Compare the2023 Nissan VersaVS 2022 Hyundai Accent

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Environmental Friendliness
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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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 Versa SV/SR 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 Nissan Versa 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.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Versa has standard Rear Automatic Braking that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The Accent doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The Versa’s lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane. The Accent doesn’t offer a lane departure warning system.

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

The Versa SV/SR’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 Versa and the Accent have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, rearview cameras, available daytime running lights and blind spot warning systems.

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 Nissan Versa is safer than the Hyundai Accent:

	Versa	Accent
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	145	194
Chest Movement	1 inches	1.3 inches
Abdominal Force	216 lbs.	258 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	250	527
Spine Acceleration	32 G’s	84 G’s
Hip Force	461 lbs.	635 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	10 inches	12 inches
Spine Acceleration	29 G’s	35 G’s
Hip Force	481 lbs.	880 lbs.

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

Warranty

There are over 30 percent more Nissan dealers than there are Hyundai dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Versa’s warranty.

Reliability

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the Versa has a standard 120-amp alternator. The Accent’s 100-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Nissan vehicles are better in initial quality than Hyundai vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Nissan above average in initial quality. With 18 more problems per 100 vehicles, Hyundai is rated below average.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Nissan Versa higher (5 to 7 out of 10) than the Hyundai Accent (3). This means the Versa produces up to 24.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Accent every 15,000 miles.

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Versa has larger standard tires than the Accent (195/65R15 vs. 185/65R15).

The Versa has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Accent doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

Suspension and Handling

The Versa 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 Versa’s wheelbase is 1.5 inches longer than on the Accent (103.1 inches vs. 101.6 inches).

The Versa SR handles at .86 G’s, while the Accent SE pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

Passenger Space

The Versa has .6 inches more front headroom and 2.4 inches more front legroom than the Accent.

The front step up height for the Versa is 1.1 inches lower than the Accent (13.9” vs. 15”). The Versa’s rear step up height is .6 inches lower than the Accent’s (14.4” vs. 15”).

Cargo Capacity

The Versa has a larger trunk than the Accent (14.7 vs. 13.7 cubic feet).

Towing

The Versa Manual can be flat towed on all four wheels (dinghy towed), allowing recreational vehicle owners to bring it with them on the road. When they reach their destination, the Versa can be unhitched and driven around locally. The Accent can’t be towed flat on the ground.

Ergonomics

The Versa SV/SR’s standard wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The Accent’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The Versa 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 Versa detect other vehicles which could be blinded and automatically switch to low beams. The Accent doesn’t offer automatic dimming high beams.

The Versa’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.

To keep a safe, consistent following distance, the Versa SR has a standard Intelligent 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.

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

Economic Advantages

The Versa will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Versa will retain 44.29% to 46.42% of its original price after five years, while the Accent only retains 41.51% to 42.22%.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Versa is less expensive to operate than the Accent because it costs $273 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost less on the Versa than the Accent, including $23 less for a water pump, $62 less for fuel injection and $16 less for a timing belt/chain.

Recommendations

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Versa first among small cars in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Accent isn’t in the top three.

The Nissan Versa outsold the Hyundai Accent by over three to one during 2021.