyundai or Nissan vehicles in 10 years will depend the costs of keeping each vehicle running... which essentially revolves around mechanical reliability & cheapness.

I wouldn't discount Hyundai.

do you own a hyundai?...............i think hyundais sukk. let's get all riled up and say retarded people only mod hyundais......the race is on.............

[APEXi240]

like i have stated in previous postings. nissan is a high brand logo.........hyundai is not. period. buy a hyundai watch your 10,000 shrink faster than a guy coming off viagra. when you buy a nissan, even the cheapest one, you buy into a high brand car company,. when it's time to trade up, nissan will be there to get you to the next level. hyundai? well, they will be there to tell you it would be better to sell the car yourself because your car won't be worth anything. a versa might sukk but a hyundai is a bad investment.

I do not purchase a sub-compact for resale value. It is not even a distant priority. Your reasoning is also not sound. How exactly does "Nissan" get you to the next level? In fact that is such an obscure statement that it should really be qualified. But regardless, that is dealership dependent, and there are very large variances in the quality of dealerships throughout each state, let alone the country.

Secondly, comparing a 91 Sentra and 91 Excel is skewed. I could not find any info on units sold, but I will go out on a limb and venture to say there were many more Sentras sold than Hyundais. But to be honest I don't see either vehicle on the road much anymore. In addition we are talking current vehicles (at least that is what the initial post was about), not vehicles that are 18 years old. Lastly, there is no doubt that at the time, Nissan's build quality was superior to Hyundai's.

But that has changed. Hyundai's build quality is actually beating out Nissan...

Fit is first in sub-compact category followed by the Kia and Hyundai.http://www.motorauthority.com/....html

Nissan and Hyundai initial build quality is ranked similarly.http://www.jdpower.com/autos/r...nchor

Vehicle dependability rankings, Hyundai beats out Nissan.http://www.jdpower.com/autos/r...nchor

So, an Accent's price point is slightly cheaper, the build quality is better, and it has a better warranty.

I like my Versa, but it is not all that superior to an Accent.

[Andrews Chalmers]

do you own a hyundai?...............i think hyundais sukk. let's get all riled up and say retarded people only mod hyundais......the race is on.............

I'm sorry I tried to discuss the subject with you. Unfortunately I realized too late that you're a troll lacking serious critical thinking.

[grogman]

I'm sorry I tried to discuss the subject with you. Unfortunately I realized too late that you're a troll lacking serious critical thinking.

why would anyone want to buy what you are selling.........go to the hyundai forums for they are waiting for your prescence......o masterful one...........

[Rockhound]

I dunno, I guess I can't help but find this whole diatribe a bit misguided. Mind you I don't own a Hyundai, never have owned one, and don't see myself owning one in the near future - but the immense hatred some folks around here harbor against them is nothing more than immature bravado.

It is terribly ironic to me that owners of any Japanese car would hold themselves in such higher esteem in comparison to a South Korean brand. Sure, the Japanese automakers have long been established in the states, but we take their favored status a wee bit for granted now, don't we?

Think about it - this was the same kind of rhetoric that kept Detroit humming along when the Japanese first started exporting cars to the US. And look how far that got them. Constant improvement to cars like the Civic, Accord, Corolla, Camry, Sentra, and Maxima, for instance, made the similar American offerings pale in comparison to the point that the best selling cars in the US were Japanese made, much to the chagrin of die-hard "buy American" bigots.

I don't see this story being much different for Hyundai. Their first offerings in the US were pure, unequivocal crap. The Excel wasn't really fit for consumption. But if you chart out the progress Hyundai has made sense that time - they've completely reinvented themselves in about 20 years.

Case in point? In Consumer Reports' latest Annual Auto Issue, Hyundai ranked 9th out of 15 automakers on their "Automaker Report Cards" with a score of 70, with six of their cars achieving "recommended" status. The other scores were as follows: Honda: 78, Subaru: 75, Toyota: 74, Mazda: 73, Mercedes: 72, Nissan: 72, VW: 72, BMW: 72, Hyundai: 70, Volvo: 65, Mitsubishi: 64, Ford: 63, Suzuki: 60, GM: 57, Chrysler: 48.

Many folks here also hate Toyota for making a lineup of "appliances" and not making any of their former performance cars anymore. Some analysts will point out that Toyota is the new GM. It will be their folly if they have the same attitude about Hyundai as most of the folks here - just as the domestic automakers failed to take Honda, Toyota, and Nissan seriously not that long ago.

Furthermore, it's not like the base 1.6L Versa is head and shoulders above anything (sorry guys). It is bare minimum transportation. But it does probably have a bit more interior refinement than similar priced competitors and reliability should be good. But to act as if it is a point of pride to have the best $10,000 car out there is hilarious to me.

And Grogman, please spare me the unintelligible rant that will surely spew forth telling me to join a Hyundai forum - I know you won't actually read this post to comprehend where I'm coming from, anyway.

[grogman]

why all the hyundai apologists? i don't apologize for agreeing with the ceo that the nissan v is a better buy than the accent. i would never go out of my way to see what report cards the magazines give. i don't trust them anyway. hyundai is a bad purchase. i betcha a daewoo car is rated high somewhere in the world. i am happy i purchased this particular v because i have had no problems. carbuying is a crapshoot. one car can be reliable as hell and the same car down the street is getting gassed and burned because it was a lemon. if one buys a car for the short period, one does not buy a hyundai. if one buys a car until it blows up, then one buys a hyundai. the safe purchase is a v over an accent. i don't care what write ups say about the accent. the write ups hate the v and love the fit. i like my particular v. i like some of the mod pics of the v. i wouldn't buy a v sedan. but then again i won't buy a v next time. that prediction is so far away that all my cells will have been replaced in my body. vs are awesome and accents are tin traps.

[Rockhound]

Your argument doesn't hold water because you are mixing references.

You bring up the Fit's critical acclaim and that the auto critics "hate the Versa" as a reason to distrust automotive publications. But you've obviously not read many publications, as if you had, you'd understand that you're completely wrong. I haven't found any critics that "hate the Versa" - just that most that are more intent on characteristics like handling gravitate toward the Fit.

To wit, you might want to use Google at some point to put your baseless opinions to the test:

The Versa is recommended by Consumer Reports, and received very high marks from publications like Winding Road and Edmunds (where it recieved a 7.6 versus the Fit's 7.9). It also is a best buy from Consumer Guide. Point is, most auto critics of more fond of the Fit's driving dynamics, which are sportier than the Versa whether anyone chooses to accept it or not. Having driven one myself, I can confidently say that the handling is superior in the Fit - but the ride is a bit choppier, so of course, this isn't always going to be filed under the "pro" column for every shopper.

Also, Daewoo's have almost unanimously been panned by automotive publications - justly so. That's why they pulled out of the US market, only to supply a few cars to GM. The Chevy Aveo is always used as an example of how GM cannot compete in the subcompact market because of its sheer crappiness. If you really want a car to crap on in comparison with the Versa, the Aveo is your best choice.

Your inability to accept the Fit's sportier character (and thus the critical acclaim it justly receives) means nothing to me. I, on the other hand, am able to accept the fact that the Versa isn't the "sportiest" car in its class - but I do think that it is one of the best overall cars in its class and I'm very happy with our purchase two years on.

You also seem strangely unaware of some of the reliability issues the Versa has suffered as well - to members of this very forum, no less. It's okay, denial affects everyone...

True Delta is an automotive research site run by Michael Karesh (PhD). He tracks car reliability from owner reports in the number of trips to the dealer per year per 100 cars (lower numbers are obviously better) - and you'll likely not enjoy/believe the results I'm about to post:

2007 Nissan Versa: 502008 Nissan Versa: 75

2007 Hyundai Accent: 342008 Hyundai Accent: 32

But as you've decided that Hyundai will never build anything better than a 1986 Excel, you'll likely toss these numbers out as meaningless. Confirmation bias never hurt anyone, right? He's probably just another Hyundai apologist, huh?

Also, since you brought up crash test ratings, you might want to actually, you know, do some research on the subject...





I know, I know, I'm a Hyundai apologist, right? Actually I'm just secure enough in my purchases and research to admit that there are many, many suitable cars in the market. Acting as if the Versa is perfect and every other competitor is crap is just immature posturing (for a 50 year old) and looks a lot like insecurity to me.

Furthermore, to base one's opinion of Hyundai on the Accent alone makes about as much sense as to make the same mistake with the Versa and Nissan. The Genesis sedan and coupe, however different to each other, are a nice indication of the great strides Hyundai has made in quality. The Accent happens to be one of the oldest cars in their current lineup, and I'd expect the next iteration to feature the same constant improvement as have cars like the Sonata, which is every bit the Camry/Accord competitor - although it lacks the sporty character of the Altima, the best family sedan on the market in my opinion.

The fact that you can't bring yourself to admit that Hyundai has made great progress since their first offerings here in the states is just denial - can you not admit that the Japanese started out with some 'tin traps' as you called it?
Modified by Rockhound at 5:40 PM 6/6/2009

[dee_tymz_sl]

Man I love this argument... Keep going...

[APEXi240]

What argument?

Looks more like a lecture...

[Shad0wXCalibur]

if one buys a car for the short period, one does not buy a hyundai. if one buys a car until it blows up, then one buys a hyundai.

Why would you buy the supposedly horrible Hyundai for a car to keep until it blows up? Because if it crapped out at 100,000 miles like so many people think, then that wouldn't make financial sense to buy that car and keep it until it dies supposedly at 100,000 miles. If your Versa is so awesome, I would think THAT would be the car you'd keep forever. Why keep it for a short period if it's so great? Oh wait, that's right. You probably think a Versa has high trade-in value so you can waste money on another car instead of saving your money by keeping the car after payoff. Well unfortunately, the trade-in will suck just like most other cars out there. Also, Hyundai has upped the quality quite a bit. They are on par with everyone else and you'd certainly be lying if you said Nissan's vehicles don't have any problems.

I've said this before but I'll say it again. It's hard to go wrong with most vehicles out there. You pick whatever fits you. I'm sure most people bought their Versa just because it fit them. Not because they worship Nissan. Or at least I did. I'm on this forum because I just happened to pick a Versa as my car and it's a great place for info including PROBLEMS with the vehicle and possibly how to fix them LIKE MOST OTHER CARS AND THEIR FORUMS.

[VersaMG08]

Why are you all debating and lecturing each other? It's only going to scare away people from posting here.

[audtatious]

Looks like a discussion to me. No personal attacks

If people are scared off by something like this then they may want to stay off all automotive forums.

[grogman]

Looks like a discussion to me. No personal attacks

If people are scared off by something like this then they may want to stay off all automotive forums.

exactly............for really this posting was about the comparing of two cars and the difference of 20 dollars. i would buy a v over an accent because nissan is a high brand car company. hyundai isn't. period. sure, i am a v apologist. one thing about my v is that i bought it @ 23,000 mi. maybe the problems that are associated with the v were fixed by then. so for now my car has been trouble free. i like my car. most of the v owners here like their cars. i feel they are smart consumers because most of them researched the car market and found that the v makes sense. i am not trying to sway anyone on purchasing a v or an accent. i am saying that vs rock and hyundais don't. now, in ten years hyundai might hold a better resale value over nissan. right now they don't. now, all of you researchers can locate the resale values of nissan and hyundai. i have to go back to the bedroom and get the chores done. good luck in your finds.

Looks like a discussion to me. No personal attacks

If people are scared off by something like this then they may want to stay off all automotive forums.

[dee_tymz_sl]

OK here's my take on this. The Nissan Versa and the Hyundai Accent are undoubtedly the cheapest car for both companies. Spending $20 more to buy a Versa, yes I would. Reason being is that as it stands now (yes) Nissan hold a higher trade in value over Hyundai so it makes it more likely that if the owner of a Versa decides to sell years later the Nissan would be the preferred choice over the Hyundai as well as they'll get a little more cash no doubt. I'm not gonna be one of those persons to say Hyundai sucks but we all know that Nissan has been known to have more reliable vehicles as compared to Hyundai so with that being said, that should definitely be a factor in buying, especially if owners are plan on keeping their car till the darn thing dies. My biggest thing about the two cars were styling- the Versa is just the better looking of the two in both HB and sedan form. Also when you compare the interior of the two cars the Versa again takes the cake on that. The inside of the Accent feels like very hard plastic, whereas the Versa feels more upscale. The Accent's seats are hard and not as comfortable as the Versa and the material in the Versa looks and feels much better especially in the SL models. Don't forget about the crash test results on both vehicles. If anyone needs to be reminded then check the links and watch the videos.

Hyundai Accent: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayDyLpKfEKcNissan Versa: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WRYtlMVCM8

When I was purchasing my car the Hyundai Accent came to mind but after seeing the thing I changed my mind so as the topic of the post states "The Absolute BEST Use of $20 You'll Ever Find." I certainly agree.

[srellim234]

Although some people are swayed by MSRP, it's all pretty pointless when it comes to actually purchasing the car. If you "build" the car at either vendor's website you will see a freight charge at Hyundai and a destination charge at Nissan. The starting price points are above $10,600 and $10,700, respectively.

It's like buying something from those infomercials on t.v. It's "Only $19.95" but then they hide the shipping and handling, an arbitrary price they tack on. By the time you get it the price is actually inflated to the consumer.

If the consumer buys a big ticket item like a car based on MSRP advertising and doesn't research competitive items he/she deserves what he/she gets.

As for quality, things change over time. The original Honda Civic (the little two seater with the motorcycle engine) in no way reflects the quality of the Honda Civic today. Hyundai is on it's way up, getting better as the years go by. Only time will tell if today's $10,600+ stripped Hyundai turns out to be a better buy than the $10,700+ stripped Nissan. I would suspect, though, that they will both turn out to be horrible purchases without a few amenities (options) added, raising their prices considerably.

[Rockhound]

Why are you all debating and lecturing each other? It's only going to scare away people from posting here.

After a) being called a "Hyundai apologist" and b) all of the misinformation stated by certain members, I felt compelled to submit a post with some facts on the matter - I think my post speaks for itself. It's not in the interest of "defending" Hyundai, it's for the purpose of getting the facts out no matter the subject, and I think I did that.

I would think baseless accusations ("you're a Hyundai apologist" and so on) and posturing ("Nissan rules, all else drool") would contribute more to forum member attrition than presenting some facts. Let's not forget that many folks on this forum own more than one car, and it's not too much of a stretch of the imagination that some dual Versa/Hyundai owners might be turned off by this, too.

My biggest thing about the two cars were styling- the Versa is just the better looking of the two in both HB and sedan form. Also when you compare the interior of the two cars the Versa again takes the cake on that.

Exactly. These were two major factors in our purchase decision - although the Accent was never on my shopping list. Our decision was between the Fit and the Versa, and being a pretty hard-nosed Nissan loyalist and my wife's preference in the Versa's overall appearance/feature inside and out, the decision was easy.

I think Hyundai's biggest challenge will be to develop a unique design language throughout their models that doesn't scream "cheap!" as does the Accent and many of their older models. Cars like the Sonata have grown up a lot in recent years to look the part of a Camry/Accord/Altima competitor. And it would seem that interior quality on their newer/pricier models is easily on par with most Japanese offerings (like the Genesis sedan or Sonata).

Ironically, even the second-gen Fit doesn't have the soft-touch materials found in the Versa - it's pretty much rigid everywhere, but it does appear to be screwed together well.

As for quality, things change over time. The original Honda Civic (the little two seater with the motorcycle engine) in no way reflects the quality of the Honda Civic today. Hyundai is on it's way up, getting better as the years go by.

Thank you! That's my point exactly! It amazes me how so few people can see the parallel. Now I do think that the first US Civics/Accords/Corollas and such were probably far better than the first Hyundai Excel - so the Japanese started out with better products to begin with...but the improvement they've displayed in short time is impressive to me.

Anyone that wants to put their head in the sand and refuse to admit that might want to look into white collar employment at Government Motors or Chrysler - their executives specialize in underestimating the competition and maintaining the status quo. Hence their placement at 14th and 15th (out of 15) respectively, in CR's latest report card.

I'm not just pro-Nissan, I'm pro-CAR. I think the consumer stands to gain when companies compete to create better products. If Hyundai's improvements mean that Nissan/Honda/Toyota (et al) step up their game accordingly, as I see it, I stand to gain no matter what I buy.

[AZhitman]

Wow.

This thread generated a lot of heated discussion!

With that said, I'll add this: I don't think ANY automaker builds "junk" anymore, per se. Even the cheapest offering from any builder will last 100K miles, with a little maintenance and a few repairs.

[Rockhound]

Wow.

This thread generated a lot of heated discussion!

I wouldn't credit the "thread" as much as the misinformation that followed in subsequent posts.

[VersaMG08]

After a) being called a "Hyundai apologist" and b) all of the misinformation stated by certain members, I felt compelled to submit a post with some facts on the matter - I think my post speaks for itself. It's not in the interest of "defending" Hyundai, it's for the purpose of getting the facts out no matter the subject, and I think I did that.

I would think baseless accusations ("you're a Hyundai apologist" and so on) and posturing ("Nissan rules, all else drool") would contribute more to forum member attrition than presenting some facts. Let's not forget that many folks on this forum own more than one car, and it's not too much of a stretch of the imagination that some dual Versa/Hyundai owners might be turned off by this, too.

Yeah many folks have more than one car, but some folks don't make as much money as you. I'm attending college and don't have time in my schedule to work full time. I go to school Monday, Wednesday and Friday 8am-4pm, work on the other days besides Sunday. If I had the extra money, I'd probably get a truck or something to haul around stuff or whatever. So, please don't think 'alot' of people own more than one vehicle.

[mrogers88]

Yeah many folks have more than one car, but some folks don't make as much money as you. I'm attending college and don't have time in my schedule to work full time. I go to school Monday, Wednesday and Friday 8am-4pm, work on the other days besides Sunday. If I had the extra money, I'd probably get a truck or something to haul around stuff or whatever. So, please don't think 'alot' of people own more than one vehicle.

haha from what ive gatered thus far its about a 50/50 split between kids (under the age of 25) and adults.

the kids are the 'enthusiasts' that basically want to make their versa's unique while still keeping a relatively tasteful, clean and stock feel while driving (with exception of some of you guys dumping money into performance)

and theres the other people who are on the forum for basic info about their versas that are bone stock with the exception of a few things (these are the people with multiple vehicles.. because they are like, old and established and have wives and stuff)

i for one think hyundai sucks. even the genesis is garbage. if my parents bought me a hyundai for my first car id laugh at them. thank god they didnt and bought me a nissan, which led to my love of nissans and the purchase of my new V

(still kinda wish i got a GTI though) haha

[VersaMG08]

That's the problem I have with this forum, it's polarizing. If it wasn't the case then there wouldn't be a lot of members here. Good thing I post on other forums.