Hyundai Accent vs KIA Spectra comparison

On specialized automotive forums, they often ask the question - which budget car should be purchased as the first after the domestic car - Hyundai Accent or Kia Spectra? The huge popularity of these vehicles causes a significant number of answers, but most of them boil down to the statement that the cars are built on the same platform, so there is no significant difference between them. Is it really possible to put an equal sign between Hyundai Accent and KIA Spectra?

A quick glance

Honored workers

If you put the cars next to each other, their relationship becomes clearly visible - indeed, the KIA and Hyundai brands are part of the same concern. However, it will not be difficult to find the older one among the two "brothers" - the Spectra is distinguished by larger dimensions, as well as wheels with an increased diameter compared to the Accent. Otherwise, they are very similar - the same flowing lines, fashionable in the automotive design of the 90s, narrow radiator grilles and rounded headlights. But the KIA Spectra has a slightly more distinct trunk, while the Accent has it lowered down in the manner of liftbacks.

In comparing the Accent with the Spectra, one can neglect such a factor as ground clearance - for both cars it is almost equal. However, Hyundai can offer 10mm more ground clearance, despite the smaller wheel diameter - in combination with the short front overhang, this will allow hooligan jumping on small curbs and overcoming other urban bumps. But in visibility, the Accent is clearly inferior to the Spectra - its mirrors have a smaller area, and are also narrowed at the base. In conditions of dense city traffic, this can create a problem if you need to quickly change a row.

Is simplicity the key to reliability?

Like the exterior, car interiors are reminiscent of a bygone century. At the same time, the large Spectra looks archaic at all, despite the wider list of modern equipment. Huge deflectors remind of either Moskvich or second-hand "Europeans" of the 70s and 80s, which were massively imported into our country two decades earlier. The dashboard is completely tailored in the American manner - many small scales in the KIA Spectra, as well as the additional digitization of the speedometer in miles does not contribute to the quick perception of the necessary traffic information. Against this background, the covers for the airbag compartments, as well as the CD-radio, look like hello from the future - they somewhat dilute the KIA's interior, allowing it to become more presentable.

However, the car can be forgiven for the simplicity of its appearance for the incredible ease of landing. The low cushion is soft enough, and the Spectra's backrests are well profiled and can be customized to suit the individual needs of each driver. But all the advantages of such seats can be appreciated mainly by tall people - the possibility of raising the pillow is not provided. There is also a lot of space in the back - there is no need to spread your legs wide, trying to wrap them around the seat of the first row. The considerable width that the KIA Spectra possesses also allows three of us to sit in it without significant inconvenience, even on a long journey.

If we compare who is better in terms of convenience - Accent or Spectra, then the choice will be clearly not in favor of the former. Its seats are in many ways similar to the KIA counterpart, but the space in both the first and second rows is much less. Due to this, the reclining position seems to be a kind of mockery - a person's knees rest against the front panel or the back of the front seat, and he is forced to constantly change his body position, trying to rest from the continuous pressure that causes pain after a long time. The rear sofa of the Hyundai Accent is also notable for its crampedness - the width that is smaller than that of the KIA Spectra does not allow the three of us to sit here for a long time without feeling tight and cramped.

But the design of the front panel of the Accent is unexpectedly fresh - it is more reminiscent of the twenty-first century. Rectangular deflectors look quite strict, and the devices are devoid of inconvenient digitization in miles, as well as too large scale lines that distract from reading the necessary indicators. However, if you look closely, then the Hyundai Accent is not a style icon either - a frankly useless cassette recorder, as well as primitive rotating handles for controlling the microclimate in the cabin, are striking. The two-spoke steering wheel made of slippery plastic also looks poor enough - however, in general, the interior sets up a more vigorous mood than in the KIA Spectra.

On the road

A little about dynamics

If you set yourself the goal of finding out which is better, Accent or Spectrum, then in terms of dynamics, these machines will be on two opposite poles, bringing pleasure to people with different character traits. Let's start with Hyundai's "little brother" - its 1.5-liter engine nominally has 3 horsepower less than the Spectra. However, in practice, it turns out to be both faster and more convenient in traction control! Forget about the "oak" dampers of the gas pedal - before us again greetings from the past, but it no longer inspires melancholy, but makes childishly rejoice at every powerful acceleration, forgetting about the ecology and economy, for which the dampers were invented. Hyundai Accent overcomes the 100 km / h limit in just 10.5 seconds - an excellent indicator for budget and somewhat outdated vehicles!

However, we said a few words about economy for a reason - the car consumes even more fuel than the KIA Spectra, which has an additional 0.1 liters of displacement. Owners of Hyundai Accent with experience complain that the consumption in the city sometimes exceeds 10 liters and can reach 12-13, however, with a calm and measured ride, it can be kept within 8-9 liters. The most common gearbox is a five-speed manual with somewhat long lever strokes and no major problems at all. But the four-speed automatic has proven itself poorly - not only is it not reliable, it also greatly worsens the dynamics when the cabin is fully loaded.

In comparison, the KIA Spectra or Hyundai Accent, the larger car is expected to lose in dynamics, despite the power equal to 105 horsepower. The basic settings are to blame for this - they are rejected in the direction of comfort, and not incendiary dynamics, which distinguishes the Accent. So much the better - KIA Spectra with its soft starts, as well as slightly muffled responses to the gas pedal will certainly appeal to calm drivers, and will contribute to the maximum pacification of all passengers on the track. Gearboxes are completely similar to Hyundai Accent - the mechanics are characterized by an ideal balance of consumer qualities, but the automatic, in combination with a more high-torque engine, requires very frequent attention from service workers.

Running gear operation

It is characterized by an orientation towards comfort and the suspension of the KIA Spectra - it is quite soft, but it does not allow serious rolls even when the steering wheel is turned a large degree, as is the case with other cars. However, the car clearly does not like large irregularities - they are given by strong blows in the cabin and adversely affect the reliability of the chassis. The most important problem of KIA is the appearance of knocks and squeaks over time, which come both from under the bottom and from the bowels of the front panel. Experienced motorists say that it is very difficult to deal with this problem - even after the complete elimination of all sources of sounds, they reappear after a short time.

Hyundai Accent can be called quiet - even with intensive use, its parts remain in place and do not emit strong squeaks. However, the suspension can no longer be called comfortable - it allows tangible impacts to penetrate even on small bumps in the city. The advantage that can be obtained from this feature is precise and reliable control as well as excellent straight line stability of the machine.

What about reliability?

In general, the cars did not cause serious complaints, however, both Hyundai Accent and KIA Spectra were remembered by car service workers for a number of typical problems. Among them, you can specify:

• Rear suspension shock absorbers - with active driving, replacement is required after 30-40 thousand km.
• The control electronics and the automatic transmission clutch block fail unpredictably.
• The radiator of the main cooling system - with frequent use of the machine, it leaks after 60-70 thousand km.

In addition, in conditions of poor roads, experts recommend changing wheel bearings every 50 thousand km.

Of the specific problems, it is worth noting the quickly decaying plastic clips of the front panel and instruments on the KIA Spectra. They become the source of the noise mentioned earlier. On the Hyundai Accent, breakdowns of the manual transmission backstage are not uncommon with sharp jerks of the long-stroke lever.

Which of the brothers is better

There can be no unequivocal opinion about which car is better - Kia Spectra and Hyundai Accent differ in fundamentally different characters. However, Hyundai Accent with its compact dimensions and high-spirited engine can be recommended for those who rarely travel out of town. The KIA Spectra element can definitely be called the track and long journeys, in which it will provide the maximum possible comfort.