I was debating between an 08 Accent hatchback and an 09 Honda Fit. I went with the Accent since it was almost half the price and was still fun to drive.



I do, of course, want to stand out a bit. I am in professional sales so I have to remain somewhat professional appearance.

My question is, if you were just starting out - what would you do in both appearance and tuning?

I am not going to be racing, but a any tips to get a little more HP and better Gas Mileage are always appealing :-)

 

The first thing I would do is lower the car and tint the windows.



Then I would install a cold air intake and a better muffler.

 

Good suggestions. The guy I bought the car from already put a cold air intake. I definitely see tint in the near future but I live in an area where lowered vehicle often scrape due to poor roadways...



What advantage would changing the muffler give?



Also, is it normal on these cars to be pushing 3500 RPM @ 70MPH in 5th gear? Seems like it should be geared a little better for fuel efficiency.

 

Check out this Exhaust Write Up that goes into detail about the exhaust system.



http://www.hyundaiaf...__1#entry156412

 

New set of rim and tires will help in both appearance and performance.

 

+1 to the rims and tires.



what model accent? is it the sport with the factory 16" wheels?

 

Put in a lightweight battery.

I found a strut tower brace for $23 brand new last summer.

They need better tires so the front brakes don't lock up so easy.

I put factory fogs on mine with 35w HIDs. Wired them up so they are only on with the hi beams.

 

Interesting information...wondering how funny it would be to have headers and "grumbling" exhaust system on a little hatchback :-)





Been checking out tirerack - haven't really seen anything that stands out. Good news is that it does have decent tires from the previous owner (touring tires - typically do a bit better on gas mileage)





This is the hatchback model (2008) - base model no power nothing - not even the mirrors. Was just looking for something basic as an around town commuter as I put a LOT of miles (about 3k-4k a month) on vehicle. It has 14" wheels.





The battery in it is pretty small - my lawnmower battery probably weighs more than this one does.

Do you find that strut tower brace helps any with suspension? I ask because the car handles pretty good as it is..also - does it fit easily without having to modify hood? Seems a bit tight in the engine compartment

Is locking brakes a problem you have seen? I have only had mine for a few days so I haven't seen any issues with brakes (although I do plan on getting new wheels and tires (mostly for looks and more road contact for less noise)





Anyone else? What about the RPMs - is anyone else seeing 3500 RPM @70MPH in 5th?

What about those "electrical kits" you see on ebay - do they work?

 

The strut tower brace fit easily and perfectly. But I would get a rear sway bar or bigger one for the front to really improve the handling. That and better struts. It was just so cheap I couldn't turn it down.



The battery could be much smaller that what Mine came with, don't know what you have but 10-12 lbs battery would be good enough.



If I slam on the brakes the fronts will lock up and my cheesy tires just slide, don't know how much braking force is coming from the back. It's not a problem of brakes, it's a tire grip problem. I'm currently running P185/60R-15 Kumho Solus KR21 but I should get a lot better tire. I have winter tires for it anyway.