Hyundai Accent 
Times sure do change. Long considered a cheap car made by cheap manufacturer, the Accent has become a respected subcompact made by a respected manufacturer. Its 1.6L four-cylinder engine generates 138 horsepower and 123 lbs.-ft. of torque, which is plenty for its class. This mill can be paired with an automatic or manual six-speed transmission. The Ford Fiesta, Honda Fit, Kia Rio and Nissan Versa are losing sleep. It comes as either a two-door hatchback or a sedan.
Pros
- Engine is sufficiently powerful
- Very good automatic transmission
- Elegant body shape
- Great dashboard
- Decent road holding
Cons
- The manual gearbox is a total turn-off
- The base trims are pretty bare-bones
- Soundproofing needs improvement
- Tires are nothing special
