Monday, August 29, 2011
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Hyundai Accent is 'the people's car'
Apologies and all due respect are in order to a certain German automaker, but it seems the term "the people's car" has been appropriated by the 2012 Hyundai Accent.
The new bearer of the people's torch takes all the metrics that the auto-buying denizens of the world actually need and rolls them into one not-so-giant ball of pragmatism.
The car is affordable and efficient with both space and gas, and it manages to sprinkle in a bit of fun, though it could use a little more.
Aside from that, and some minor ergonomic issues, this sub-compact ride for the masses is a good one.
Available in both sedan and hatchback versions, the Accent is the latest model to come from a company experiencing a white-hot 2011 in terms of sales, and Hyundai says its cynosure is its cars' fuel economy.
The Accent continues that trend with its potent and clever 1.6-liter, four-cylinder engine. Vastly outmuscling competitors including the Ford Fiesta, Honda Fit and Toyota Yaris, the Accent puts out 138 horsepower and 123 pound-feet of torque.
And it does so while getting the best gas mileage of its class — no small feat for this fuel-averse crowd.
The Accent is able to do this by being lighter and more aerodynamic than most. But it also wrings more miles per gallon out of its engine by using something called direct injection. Though it may sound like a Jose Canseco workout regimen, it's actually a nifty technological update that makes fuel injection more precise and efficient.
It does this by introducing the gasoline directly to the cylinder at the exact moment and in the exact amount that the engine needs to burn it, then mixing it with air. Normal gas engines combine the fuel and air beforehand, and that mix then goes into the cylinder.
The difference in effectiveness is like throwing a bucket of water on a match to put it out, versus using a well-aimed squirt gun.
The effect is noticeable at the pump. Whether Accent buyers choose the standard six-speed manual transmission or the six-speed automatic, the Accent's fuel economy stands at 30 mpg in the city and 40 mpg on the highway, according to estimates from the Environmental Protection Agency.
Over almost 300 miles of testing a $17,685 Accent SE, I averaged 26 mpg.
That chunk of change nets you a loaded Accent hatchback (or five-door in car-speak) for at least $1,000 less than a similar Ford Fiesta or Honda Fit. This includes the automatic transmission that's a $1,000 option, a flaccid six-speaker stereo system with MP3 playback, XM satellite radio and steering-wheel mounted controls, Bluetooth, alloy wheels and a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob.
One rung below is the Accent GS, also a five-door, that starts at $15,355 with the manual transmission. At the basement level is the Accent GLS, a sedan that starts at $14,995.
All Accents come with a 10-year, 100,000-mile powertrain warranty and a host of safety features including four-wheel disc brakes with ABS (unique for this segment), electronic stability control, six air bags and a tire-pressure monitoring system.
Although Hyundai deserves credit for the Accent's value proposition, it's in how they put it all together that the automaker really earns the people's respect.
The inside of the Accent is wonderful because of its simplicity. The dashboard layout is straightforward; Hyundai deliberately avoided the design flourishes seen in their Elantra sedan after critics (though not this one) chided it for being overkill.
Some might call it boring, but after one drives a Ford Fiesta or Honda Fit, which have interiors that push style over substance, the Accent is a welcome reprieve.
The construction and materials are also impressive; inexpensive cars are the raison d'etre for hard plastics, yet they're largely banished from this Hyundai. Think Chipotle assemblage on a Taco Bell budget.
Also noteworthy is how quiet the cabin is; road noise is appreciably low for a car of this size and weight, and the doors close with a solid thud.
Legroom and headroom will fit the people's tallest passengers, and cargo capacity on both the sedan and hatchback Accents is on the higher end of the segment.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Hyundai Elantra And Azera Named Autopacific 2011 Ideal Vehicle Award Winners
In the Compact Car category, the Hyundai Elantra beat out top rivals by a large margin including the Ford Focus, Mazda 3, Chevrolet Cruze, and Volkswagen Jetta. The Hyundai Azera topped the Toyota Avalon, Ford Taurus and Dodge Charger in the Large Car segment. Overall, Hyundai scored second in the Popular Brand rankings, trailing only Chrysler.
Additionally, three other Hyundai models made the Ideal Vehicle ranks: the Sonata finished second in the Premium Mid-Size Car segment, the Genesis Coupe earned fourth in the Sporty Car segment and the Accent ranked fourth in the Economy Car segment.
AutoPacific’s 2011 Ideal Vehicle Awards are based on 72,000 surveys completed by owners of new cars and light trucks in the United States in the first half of 2011. The IVAs measure the fusion between owner expectations and the reality provided by the manufacturer by quantitatively measuring how closely a vehicle matches those expectations. To determine the winners, owners rate their new car or truck on how close it came to “ideal” in 15 different categories ranging from power and acceleration to safety features and storage. The vehicles that customers said they would change the least were considered the most “ideal.” “It’s getting harder and harder to measure quality differences in today’s vehicles,” said George Peterson, president, AutoPacific. “Consumers need better insights into which vehicles will meet their ideal for comfort, ride and handling, cargo space, and other attributes that are experienced on a daily basis. IVA winners deliver the most of what consumers are really looking for in their vehicles.” “Having our models recognized for AutoPacific’s 2011 Ideal Vehicle Awards is a testament to the hard work and dedication that goes into all the vehicles in the Hyundai lineup,” said Scott Margason, director Product Planning, Hyundai Motor America. “At Hyundai, we strive to exceed customer expectations in safety, quality, value and performance, and look forward to continuing to develop more award winning vehicles as we bring the 2012 Accent and Veloster to market this year.” Hyundai also excelled in this year’s AutoPacific Vehicle Satisfaction Awards. The Hyundai Genesis won in the Aspirational Luxury Car segment for the third year in a row, the Elantra took top honors in the Compact Car segment and the Sonata topped the Premium Mid-Size Car segment and also took home the first-ever President’s Award for All-Time Highest Satisfaction.Honda Announces 2012 Accord Pricing and Details
Honda has announced the pricing for the 2012 Accord. Nothing much has changed in the Accord range from the 2011 model year. Only one new standard feature is added to the entire Accord range: an USB interface audio interface, which was available in only EX and EX-L trims last year. The pricing of the entire lineup is also same as the outgoing model year.
The 2012 Accord will be offered in four variants in the US auto market: the LX Sedan, the LX-S Coupe, the EX V-6 Sedan and the EX-L V-6 coupe. The pricing starts at $21,380 for the LX Sedan, at $27,280 for the EX V-6 Sedan, at $22,980 for the LX-S Coupe, and at $29,930 for the EX-L V-6 Coupe.
The sedan models include 4-cylinder Accord LX, LX-P (Premium), SE, EX and EX-L trim levels and the 6-cylinder Accord EX V-6 and EX-L V-6. 4-cylinder Accord LX-S, EX, EX-L, and the 6-cylinder Accord EX V-6 and EX-L V-6 are the available trim levels, in the coupe body form. The Accord LX, LX-P and SE sedans are powered by a 2.4-liter, i-VTEC 4-cylinder engine producing 177 hp. All the 4-cylinder coupe models and EX and EX-L Sedan models are powered by 2.4-liter, 16-valve DOHC i-VTEC 4-cylinder engine, producing 190 hp. Customers will also have an option of 3.5-liter, 24-valve, SOHC, i-VTEC V-6 engine producing 271 hp in the Accord EX and EX-L Sedan models and the Accord EX-L Coupe.
The transmission systems offered in the Accord lineup are: 5-speed manual and 5-speed automatic transmission. A 6-speed manual transmission is offered exclusively for the EX-L V-6 Coupe and steering mounted paddle shifters with automatic transmission is standard on the EX-L V-6 Coupe.
Bob, thank you for your hard work and dedication to customer satisfaction
"Bob Gold is professional and friendly, and the deal was good. We're very happy with the Sonata and our choice of dealership. The product leads the industry, and O'Hare was a pleasure to do business with."
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
KBB.Com Names 2012 Hyundai Accent a Top Back-to-School Car
Kelley Blue Book’s www.kbb.com, the leading provider of new- and used-vehicle information, named the 2012 Hyundai Accent to its list of 2011 Top 10 Back-to-School Cars. Changing up this annual list for 2011, the kbb.com editors chose five new cars and five used cars for the Top 10 list, and ranked their top choices from five to one in each category. Accent took the number one spot on the new cars list, ranking above Honda Fit, Ford Focus, Fiat 500 and Chevrolet Cruze.
“Like its bigger brothers the Sonata and Elantra, the 2012 Hyundai Accent appeals to a finely-tuned sense of value, putting a lot of equipment into a stylish, roomy package that competes more than favorably with competitors like the Ford Fiesta, Mazda2 and Honda Fit,” said the kbb.com experts. “While not pavement-ripping, the 138-horsepower engine will deliver 30 mpg in the city and 40 mpg on the open road. And at a price that’s a bargain, the 2012 Accent demands to be on your back-to-school shopping list.”
Vehicles on kbb.com’s 2011 Top 10 Back-to-School Cars list were chosen with the following criteria in mind: safety, affordability, versatility, reliability, cost of ownership and fuel efficiency, along with the ever-subjective ‘fun-to-drive’ and ‘good-looking’ factors. Each new car on the list is available for $18,000 or less, using Kelley Blue Book’s exclusive Fair Purchase Price as the yardstick.
“The 2012 Hyundai Accent is tapping into the consumer demand for high-content, fuel efficient cars,” said Brandon Ramirez, product planning manager, Hyundai Motor America. “Like the Elantra and Sonata Hybrid, Accent achieves 40 mpg highway without any additional cost for a high fuel economy package, making it a very attractive car to both students and their parents.”
Accent reinvigorates the subcompact segment, offering the company’s distinctive and upscale “Fluidic Sculpture” design, best-in-class standard fuel economy, exceptional roominess and a full complement of standard safety features. Accent’s class-leading standard fuel economy is yet another example of Hyundai’s dedication to improving fuel efficiency and is the fourth nameplate in Hyundai’s lineup delivering 40 mpg on the highway.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Thanks, staff, for providing 100 percent customer satisfaction.
"Bob Gold was great. He was very helpful and informative. Getting in to Dan Chatfield's office to close the deal took quite a bit of time, but it was midday on a busy Saturday. I haven't had a chance to evaluate the service department yet, as my new Sonata only has ~ 300 miles on it at this point. But, so far, the car has been great."
"This was my 2nd time purchasing a new Hyundai - Darren helped with my first purchase - Lost my new 2011 Sonata LTD due to a flood -Darren helped make my 2nd purchase 2011 Tucson LTD go quickly and smoothly! Darren is great - I have referred a friend to go to Hyundai ( hopefully they will be there soon! )"
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Hyundai releases photo of the 2013 Elantra Touring
Hyundai has released a single photo of the new 2013 Elantra Touring model head of its official debut at the Frankfurt Auto Show next month.
Now sharing the brand’s ‘fluidic sculpture’ design language, the Elantra Touring also gets a hexagonal shaped front grille to help bring it
closer to the rest of the Hyundai lineup. When it does make its way to North America, power is expected to come from the same 1.8-liter 4-cylinder engine found under the
hood of the Elantra sedan, making 148-hp and achieving a 40-mpg highway rating.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
All-New 2012 Hyundai Accent Off to Roaring Start
The Hyundai Accent was America's best-selling sub-compact car in July.
"The all-new Accent outsold two great small cars we really respect in July – the Honda Fit and Ford Fiesta," said John Krafcik, president and CEO, Hyundai Motor America. "In fact, it was the best-selling sub-compact in the industry last month, its first full month of sales. It's a good indication that consumers are connecting with our new design, 40-mpg fuel economy, and the Assurance Trade-In Value Guarantee. It's a great recipe for this economy."
The 2012 Accent's all-aluminum 1.6-liter Gamma four-cylinder engine uses the latest engine technology to deliver a class-leading 138 horsepower and 123 lb-ft of
torque and a best-in-class standard 30 mpg city and 40 mpg highway fuel economy rating. The engine's most notable feature is its use of Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI), a first for the sub-compact category. By precisely controlling the injection of fuel, GDI allows for better fuel economy, increased power and reduced emissions.
The 2012 Hyundai Accent will be the fourth nameplate in the Hyundai lineup delivering 40 MPG on the highway, including the Sonata Hybrid, Elantra and Veloster,
due to arrive in dealerships in a few weeks. Accent's class-leading standard fuel economy is an example of Hyundai's dedication to improving fuel efficiency with
advancements to traditional gasoline powered vehicles.
Thank you, staff, for continuing to provide A+ customer service.
"The three mentioned employees were all very professional. I felt as though I could trust the staff. This is only the second new vehicle I've bought. I have always dreaded the process of buying cars. The O'Hare dealership was a pleasant experience. I feel comfortable and confident that future trips to the service department will be just as professional."
Monday, August 8, 2011
Tony, thank you for providing 100 percent customer satisfaction. We appreciate your hard work.
"Tony was very friendly, and the process went smoothly for me. I am very happy with my new Elantra. The guys at O'Hare took care of me!"
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Kudos to Joseph and Dan for providing outstanding customer service. Your hard work is greatly appreciated.
"Our experience was very good. Bray did a fine job and getting all our questions answered and provided us with the information needed in making our decision. Dan in Financing was very knowledgeable and helpful (and funny). Overall, it was a very positive experience. We will definitely recommend this dealership to our family and friends."
Monday, August 1, 2011
Thank you, Darren, for providing excellent customer service
"Darren was very accommodating, staying late with us (after closing) on Friday evening to ensure we had all of our questions answered and had all of the information we needed to make our decision. We came back the next morning to buy our Hyundai Tucson. Every aspect of the buying experience proceeding seamlessly. We felt that every person we worked with was genuine and tuned into our needs."
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