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The 2021 Hyundai Accent is a compact four-door car that can seat up to four or five people. The Accent has been a good seller and a staple in Hyundai’s lineup since its debut way back in 1994. The latest version may be small, but there’s a lot of comforts, convenience, and technology packed into this car. Best of all, it’s extremely affordable, starting at just $15,395. Even the top-tier Limited models will only set you back by around $19,500, depending on the options you choose, of course.
All trim levels of the 2021 Accent are powered by a 1.6-liter, 4-cylinder engine. This little power plant cranks out around 120 horsepower. It gets to 60 miles-per-hour in about 8.5 seconds. The Accent is built more for efficiency than speed and has a combined fuel-economy rating of 36 miles-per-gallon. The exterior is simple yet stylish, and the interior is basic but comfortable. The Accent is all about value and affordability. Hyundai gives buyers quite a lot here for very little money.
There’s a good amount of standard features and a respectable infotainment system in the Accent. Hyundai also provides plenty of safety features and modern driver-assist technology. The Accent is a great little car that’s maneuverable and easy to find a parking space for, thanks to its diminutive size. With that said, there are some good alternatives to the Accent. Here are 15 cars that are similar to the Accent, starting with the top three picks in the class of compact cars.
The Top Three Cars Similar to the Accent
1. Honda Civic
There are a lot of similarities between Hyundai’s Accent and the Honda Civic, as well as some major differences. They’re both compact cars in the same vehicle class. Both can comfortably seat four passengers with the possibility of room for a fifth. Both have good records for reliability.
The Civic is a four-door sedan like the accent, but it also comes in Coupe and Hatchback body styles. One of the major differences between the Accent and Civic is in the cost. The Civic starts at $21,700 with the most expensive model starting at $37,895. While it’s much more expensive, the Civic is one of the top-selling cars in North America for good reason.
The Civic has a classy and elegant exterior design for the sedans and an aggressive, sporty design for the hatchback models. If efficiency is your priority, a Civic with the 158 horsepower, 2.0-liter engine will get you between 30-38 miles-per-gallon. If you prefer thrilling performance, it doesn’t get much better than the Civic Type-R hatchback.
This model only gets between 22 to 27 miles per gallon, but the horsepower is significantly ramped up to 305 horses. This hot hatch can get you up to 60 miles per hour in just 5.15 seconds. It can take a quarter-mile track in 13.2 seconds. The Type-R has a slick, modern appearance that is sure to please performance fans.
2. Mazda3 Sedan
The runner-up for the top three alternatives to the Accent is the Mazda3 sedan. This car starts at $20,650 with its top trim coming in at $32,600. It’s a small sedan like the Accent and has room for four or five. It’s not quite as efficient as the Accent with combined fuel-economy ratings between 28 miles-per-gallon and 30 miles-per-gallon depending on the model and the powertrain.
At the top end of the power, spectrum is a 2.5-liter Dynamic Pressure Turbo Engine. This power plant makes 250 horsepower and 186 pound-feet of torque. It hits 60 miles-per-hour at around 6.85 seconds.
The Mazda3 isn’t as economical as the Accent, but it does offer better performance and more posh interior. It has a well-equipped cabin with plenty of comfort and convenience features. The infotainment system and sound system are top notch here. A premium system with 12 speakers by Bose is available at the higher trim levels.
The interior materials and craftsmanship are of a higher quality than most vehicles at the Mazda3’s price point. If you have the extra money to spend and want something like the Accent but more upscale, the Mazda3 is the way to go. The exterior styling is elegant and like that of a luxury vehicle.
3. Kia Forte
The Kia Forte is another alternative to the Accent that’s more budget friendly. This is really one of the top reasons why buyers choose the Accent or the Forte. It starts at just $17,890 which is more than the Accent but a lot less than the Civic or Mazda3. The Forte is a small compact car with four doors and a sporty exterior design.
The front fascia and grille look particularly aggressive. The exterior shows more creativity in design than what is normally found in vehicles in this price range. The highest trim level comes in at only $23,390. As usual, there are many options that can greatly increase the overall prices.
The Forte seats four like most of the vehicles on our list. It’s really a great choice for those who need performance but who might not want to break the bank on a Honda Civic Type-R. It may not be track worthy, but the GT model can produce 201 horsepower from the 1.6-liter turbocharged engine.
That’s a lot of horses for the money and can get to 60 in just 6.7 seconds. The GT comes with either a 6-speed manual transmission or an automatic transmission with auto-manual shifting and a set of paddle shifters on the steering wheel. The top trim levels have a combined fuel economy rating of around 28 miles per gallon. The base model gets less power but bumps up the fuel economy rating to 31 miles-per-gallon.
More Options Comparable to Hyundai’s Accent
The compact car is as popular as ever. This is a stacked class of vehicles with plenty of good options to choose from. The remaining cars on this list, unlike the top three, are given here in no particular order.
4. Subaru Impreza
The Impreza, like the Accent, is a four-door compact with room for four. Unlike the Accent, the Impreza comes in both sedan and hatchback variations. It ranges in price between $19,700 and $26,820 depending on the trim level. The body styling is conservative so that the Impreza never really stands out on the road.
Its 4-cyllinder engine produces 152 horsepower and 145 pound-feet of torque. It takes 9.2 seconds to reach 60 miles-per-hour. The most efficient model will get you 36 miles-per-gallon on the highway and 28 miles-per-gallon in the city.
5. Toyota Corolla
The Corolla is one of the top-selling cars in this class. It’s a small four-door with a simple design and seating for up to five. It has an excellent reputation for reliability and longevity. The Corolla starts at around $20,000 with the top trim level coming in at $28,310. Toyota provides a ton of options, so these prices can quickly escalate with a fully-loaded car.
The top available engine is a 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder that produces 169 horsepower. That should get you to 60 miles-per-hour in just under 8 seconds. This engine gets between 30 to 36 miles-per-gallon depending on the driving conditions.
6. Hyundai Elantra
The Accent isn’t Hyundai’s only compact car on this list. There’s also the Elantra. Like the Accent, it’s a four-door sedan that seats four or five. The difference is that the Elantra is a bit bigger and provides for more interior room and comfort. It also sports a more upscale, stylish exterior design. The most powerful engine provides 201 horsepower and can go from 0 to 60 miles-per-hour in 7.3 seconds.
It’s also fuel efficient getting up to 43 miles-per-gallon during highway commutes. Like the Accent, this is an affordable car that starts at just $19,650, with the highest trim starting at $25,450.
7. Hyundai Veloster
The Veloster is yet another Hyundai. It’s once again a compact car, but the Veloster is a little different. It comes with one of the more aggressive, sporty designs of any car on this list. It can still seat four, but the backseat area is pretty small. The base model is a 3-door hatch that comes in at around $18,900. There’s also a high-performance model that starts at $32,250. The regular model offers 201 horsepower while the high-performance model bumps this up to 275. They get 34 or 28 miles-per-gallon on the highway, respectively.
8. Volkswagen Jetta
The Volkswagen Jetta is a compact sedan with ample room for five passengers. It has a basic, but attractive exterior design. The interior is rather nice and upscale with interior ambient lighting and an available panoramic sunroof. The base model starts at $18,995 and the SEL Premium trim starts at $28,045.
The top trim is a great value for the cost with features such as leather upholstery and an 8-inch touchscreen for the infotainment system. The 1.4-liter turbocharged engine makes 147 horsepower and gets to 60 7.65 seconds. The Jetta can get up to 44 miles-per-gallon in combined driving.
9. Subaru WRX
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Subaru’s WRX is a compact car like the Accent, but with a much sportier design, especially in the front end. The bumper, fascia, headlamps and scooped hood give it an athletic look. It can comfortable seat five and costs between $27,495 and $32,095 depending on the trim level.
The WRX offers all-wheel drive, modest off-road performance and 268 horsepower with 258 pound-feet of torque. The WRX goes from 0 to 60 in an impressive 4.6 seconds. Fuel efficiency is not quite as impressive at just 27 miles-per-gallon on the highway.
10. Nissan Sentra
Nissan’s Sentra is a four-door sedan like the Accent, but it’s significantly larger. There’s more room for five passengers to ride comfortably and 14.3 cubic-feet of space in the trunk. The style is sporty and elegant with a black top contrasting with the body color. A Sentra will range in price between $19,460 and $21,800, making it fit right in with these compact cars when it comes to the cost.
If you need a little more space for a comparable price, the Sentra is a good option. The Sentra offers 146 horsepower and a 0 to 60 time of 8.75 seconds. It has a combined fuel economy rating of 33 miles per gallon.
11. Volkswagen Golf
The Volkswagen Golf is a compact four-door just like the Accent. Instead of a sedan, however, the Golf is a small hatchback with 53.7 cubic-feet of available cargo space in the back. It has a boxy exterior design that’s more about function than form, but it does have a nice and rugged appearance.
The Golf can seat up to five and has a starting cost of $23,195. The 1.4-liter Turbo Engine produces 147 horsepower and can get to 60 miles-per-hour in 5.6 seconds. It gets up to 39 miles per gallon on the highway.
12. Volkswagen GTI
The GTI is Volkswagen’s third entry on our list. It can seat four and comes in the hatchback body style. Like the Accent, it’s a small, compact car. What’s different is that this is a hot hatch that’s all about performance. The GTI has a simple but sporty design with lines that convey a sense of speed.
There are three trim levels with starting prices ranging from $28,695 to $36,945. The top-end GTI produces 228 horses and can get to 60 miles per hour in just 5.6 seconds. The most efficient model has a combined fuel-economy rating of 33 miles-per-gallon.
13. Honda Insight
Like the Accent, Honda’s Insight is a compact, five-seat sedan with four doors. Also like the Accent, this is a front-wheel drive vehicle. It’s design is similar to the Honda Civic sedan. This car has a starting price of $23,130 with the Touring model starting at $29,040.
This is a hybrid model that can really save owners at the gas pump with its combined fuel-economy rating of 52 miles-per-gallon when using gasoline and electric power. It produces 177 horses and gets up to 60 in 7.7 seconds.
14. Chevrolet Bolt
The Chevrolet Bolt is similar to the Accent in that it has four doors and is a compact car that seats four. The similarities really end there. This is a small EV hatchback that’s more comparable to the Honda Insight. It has a rear hatch and short rear end with an aggressive downward slant at the front.
The Bolt can get to 60 miles per hour in 6.5 seconds. The car has a range of 25 miles per hour of charging. A full charge gets you 259 miles. The available 240-volt charger makes home charging easy. It has an MSRP of $37,495.
15. Chevrolet Sonic
The Sonic is another compact hatchback from Chevrolet. It has an exterior design that’s similar to the Bolt. The Sonic has a turbocharged engine that produces 148 horsepower. It takes up to 7.8 seconds to reach highway speeds of 60 miles-per-hour. The Sonic can comfortably seat four and offers plenty of cargo space in the rear.
This car offers an average combined fuel-economy rating of 25 miles per gallon. The price range lies between $16,720 to $20,720, making it very comparable to Accent’s price range.
Final Thoughts
There’s no shortage of models to choose from if you’re looking for a compact car today. The Hyundai Accent is an excellent choice that offers great value. The Honda Civic offers a bit more for a higher cost, especially if performance is your thing. The Mazda3 and Kia Forte come in closely at numbers two and three. Any of the fifteen vehicles on this list would make a fine car depending on your specific needs, tastes and budget.