Vitalis Jackson posted:

I believe Hyundai/Kia has made substantial changes in their business processes and model since those days. As anecdotal evidence, I bought a 2001 Hyundai Accent used in 2015 and drove it until just a couple of years ago. When I sold it, it had 315,000 miles on it and ran quite well. I did have to install a new transmission at around 190,000 miles, and I agree the component parts were quite light-duty and inexpensive--but it proved to be a durable vehicle. I might also add that I rarely saw another Accent of that year on the road, because it was a relatively new entrant into the U.S. market.

I current drive a 2012 Accent hatchback that gets from 37 to 41 mpg on the road, highway. It's great bang-for-the-buck at that price point.