Like the rest of Hyundai’s lineup, the Accent is a compelling product that’s priced right and comes with the features that consumers are gravitating towards in droves. But rather than being sold on price, or “just good enough” to make the cut, the Accent is a legitimate contender in the field, one that could arguably be the choice vehicle in a segment that will matter more and more as gas prices increase and personal fortunes decrease.

The strongest competition yet could be from Kia’s upcoming Rio – a car that shares most of its underpinnings with the 2012 Accent, but may end up retailing for just a bit less. Our only reservation about the Accent is the unfortunate connotations attached to the Accent nameplate. A Hyundai rep even admitted that the stigma was so strong, the company looked into changing the nameplate altogether, but ultimately decided against it. We hope that consumers can look past the car’s sordid history and vote with their pocketbooks. After all, it wasn’t long ago that the Elantra and Sonata were in the same boat.