[ByDesign]

INTRODUCTION



This car's been with our family since 2004. I've been through a lot with this car along with my family, and it's never let us down even once. 2004 was a time when we wanted to get our first sedan, and we were a bit unsure about diesel cars on the whole. I, being a sort of car enthusiast, read up about common rail diesel engines, and recommended we buy the Accent CRDi. I hadn't done my automotive engineering degree yet, and had no idea about the specificity of the engine, transmission etc. The car was booked, and as I recall, and as my old man tells me, we ended up paying a little over 7 lacs for it.

Since then, as the years went by, the car's more or less traveled everywhere in the city, doing its job obediently and efficiently. Service record's been good overall.

Maintenance was rather burdensome above 80,000 km, but my father never bothered about how much he paid, and usually just listened to the service center. We've been servicing this car at Samara Hyundai, GT Karnal Road ever since we got it. Apart from a couple of instances, the place has been consistent and satisfactory.

At about 1.10 Lac kms, we had to get an axle replaced for Rs 40,000, details are here: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techni...000-axles.html

Apart from that, the cars never failed us.

Here's the car at 135,364 kms (PS: That's my medium grey tank behind with the Love Cars Live Car sticker visible!)



The sky blue colors still good, a few bruises from its 7 year old stint with us.

EXTERIOR

I feel it is almost inevitable, living in a country as lovably crowded as ours to not have a few kisses on your car. Our car however, has been pretty fortunate throughout its life. No major accidents of bruises, just little scratches here and there.

Looks pretty ship shape



Front and rear bumper corners get kisses more often than other parts





The paint hasn't really faded, the sky color being a pretty light sober color anyway. The body line has been dented a little bit, remember bumping other cars, particularly a large mahindra pickup truck. The mistake was my driver's no doubt.

Body line





The lights haven't broken once. They did become very dim up front even on high beam after around 1 lac kms. The axles were replaced at around 1.1 lac kms. The details are in the post linked at the very top of this post. That particularly trip to the service station cost us around Rs. 42,000. This is where I got a bit shocked and tried convincing my father to let go of his car and get a new one. He hasn't paid heed to my advice though, he rather loves this car as it's never let him down.

Rear bumper edge



An interesting story goes a little something like this. There was some massive rainfall in Delhi last year and the majority of the city was flooded with traffic getting stopped for over 3 hours. I more or less just read about this in the paper and felt horrible inside. That night on the way back from office, my father, driver and I were stuck in one such jam. Just to sum things up, we left office at 6:30 pm and reached home at 1:30 am. This is usually a 45 minute route, or possibly an hour if there's traffic. 7 hours is not a joke. The whole ring road was choked because a whole stretch of ring road was under several feet of water. The traffic was bottle necked into a single lane and it was absolute chaos. People were all our of their cars, talking frantically to their families etc. One person even borrowed my cell as hers was dead. While the sea of water opened out in front of us, my driver said the car could do it. By the looks of it, water could flow right in through the front grill, and the exhaust would've been submerged too. Our car surged through the churning water, plowing on and on. We were totally holding our breaths inside. Meanwhile a numb nuts Qualis driver was overtaking from the left side and causing a wave to approach all the guys on our lane. I remember the water splashing against the doors as he drove by, and I shouted loudly at the guy. 20 feet later, there was thick light brown smoke bellowing out of the Qualis' bonnet, and the car had just stopped in the water, the occupants shocked. The accent just chugged along and reached the shallows and then out of this mess. I also remember kissing the dash when we made it out fine. I don't think even the fog lamps conked out! What a beauty!

The central locking died at about 90,000 kms, so we went back to manual central locking, with key entry.

The keyhole looks ancient now





Going into the car now,



INTERIORS

The A/C's weakened now. Though there's no under powering of the engine, it doesn't cool as well as it used to. Air flow is pretty slow even at speed 2. There's signs of wear inside the cabin, the floor mats have worn through and replaced by my fiat palio mats (since I got new ones for my palio). Plastic all around is still brilliant. Nothing broke or malfunctioned at all. All gauges and dials are fully functional 100%

Drivers POV




Seats are still comfortable, leg room's decent, the seat mechanisms are all in mint conditions, with even height and inclination adjustment possible at the drivers seat.

The insides





Seat adjustment control (manual)



Plastics have remained in top condition, with some wear on the finish and paint, especially on parts that experience frequent use.

The door handle



The pedals

[ByDesign]

UNDER THE HOOD



The engine's been an absolute gem throughout this car's life. Never have we felt the so called underpoweredness of this car. 3 cylinders in a 1.5L sedan does sound a bit odd, but all the while, we've got where we had to, without feeling slow.

Plus the engine doesn't feel heavy even with the AC on. However, with 5 people in the car, with a boot full of luggage, like while going to the airport, can feel a bit bogged down.

The belts were changed at around 80,000 kms and otherwise nothing major has even been changed or touched in the engine. It's nice and clean, but thats probably because its just come back from servicing! But still, on the whole, a wonderful engine!

Engine pics 1



Engine pics 2



Engine pics 3



Engine pics 4



Engine pics 5



Engine pics 6



The driver told me the max the car goes comfortably is around 140 kmph, which I think is decent, considering my old man and mother don't like high speeds. The car's traveled into the mountains and out of Delhi several times. Even in the mountains, the car's been wonderful.

FUEL EFFICIENCY

During the first few years, a consistent 17 kmpl was achievable with AC on 100%. Winters used to see 18 kmpl and above. The highway drives have given an output of 23 kmpl and above. Now, at 1.35 lac kms, we manage to get 15 kmpl consistently in the city with AC. I think this is rather commendable.

Vibrations are quite loud at idle, with not much noise isolation in the cabin. It's still pleasant for me to experience as I like diesel cars. The car purrs gently above 100 kmph in fifth gear. It's an absolute pleasure to drive on the highway at high speeds. The tires were changed at around 1 lac. The old ones were used right down to the marble smooth treadless condition! Again, I wasn't in the country to take over the care of the car, and my father usually does what he feels, when he feels with his car.

Shiny tires at 135,000 kms



To sum up, I've heard a lot of bad things about this car from all kinds of places, including Jeremy Clarkson, who called it the worst car in the world (I don't really like him anymore). I was watching Top Gear in the UK with my british friends when I was studying automotive engineering there, and remember pointing at the screen and saying "Hey! That's my car!" And immediately the next sentence, Clarkson calls it the worst car in the world. Well, its served us perfectly fine over the past 7 years. A new car is in the pipeline though. I'm trying to convince my father to look at the next segment. We've TD'd the cruze, but were unhappy with the rear leg room as it will primarily be a chauffeur driven car. The corolla altis diesel seems the next best option. We're totally cool with underpowered diesel cars, so the 1.4L option in the altis doesn't scare us at all!

Please ask any questions, I hope this write ups ok! Its been pending for a long time now. And it's taken me over an hour resizing the photos and writing all this.

Camera used for photos - Motorola Milestone 5MP phone camera.

[drpullockaran]

Your car has stood up well to the elements only because cars released earlier by the then start up company(Hyundai) were built solid to last long except for gremlins in the 3 cylinder crdi engine which were suspect after 80,000 km. You are very lucky on the engine front. Pathetic situation presently as regards build quality of nearly all manufacturers in their race to undercut others at the expense of quality.

Regular and prompt maintenance was another reason your car served you well. Congratulations to your DAD on that

[bluevolt]

Hi bydesign, you have compiled a very good report along with pictures. The car still looks good even after logging so many miles. I have driven my relative's accent CRDI once for around 120 KMs while going to Jind. It was noisy from outside but in the cabin you can cope with the noise. I really liked this car but was discontinued soon by Hyundai, Don't know why?

Try to get best value for your car as it is quite difficult to find accent CRDI's in second hand market. And for your next car I will strongly suggest you Skoda Laura MT. Best of luck.

[n.devdath]

That is one detailed and crisp review.

The Accent CRDi's engine was developed by DDC which also manufactures diesel engines for HEMM equipment and is a well known manufacturer.

I must commend your driver for having driven in Delhi/NCR for such a long time with so few scratches and no dents and dings at all. He deserves a raise.


In case you want to replace this car, like you said, going by your requirements, the Altis Diesel fits you to a "T".

Good Choice.

[ByDesign]

Originally Posted by n.devdath

That is one detailed and crisp review.

The Accent CRDi's engine was developed by DDC which also manufactures diesel engines for HEMM equipment and is a well known manufacturer.

I must commend your driver for having driven in Delhi/NCR for such a long time with so few scratches and no dents and dings at all. He deserves a raise.


In case you want to replace this car, like you said, going by your requirements, the Altis Diesel fits you to a "T".

Good Choice.

Yeah, our driver's been with us for around 8 years now. He's very trusted, like family, and is generally good on the roads. He never abuses the car in any way. My father is sort of fixated on the Chevy Optra magnum 2.0L diesel. He likes the rear space, and the AC was comfortable. That's more or less his whole assessment of the car!

EDIT: Thanks for the thumbs up guys! Much appreciated.

[ishlinea7260]

Chevy optra is a real nice car.121 bhp with oodles of torque and space.its a steal at the price
Save fir the pathetic resale value , but since you are going to use your car for an extended period
Of time that shouldn't bother you. Anyways great review of the Hyundai

[IQBAL VEERJI]

We too had CRDI of 2004 , we used it for 71000kms , then got so much fed up that my brother one day told me to sell it off TODAY ITSELF.
We sold it off for 2,45000/- with turbo not working, smokey exhaust, Deisel leaking from FIP, Central locking one door not working.
This inspite of maintaining with those customer fleecers service centre SHRINATH HYUNDAI. at Andheri.

[anjan_c2007]

ByDesign: was impressed to read about your 2004 Accent CRDi. Recently I did a long run on an old Accent CRDi (may have been a 2003/4 model) and was impressed by the car's performance. The AC was effective enough to cool down the car with five passengers on a hot summer day. The engine is very responsive for highway overtaking and continuous cruising at stable speeds of 70-80 kmph.It offered enough comfort for a car of its class.
The bad fact is that I always read bad reviews about this car and its 3 cylinder CRDi (one of the first common rails in India) engine. There are many armchair automobile commentators who lack experience of this car's long term reliability and frugal habits.
I have one point that disproves all Accent CRDi baiters-just check out the second hand prices of 5 year or older Accent CRDi's.The car commands respectable resale values.Any car that is a lemon depreciates (there are numerous other factors too for depreciation) in the second hand car market due to lack of demand.
I like the car and was just about to buy one once!

[ByDesign]

Originally Posted by ishlinea7260

Chevy optra is a real nice car.121 bhp with oodles of torque and space.its a steal at the price
Save fir the pathetic resale value , but since you are going to use your car for an extended period
Of time that shouldn't bother you. Anyways great review of the Hyundai

I know right? That 2.0L engine is nice and big. Looks like there's still something American about that chevvy! We don't really care about resale value (I own a Palio) so that shouldn't really be a problem. Plus the very top model of the Optra Magnum comes with ABS, dual air bags, alloys (nice ones), climate control (auto), chrome finish, leather interiors. All this works out to 10.4 L on road, which I think is pretty darn decent. Will follow up on the buying prospects. Thanks for the compliment also

Originally Posted by IQBAL VEERJI

We too had CRDI of 2004 , we used it for 71000kms , then got so much fed up that my brother one day told me to sell it off TODAY ITSELF.
We sold it off for 2,45000/- with turbo not working, smokey exhaust, Deisel leaking from FIP, Central locking one door not working.
This inspite of maintaining with those customer fleecers service centre SHRINATH HYUNDAI. at Andheri.

Thats quite amazing to sell this car for 2.5L almost, with a faulty turbo and smokey exhaust, not to mention those other problems. Looks like you've given me a sort of price to work with. Thanks for posting.

Originally Posted by anjan_c2007

ByDesign: was impressed to read about your 2004 Accent CRDi. Recently I did a long run on an old Accent CRDi (may have been a 2003/4 model) and was impressed by the car's performance. The AC was effective enough to cool down the car with five passengers on a hot summer day. The engine is very responsive for highway overtaking and continuous cruising at stable speeds of 70-80 kmph.It offered enough comfort for a car of its class.
The bad fact is that I always read bad reviews about this car and its 3 cylinder CRDi (one of the first common rails in India) engine. There are many armchair automobile commentators who lack experience of this car's long term reliability and frugal habits.
I have one point that disproves all Accent CRDi baiters-just check out the second hand prices of 5 year or older Accent CRDi's.The car commands respectable resale values.Any car that is a lemon depreciates (there are numerous other factors too for depreciation) in the second hand car market due to lack of demand.
I like the car and was just about to buy one once!

It is quite a work horse. And yes, the resale value does speak well about the car as well. Thanks for posting.

[Lukeskywalker]

Lovely writeup covering every part of a beautiful car, my belief about an accent being a trouble free car is now reinforced.
did you have to change any suspension part in all these years? what about tyre changes?

[GTO]

Excellent review, thank you for sharing.

The Accent was the first sub-10 lakh rupee car to have common-rail-direct-injection diesel power. At that time, IIRC, the only other manufacturer offering a CRDi engine was Mercedes Benz (E220 CDI). This engine gave the Accent stonking performance for its time and was the pick over the neutral 1.5L petrol. Not the most refined, but super pep and fuel efficiency. I must comment that you've maintained your car rather well for the kind of running she has been through. The Accent had built a reputation for staying "rattle-free". And the interiors were a step ahead of even the more expensive OHC.

[prince_pervez]

I simply love this car. Both the petrol,CRDI, VIVA,1.6 DOHC with ABS, any variant. It is amply clear that you love it too. Very honest review and may your car serve you well many more years to come. Did you remove the seat covers or haven't used them at all ? Man, and look at that engine bay. Looks new.

[Fordmanchau]

Hey BD, wonderful write up with very crisp pics in support.
Nice to know that your Accent has served your family well.
Just read through that "axle change story" and going by other member's post on that thread, it looks like all the HSC are into duping.
Glad that your Accent has been so troublefree for all these years.
All the best for your new purchase.

[anoopash]

Avery comprehensive write up , enjoyed reading your post.
My friend's 2005 Accent CRDi under went a turbo replacement at 80000 odd kilometers , compared to that your Accent is in a very good condition and really fortunate to have a problem free engine

Originally Posted by ByDesign

UNDER THE HOOD
The tires were changed at around 1 lac. The old ones were used right down to the marble smooth treadless condition! Again, I wasn't in the country to take over the care of the car, and my father usually does what he feels, when he feels with his car.

Are you sure that was your first change from stock tires in 1 lac Km , can a tire last that long ? I have seen one of my friend who used his stock tires for almost 60K Km and the condition of the tires were very bad I almost could see the iron mesh coming out of the rubber.