Which Ugly Hatchback Looks Like A Better Deal? 2008 Hyundai Accent vs 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer

Beauty, it is said, is only skin-deep. That means ugliness is too, which is good news for these two cars. Let’s try to ignore their unattractive exteriors and see if they have any redeeming qualities beneath the skin.

Yesterday we looked a couple of fun green machines, and a few of you wanted a “Both” button. But there has to be a winner, and that winner, by a narrow margin, was the Saab 9-3 convertible. Sorry, air-cooled Volkswagen fans, but I think Friday is going to be a second-chance Showdown, so you’ll get another shot at it.

I think the Saab would be my choice as well. The Type 3 is just a little too primitive for me to deal with; it’s the kind of car I admire, but don’t actually want. The Saab would make a great weekend toy with a little work, without all the old-car hassle.

For today’s choices, we’re putting the “Shitbox” back in the Showdown. These things are ugly, rusty, beat to hell, and yet supposedly still run and drive just fine. And they’re both under our original $2,500 price cap. So let’s kick it old-school and check out a couple of absolute clunkers.

2008 Hyundai Accent – $1,950

Engine/drivetrain: 1.6-liter DOHC inline 4, four-speed automatic, FWD

Location: Chicago, IL

Odometer reading: 105,000 miles

Operational status: Runs and drives well

Despite all its recent moves upmarket, when I think of Hyundai, this is still the car I think about: the humble Accent hatchback. Hyundai doesn’t make these anymore, and nobody else really makes anything like it anymore either, at least not for US consumption. It’s not much to look at, even in good condition, but it’s an honest little car, built to a price and unashamed of it. Looking for style over substance? Look elsewhere.

This Accent is a one-owner car, with only 104,000 miles on its odometer. It’s powered by a 1.6-liter engine paired with a four-speed automatic. Yeah, I’d rather have a manual too, but at this price, you take what you can get. It’s in great mechanical shape, from the sounds of it, with lots of new parts, including brakes and tires, so it shouldn’t need anything right away. The tire-pressure monitor light is on, though, so I’d check with the shop that installed the tires and make sure they installed the sensors right.

I wish I could show you more of the interior, but this is the best view we get. It’s dirty inside, and there’s heavy wear on the radio buttons, and that’s about all I can tell you. The seller does say that both the heat and air conditioning work fine, so that’s something.

The seller, amusingly, says that this car “could use some TLC” on the outside. Let’s be honest: It’s trashed. It has damage all over, occasionally repaired with duct tape, including what I think is a big hole in the right side. The left front fender is either completely wadded-up and straightened back out, or it’s a mass of duct tape too; I can’t tell which. Nothing against the seller, of course, but I’m not sure I’d brag about this being a one-owner car.

2010 Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback GTS – $2,497

Engine/drivetrain: 2.4-liter DOHC inline 4, CVT automatic, FWD

Location: Farmington, MN

Odometer reading: 237,000 miles

Operational status: Runs and drives well

Now this is a car I didn’t remember at all. I’m familiar with this generation of Mitsubishi Lancer; I’ve even rented one, but I had forgotten the Sportback version even existed until I saw this ad. I know the previous generation Lancer came as a wagon, and they’re as rare as hen’s teeth, but this might be even rarer. It’s a shame this one is in such rough shape, actually; a nice clean Lancer Sportback might be quite a find.

It’s a GTS model, featuring a 2.4-liter four-cylinder with Mitsubishi’s MIVEC variable valve timing system. It sends 168 horsepower to the front wheels through a CVT automatic. I know a lot of you hate CVTs, and there is some question about their durability, but this one has made it to 237,000 miles, so someone did something right taking care of it. It’s being sold by a dealer, so any other information about its previous care is purely speculative. I should note that both the check engine and TPMS lights are on, in the name of full disclosure.

It’s pretty fancy inside for a Lancer, with leather seats and a bunch of power goodies. It looks like it’s in decent shape, but I don’t know how many of the power features still work. The ad is no help; it reads like AI or, at best, boilerplate. You’ll just have to push all the buttons and see which ones still do something.

Outside, it gets ugly. Not only are the hood and front bumper mismatched, likely as a result of a minor accident, but the tin worm has been snacking on this car. The bottom of the left front fender is completely rusted out, and I shudder to think of what’s lurking under those side skirts.

Unfortunately, these are about as cheap as running cars get these days. You can still find better deals, but you have to be in the right place at the right time to grab one. This is what you’re more likely to find. So take a good look at them, warts and all, and decide which one you’d rather take a chance on.