I'd have nominated the Mark II Focus myself, if it was available in the US. As it was, I didn't think many of the US members could relate.
As for the Accent... I'm torn on whether it's a compact or a subcompact. It certainly meets compact criteria from about five years ago, but is on the small side compared to modern compacts. The steering and suspension aren't all that good (they're not bad, though), but the chassis stiffness is exceptional.
That fuel economy is simply outrageous, though. I'm seeing real-world claims of between 45 - 58 mpg (US mpg, mixed use), while one local magazine has claimed to hit 89 mpg in highway testing. This is still unverified, though. Pretty good for any car that'll hit 100 km/h in eight and a half seconds.
