Compare the2023 Honda CivicVS 2022 Hyundai Accent

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Model Availability
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Honda Civic have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Hyundai Accent doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Civic are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Accent doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Honda Civic has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Accent doesn’t offer knee airbags.

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the Civic deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The Civic’s side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The Accent’s side airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Civic Touring/Sport Touring has a standard Low Speed Braking Control that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The Accent doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The Civic’s lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. The Accent doesn’t offer a lane departure warning system.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Civic Touring/Sport Touring’s standard Cross Traffic Monitor uses sensors in the rear to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. The Accent doesn’t offer a rear cross-path warning system.

The Civic’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Accent doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Civic and the Accent have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems and rear parking sensors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Honda Civic is safer than the Hyundai Accent:

	Civic	Accent
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Stress	241 lbs.	250 lbs.
Neck Compression	23 lbs.	40 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.4 inches
Neck Injury Risk	25%	56%
Neck Stress	189 lbs.	198 lbs.
Neck Compression	61 lbs.	93 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Honda Civic is safer than the Hyundai Accent:

	Civic	Accent
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Movement	.7 inches	1.3 inches
Hip Force	286 lbs.	310 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	268	527
Spine Acceleration	79 G’s	84 G’s
Hip Force	516 lbs.	635 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	12 inches	12 inches
Hip Force	805 lbs.	880 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Civic, with its five-star roll-over rating, is 1.8% less likely to roll over than the Accent, which received a four-star rating.

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, and daytime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Civic the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2023, a rating granted to only 53 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Accent last would have qualified as a “Top Safety Pick” in 2018.

Warranty

There are over 29 percent more Honda dealers than there are Hyundai dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Civic’s warranty.

Reliability

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Civic’s reliability 12 points higher than the Accent.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Honda vehicles are better in initial quality than Hyundai vehicles. With 2 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Honda higher than Hyundai.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Honda vehicles are more reliable than Hyundai vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Honda 8 places higher in reliability than Hyundai.

Engine

The Civic Sport’s standard 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 38 more horsepower (158 vs. 120) and 25 lbs.-ft. more torque (138 vs. 113) than the Accent’s 1.6 DOHC 4-cylinder. The Civic EX/EX-L/Touring’s standard 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 60 more horsepower (180 vs. 120) and 64 lbs.-ft. more torque (177 vs. 113) than the Accent’s 1.6 DOHC 4-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Civic EX 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder Auto gets better fuel mileage than the Accent (33 city/42 hwy vs. 33 city/41 hwy).

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Civic’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The Accent doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

The Civic has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Accent doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Honda Civic higher (6 to 7 out of 10) than the Hyundai Accent (3). This means the Civic produces up to 24.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Accent every 15,000 miles.

Brakes and Stopping

The Honda Civic has standard four-wheel disc brakes for better stopping power and improved directional control in poor weather. Rear drums are standard on the Accent. Drums can heat up and make stops longer, especially with antilock brakes that work much harder than conventional brakes.

The Civic stops shorter than the Accent:

	Civic	Accent
70 to 0 MPH	170 feet	173 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	114 feet	122 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Civic has larger standard tires than the Accent (215/50R17 vs. 185/65R15). The Civic Sport/Touring’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Accent (235/40R18 vs. 205/45R17).

The Civic EX/EX-L’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Accent’s standard 65 series tires. The Civic Sport/Touring’s tires have a lower 40 series profile than the Accent Limited’s 45 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Civic EX/EX-L has standard 17-inch wheels. Smaller 15-inch wheels are standard on the Accent. The Civic Sport/Touring’s 18-inch wheels are larger than the 17-inch wheels on the Accent Limited.

The Honda Civic’s wheels have 5 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Hyundai Accent only has 4 wheel lugs per wheel.

Suspension and Handling

For superior ride and handling, the Honda Civic has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Hyundai Accent has a rear torsion beam axle, with a semi-independent rear suspension.

The Civic has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Civic flat and controlled during cornering. The Accent’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

The Civic has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Accent doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Civic’s wheelbase is 6.1 inches longer than on the Accent (107.7 inches vs. 101.6 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Civic is 1.4 inches wider in the front and 2.3 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Accent.

The Civic Touring Sedan handles at .88 G’s, while the Accent Limited pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Civic Touring Sedan executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.3 seconds quicker than the Accent Limited (26.7 seconds @ .64 average G’s vs. 28 seconds @ .59 average G’s).

Chassis

To almost totally eliminate engine vibration in the passenger area, the Civic has a liquid-filled front engine mount. The liquid helps further dampen engine harshness. The Accent uses conventional solid rubber engine mounts.

Passenger Space

Because it has more passenger and cargo room, the EPA rates the Civic a Mid-size car, while the Accent is rated a Compact.

The Civic has 8.8 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Accent (99 vs. 90.2).

The Civic has .4 inches more front headroom, .2 inches more front legroom, 2.6 inches more front hip room, 2.8 inches more front shoulder room, 3.9 inches more rear legroom and 2.3 inches more rear shoulder room than the Accent.

Cargo Capacity

The Civic Sedan has a much larger trunk than the Accent (14.8 vs. 13.7 cubic feet).

Ergonomics

The Civic’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Accent has a lever-type parking brake that has to be strenuously raised to engage properly. It has to be lifted up more and a button depressed to release it.

The Civic’s front power windows open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Accent’s standard power window switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully. Only its driver’s window opens automatically.

On a hot day the Civic’s driver can lower all the windows from a distance with the keyless remote or at the outside door handle. The driver of the Accent can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Civic EX/EX-L’s standard wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers and the Civic Touring/Sport Touring’s standard wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield. The Accent’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The Civic’s LED headlights produce a whiter, brighter light (up to 3x) using five times less power than the Accent’s standard halogen headlights. LED lights also light instantly and last over twenty times longer than halogen.

Consumer Reports rated the Civic’s headlight performance “Good,” a higher rating than the Accent’s headlights, which were rated “Fair.”

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Civic’s headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Accent’s headlights are rated “Acceptable” to “Poor.”

The Civic has a standard automatic headlight on/off feature. When the ignition is on, the headlights automatically turn on at dusk and off after dawn. The Accent has an automatic headlight on/off feature standard only on the SEL/Limited.

While driving with high beams on, sensitive light sensors standard on the Civic detect other vehicles which could be blinded and automatically switch to low beams. The Accent doesn’t offer automatic dimming high beams.

The Civic’s optional rear view mirror has an automatic dimming feature. This mirror can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on it, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Accent doesn’t offer the luxury of an automatic dimming rear view mirror.

The Civic EX/EX-L/Touring/Sport Touring’s standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. The Accent doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.

To keep a safe, consistent following distance, the Civic has a standard Adaptive Cruise Control, which alters the speed of the vehicle without driver intervention. This allows the driver to use cruise control more safely without constantly having to disengage it when approaching slower traffic. The Accent doesn’t offer an adaptive cruise control.

The Civic Touring/Sport Touring’s standard GPS navigation system has a real-time traffic update feature that plots alternative routes to automatically bypass traffic problems. (Service not available in all areas.) The Accent’s available navigation system doesn’t offer real-time traffic updates.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Honda Civic Touring/Sport Touring has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Accent doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Model Availability

The Honda Civic comes in sedan and four door hatchback bodystyles; the Hyundai Accent isn’t available as a four door hatchback.

Economic Advantages

The Civic will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Civic will retain 47.45% to 51.94% of its original price after five years, while the Accent only retains 41.51% to 42.22%.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Honda Civic and the Hyundai Accent, based on reliability, safety and performance.

A group of representative automotive journalists from North America selected the Civic as the 2022 North American Car of the Year. The Accent has never been chosen.

The Honda Civic outsold the Hyundai Accent by almost 8 to one during 2022.