If you hammer any car it will without exception start having expensive problems. I would call a car that needed 5 new engines in 30,000 miles a crap car - except for one fact. The reason it was eating engines was because it had a rotary engine and (uneducated) people were revving them to the point of destruction (15k+) and then whining like a Renault wheel bearing when the poor thing detonated like a clinically depressed hand grenade.. if you are curious the car is the NSU RO80 - and some people have done 300k+ on the original engines for one simple reason - they were careful and mechanically sympathetic.
Heres a simple guide of DONTS.
1. On a cold start DONT rev the poor things nuts off - it has an automatic choke which works perfectly - turn the key and it will start. If it doesnt pump the accelerator three times and try the engine again. This is ESPECIALLY important for engines with hydraulic lifters or the abomination that is FIAT/Chrysler MultiAir. Ditto anything with a turbo.
2. Oddly enough this car, bar possibly the MVI, is not a formula 1 car - its torque band is not in the heady heights of 5/6000rpm - its between 2800-4000. Dont over-rev any engine, you will end up causing problems, not to mention bad fuel consumption.
3. Tyre pressures, DONT forget to check them - they have an effect on performance, and likely on peoples right boot. Low tyre pressures = strain on the entire drivetrain, not to mention the effect on safety.
4. Auto. DONT try and use the park position on the shift as an emergency brake - parts of your transmission will soon be found stuffed down rabbit holes and hanging from trees (or alternatively rattling around in the filters, slowly disintegrating).
5. Auto: With this transmission its probably best to use OD OFF in town driving, only letting the OD out of its cage on fast roads/freeway - that way you help a fragile component and stop the possibility of the engine bogging down in the wrong gear (which again adds to wear)- it might affect MPG a little.
6. MANUAL: DONT ride the clutch pedal. It is not, repeat NOT, a footrest. If you dont cook the clutch, you'll damage the clutch cable (my brother is famous for this) and you can bet the one time you'll break a clutch cable is on someone elses car (thanks again bro..)
7. Manual - If at first it doesnt go into gear DONT use brute force. Manual Accents are notorious for a rough shift between 1/2 - a trick is to slip the shifter across the neutral gate between first and second - especially when cold. Double declutching also helps.
8. DONT be rough with them. Any tool or mechanical/electronic device will last longer if it is looked after and cared for properly. It may sound strange but I am convinced these things have a personality - at the very least they react to your moods and actions. Neglect them and you can guarantee they'll wait until just before the doctors appointment or wedding you are late for not to start (note: if its *your* wedding, probably time to look for exorcists on craigslist..).
Last and not least - there is an old saying, a bad workman blames his tools. If you've done 300,000 miles in 3 years, replaced the oil with the bargain basement stuff on the routine of "when I can be bothered", not had the vehicle serviced regularly, not kept an eye on things like oil/coolant and pressures etc and you end up with a money pit - then to be blunt its your own lookout.
If on the other hand you've barely hit 50,000 miles in 8 years & maintainence has reached a level of zen perfection and its a money pit, then you've something to be upset about.
Finally, to be completely fair to the Accent and cars like them - they are not built to be motorway/freeway vehicles exclusively. They are designed as town cars with a mixture of driving. My old Renault Safrane positively loved motorway driving, it was its raison d'etre - the trouble was while it would do 35mpg+ on the motorway it'd barely manage 22mpg in town (stock) & 25mpg with a warm air intake.
The moral of the story - learn mechanical sympathy and your wallet will forever thank you.