beebs

2014 Hyundai Accent review

Research, photos, specs, and expertise

Hyundai Accent highlights

Customer rating

Pros

  • Engaging style
  • Strong engine
  • Feels larger than it looks

Cons

  • Competitors offer more options
  • Hatchback’s rear visibility is limited

Mileage (EPA estimate)

27 city, 37 highway, 31 combined

Pricing for current inventory

(no current inventory)

Price
Year

Details make the 2014 Hyundai Accent a top subcompact

Buyers seeking a small car with big space will find much to like in the 2014 Hyundai Accent. It’s available as a sedan or hatchback, offers gutsy power and a quiet ride, and feels bigger inside than it appears. It looks good, infused with the fluid lines of the larger Elantra and Sonata sedans, and interior quality is a grade above average for this class of economy cars. If cargo space is a priority, the hatchback’s rear seats fold to create more space than the cargo area of many compact SUVs. The Accent is even tidy enough to make tight city parking possible, making it an ideal car for city dwellers or commuters.

A decent round of updates marked the 2014 model, all of which were details that reinforced the Accent’s value proposition. Hyundai added sliding sun visors, upgraded headlights, LED accents, an adjustable steering column, and an optional sport shifter kit. Small moves, but enough to keep pace with subcompact rivals like the Honda Fit, Ford Fiesta and Chevrolet Sonic.

All Hyundai Accent years

What is new for the 2014 Hyundai Accent?

  • Leather Seats features are now available as options on select trims.

5 reasons to buy the 2014 Hyundai Accent

What We Like:

Performance: The Accent is no sports car, but it’s one of the gutsier performers in its class. Its 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine makes just 138 horsepower, but responds quickly to the gas pedal and accelerates steadily from zero to 60 mph in about nine seconds. That’s quick for subcompacts of this era. A well-calibrated six-speed automatic transmission helps. The Accent’s composure and steady grip in corners is equally endearing, with confident and direct steering that makes fun work of a winding road.

Comfort: The Accent is surprisingly roomy inside. The dashboard angles away from front passengers slightly, contributing a spacious feeling. Tall doors and a low floor make for easy entry and exit, and there’s ample space in all four seats (the rear middle seat is best left unoccupied). Front seats offer plenty of cushioning for long drives and ride quality is better than most subcompacts. While the Accent isn’t quite a Mercedes, it does an admirable job of keeping wind, road and engine noise at bay.

Value: Like most Hyundai cars, the Accent delivers exceptional bang for the buck. The 2014 models come with plenty of standard features such as keyless entry, heated side mirrors, and a six-speaker sound system with USB jack for basic smartphone media control. Moving up to the SE trim adds 16-inch wheels, rear disc brakes (many subcompacts had rear drum brakes), upgraded cloth seats, Bluetooth®, and sport-tuned steering. Interior fit-and-finish is also impressive. Note that the Accent didn’t offer any now-common driver assistance features, and touchscreen audio systems were still a few years away from being mainstream in 2014.

What Needs Improvement

Fuel Economy: Our lone gripe with the otherwise well-rounded Accent is that it falls short of its EPA-estimated fuel economy targets in Edmunds testing. While the EPA gives the Accent an estimated 31 mpg combined score with the automatic transmission – or 32 mpg combined with the manual – it came up shorter during the Edmunds test loop.

Granted, it was within an acceptable margin, but it underscores that achieving the Accent’s rating is difficult in real-world driving.

Shop with your budget in mind

Getting pre-qualified lets you shop with personalized monthly payments, and it doesn't impact your credit score.Get Pre-qualified

Ratings & reliability

Customer ratings

The 2014 Hyundai Accent is a great car for those looking for a small, reasonably priced car. Customers like the gas mileage and the easy handling.
4
Excellent

RepairPal gave the Hyundai Accent an overall reliability rating of 4 out of 5 stars, which RepairPal describes as Excellent. This rating ranks Hyundai Accent 11th out of 27 among Subcompact Cars.

View RepairPal's full rating of the Hyundai Accent

Hyundai Accent features and specs

GS 2WD 4D Hatchback

Standard Features

  • ABS Brakes
  • Air Conditioning
  • AM/FM Stereo
  • Automatic Transmission
  • Auxiliary Audio Input
  • CD Audio
  • Cloth Seats
  • Cruise Control
  • Overhead Airbags
  • Power Locks
  • Power Mirrors
  • Power Windows
  • Rear Defroster
  • Satellite Radio Ready
  • Side Airbags
  • Traction Control
  • Bluetooth Technology
  • Cloth Seats
  • Power Locks
  • Power Mirrors
  • Power Windows

Drive Wheels

Front Wheel Drive (2WD)

Engine size

1.6L

Horsepower

138

Torque (ft-lbs)

123

Engine type

Gas

Fuel capacity

11.4

Wheelbase

101.2"

Overall length

162"

Width

66.9"

Height

57.1"

Leg room

F 41.8"/R 33.3"

Head room

F 39.9"/R 37.8"

Front tires

P175/70TR14

Rear tires

P175/70TR14

Seating capacity

5

Transmission

Automatic

2014 Hyundai Accent FAQ

Research other vehicles



* Price excludes taxes, title, registration, and fees. Applicable transfer fees are due in advance of vehicle delivery and are separate from sales transactions.

We hope you found this information helpful. This content is intended to inform and is not meant to indicate that a particular vehicle is currently available or recommended for you.​

Statements of fuel economy or EV range are based on EPA and other third-party estimates for vehicles when new. Fuel economy and EV range will degrade with time and vary based on age, driving conditions, vehicle history, and other conditions. See fueleconomy.gov for more info.

Unless otherwise noted, information related to featured vehicles comes from third-party sources, including manufacturer information. Product and company names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of third-party entities. Use of them does not imply any affiliation with or endorsement by these entities.​ By clicking on any video links, you will be taken to a third-party site maintained by YouTube, Inc.

We make every effort to provide accurate information, but please verify before purchasing.