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By Colin Ryan
Updated January 02, 2021
The 2021 Hyundai Accent is the cheapest new Hyundai. It’s a subcompact sedan, so it competes with cars like the Nissan Versa and Kia Rio. How the Accent makes its case is with relatively generous passenger space and a refined ride quality. It also makes smartphone integration and automatic emergency braking available.
This low entry price is dependent on being able to work a manual transmission, since a 6-speed stick shift is standard; it’s around $1,100 for the automatic option. The Accent is supposedly aimed at younger drivers, whose ability to learn is (fortunately) greater than the more mature among us. It’s no bad thing getting to grips with a manual and finding out what gears do. But for the commuting grind, an automatic means one less thing to think about.
Used 2021 Hyundai Accent pricing starts at $16,563 for the Accent SE Sedan 4D, which had a starting MSRP of $17,500 when new. The range-topping 2021 Accent Limited Sedan 4D starts at $19,610 today, originally priced from $20,505.
Original MSRP | KBB Fair Purchase Price (nat'l average) | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
$17,500 | $16,563 | |||
$18,755 | $15,538 | |||
$20,505 | $19,610 |
The Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price for any individual used vehicle can vary greatly according to mileage, condition, location, and other factors. The prices here reflect what buyers are currently paying for used 2021 Hyundai Accent models in typical condition when purchasing from a dealership. These prices are updated weekly.
Which Model is Right for Me?
6-speed manual transmission
Fabric seat covering
6-way manually adjustable driver’s seat
Air conditioning
60/40-split/fold rear seats
Automatic transmission with hill-start assist
Disc brakes at each wheel
Apple CarPlay/Android Auto smartphone integration
Fog lights
Two USB ports
Forward collision mitigation
Powered sunroof
LED headlights/daytime running lights/taillights
Heated front seats
17-inch alloy wheels
A Sport mode enlivens responses of the throttle, transmission, and steering, but don’t get your hopes up. There’s only so much excitement 120 horsepower can muster. For something more dynamic and engaging, consider a pre-owned Mazda3. However, as a cheap-to-run commuter car or a college student’s first set of wheels, the Accent will provide sterling service.
The engine has a passable amount of zip for the class. The main complaint is that it will drone under hard acceleration. And with such modest power, the accelerator tends to get used more than in a gutsier car.
With seating for five (well, four and a bit), the 2021 Accent enjoys a cabin that’s well laid out and comes across at first glance as classier than its value-oriented price might imply.
There are hard plastics, though, and the seats are far from over-cushioned. We’d prefer to see more bolstering up front and a center armrest for the rear seats. Also, stretch to at least the SEL trim because its steering wheel adjusts for height and reach, as opposed to the SE’s tilt-only setup.
Speaking of stretching, there won’t be much of that in the rear seats. Subcompact sedans can’t help being a little cramped somewhere. Even so, easily reachable climate controls, plus a touchscreen in the center console to control audio and phone functions, are definite positives.
Trunk area is 13.7 cubic feet, which is pretty good, and the rear seats split and fold in a 60/40 manner for extra versatility.
Even the base 2021 Accent has the ornate chrome grille of the higher trims. Upscale items like LED headlights, 17-inch alloy wheels, chromed door handles, and a hands-free trunk lid operation, however, require spending extra for the Limited trim.
Overall, the Accent has an arguably pleasant look. The Audi influence (imagine that grille with a 4-ring badge) can only be a good thing.
ANDROID AUTO AND APPLE CARPLAY
These two smartphone systems are quickly moving from “nice to have” to “absolutely essential” in cars. Once their seamless integration has been experienced, it’s a chore to be without them.
AMERICA’S BEST WARRANTY
A headline like that might come across as marketing bluster, but Hyundai is serious, offering five years/60,000 miles bumper-to-bumper, with the powertrain covered for 10 years/100,000 miles. That’s reassuring, and not just for the budget-conscious.
When buying a new Accent, trim choices are SE, SEL, or Limited. The trickiest aspect is probably deciding how much to spend, since everything else is kept simple.
The SE comes with air conditioning, power windows/locks, cruise control, dynamic guidelines for the rearview camera, manual transmission, 5-inch infotainment touchscreen, Bluetooth, USB port, auxiliary audio input, AM/FM radio, and a 4-speaker audio system.
Like all new Hyundais, the Accent has an excellent warranty: a 5-year/60,000-mile transferable new-vehicle warranty, plus a powertrain guaranteed for 10 years/100,000 miles.
The main way to spend more money on a new Hyundai Accent SE is to order the automatic transmission. But if that’s financially possible, it would be better to consider the SEL.
This mid-level trim comes with the automatic as standard, along with several things that make the Accent a better car. Such as rear disc brakes (the SE has drums), heated side mirrors, alloy wheels, 7-inch infotainment touchscreen, voice recognition, smartphone integration, fully adjustable steering column, and automatic on/off headlights.
The range-topping Limited model adds a sunroof, LED daytime running lights and taillights, automatic climate control, heated front seats, keyless entry/ignition, plus a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob. It also has forward collision mitigation with automatic braking, and the Blue Link smartphone-enabled connected services system (a 3-year subscription is standard).
The 2021 Hyundai Accent comes with mixed engine blessings. On the plus side, fuel economy is great, able to average around 36 mpg with the continuously variable transmission. Even with the standard 6-speed manual transmission in the entry-level SE trim, it’s still about 33 mpg.
The downside is that the output of this 1.6-liter 4-cylinder engine is a lowly 120 horsepower and 113 lb-ft of torque.
The Accent is front-wheel-drive (FWD) only.
1.6-liter inline-4
120 horsepower @ 6,300 rpm
113 lb-ft of torque @ 4,500 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 29/39 mpg (manual), 33/41 mpg (automatic)
Our Expert Ratings come from hours of both driving and number crunching to make sure that you choose the best car for you. We comprehensively experience and analyze every new SUV, car, truck, or minivan for sale in the U.S. and compare it to its competitors. When all that dust settles, we have our ratings.
We require new ratings every time an all-new vehicle or a new generation of an existing vehicle comes out. Additionally, we reassess those ratings when a new-generation vehicle receives a mid-cycle refresh — basically, sprucing up a car in the middle of its product cycle (typically, around the 2-3 years mark) with a minor facelift, often with updates to features and technology.
Rather than pulling random numbers out of the air or off some meaningless checklist, KBB’s editors rank a vehicle to where it belongs in its class. Before any car earns its KBB rating, it must prove itself to be better (or worse) than the other cars it’s competing against as it tries to get you to spend your money buying or leasing.
Our editors drive and live with a given vehicle. We ask all the right questions about the interior, the exterior, the engine and powertrain, the ride and handling, the features, the comfort, and of course, about the price. Does it serve the purpose for which it was built? (Whether that purpose is commuting efficiently to and from work in the city, keeping your family safe, making you feel like you’ve made it to the top — or that you’re on your way — or making you feel like you’ve finally found just the right partner for your lifestyle.)
We take each vehicle we test through the mundane — parking, lane-changing, backing up, cargo space and loading — as well as the essential — acceleration, braking, handling, interior quiet and comfort, build quality, materials quality, reliability.
Curb Weight | 2679 lbs. | ||
---|---|---|---|
EPA Passenger | 90.2 cu.ft. | ||
EPA Total Interior | 103.9 cu.ft. | ||
Fuel Capacity | 11.9 gallons | ||
Front Head Room | 38.9 inches | ||
Front Leg Room | 42.1 inches | ||
Max Seating Capacity | 5 | ||
Minimum Ground Clearance | 5.5 inches | ||
Overall Length | 172.6 inches | ||
Front Shoulder Room | 54.2 inches | ||
Trunk or Cargo Capacity | 13.7 cu.ft. | ||
Turning Diameter | 33.5 feet | ||
Wheel Base | 101.6 inches |
Alloy Wheels | Available | ||
---|---|---|---|
Fog Lights | Available | ||
Number of Doors | 4 doors | ||
Privacy Glass | Available |
City | 33 mpg | ||
---|---|---|---|
Highway | 41 mpg | ||
Combined | 36 mpg |
Drivetrain | FWD | ||
---|---|---|---|
Transmission Type | Automatic | ||
Recommended Fuel | Regular | ||
Hill Start Assist | Available |
Horsepower | 120 @ 6300 RPM | ||
---|---|---|---|
Torque | 113 @ 4500 rpm | ||
Engine | 4-Cyl, 1.6 Liter |
Basic | 5 years / 60000 miles | ||
---|---|---|---|
Powertrain | 5 years / 60000 miles | ||
Corrosion | 7 years / Unlimited miles |
Steering wheel audio and cruise controls
Mandatory items like airbags, anti-lock brakes, and traction control aside, the 2021 Accent isn’t exactly bristling with safety features. But having these controls on the steering wheel at least makes them easily accessible and more likely to become second nature.
4-wheel disc brakes
These become standard in the 2021 Accent SEL. There’s nothing wrong with the SE’s rear drum brakes, but discs are better at the important job of slowing down.
Forward-collision avoidance with automatic braking
Only available in Limited trim, but part of that car’s standard inventory and a reminder that an inexpensive purchase price means doing without certain things. If this feature could prevent a catastrophe, we’d say it was money well spent.
Used 2021 Hyundai Accent | Used 2022 Hyundai Accent | Used 2021 Kia Rio | Used 2021 Nissan Versa | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Price | $16,423 | $17,116 | $15,377 | $18,953 | |
KBB.com Rating | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.3 | 4.2 | |
Consumer Rating | 4.1 | 4.1 | 4.0 | 4.0 | |
Fuel Economy | City 33/Hwy 41/Comb 36 MPG | City 33/Hwy 41/Comb 36 MPG | City 33/Hwy 41/Comb 36 MPG | City 32/Hwy 40/Comb 35 MPG | |
Fuel Type | Gas | Gas | N/A | N/A | |
Safety Rating | 4.0 | 4.0 | N/A | N/A | |
Seating Capacity | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | |
Basic Warranty | 5 years or 60000 miles | 5 years or 60000 miles | 5 years or 60000 miles | 3 years or 36000 miles | |
Horsepower | 120 @ 6300 RPM | 120 @ 6300 RPM | 120 @ 6300 RPM | 122 @ 6300 RPM | |
Engine | 4-Cyl, 1.6 Liter | 4-Cyl, 1.6 Liter | 4-Cyl, 1.6 Liter | 4-Cyl, 1.6 Liter | |
Drivetrain | FWD | FWD | FWD | FWD |
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