5 Thoughts About the 2024 Hyundai Venue
Author:
Matt Degen.
Call me odd, but there’s something I love about a cheap, good car. The kind of vehicle that humbly yet reliably gets you where you need to go with no drama and even less pretense. The kind of car that’s a snap to get into and drive, easy on the wallet, yet practical enough for daily duties. A car like the Hyundai Venue. The Venue is so inexpensive yet practical that you almost feel you’re getting away with something by owning it. Let me explain.
You’re probably familiar with Hyundai SUVs like the big-daddy Palisade or the Santa Fe, which just underwent a bold revamp. Or maybe the Tucson or its little brother, the Kona. Then there’s the even smaller Venue, which, besides being Hyundai’s smallest SUV, is its least-expensive vehicle now that the Accent is gone. The 2024 Hyundai Venue starts at just $21,275, including destination costs. If you haven’t shopped for a car in a while, here’s a gut check: The average new car price is over $48,500. Ouch. So, yeah, you can get a brand-new Hyundai SUV for around 21 grand, bringing with it modern tech and safety features and that delicious 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty. And yes, I just described a warranty as “delicious.” It’s 10 years or 100,000 miles for the important parts, folks! Do you know how much can happen over that time and distance?
The Hyundai Venue debuted for the
2020 model year. It’s one of my Rodney Dangerfield cars because the poor little thing gets no respect, selling 28,009 units in 2023. Compare that to its cousin/rival, the Kia Soul, which saw 61,263 units roll off the lot last year. Meanwhile, the Nissan Kicks sold 66,823 units. So, is the Venue bad? I can confidently say no after driving one for a week and a half; it’s quite good and possibly better than you think, depending on your needs. It exceeded my expectations in many ways. Here are my five big takeaways on this subcompact SUV.
1. It’s Inexpensive to Buy and Own
I’ve already noted the Venue’s starting price, but even the loaded Limited model I tested was a surprisingly good value. It has a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of $24,525, including a destination fee of $1,375, and comes with unexpected amenities. However, the Venue’s purchase price is only one part of its value equation. It’s also super cheap to own and operate. According to the experts at Kelley Blue Book, the Hyundai Venue ranks No. 1 among SUVs in its 5-Year Cost to Own Awards. Over that period, the Venue’s 5-Year Cost to Own figure is $31,686 — including the purchase price.
2. It’s Better Equipped Than You Might Think
If you spring for the Limited trim – and at this price, why not? – you get heated front seats, an 8-inch touchscreen with built-in navigation, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keeping assist, a wireless phone charger, automatic climate control, LED headlights, and heated side mirrors. That’s a lot of stuff. The mid-trim SEL model at $23,275 could be even more enticing for some. It has no heated seats or built-in navigation, but you get a sunroof and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
3. It’s Not As Underpowered As I Expected
All Hyundai Venue models use a 1.6-liter 4-cylinder engine that makes 121 horsepower. The Venue is front-wheel drive only – like the current Kicks and Soul, all-wheel drive (AWD) isn’t available – and a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) is your only option (well, except for a 6-speed manual that was available for just the model’s first year in 2020). I know, I know, 121 hp, right? That’s not a lot, but the Venue is not a lot of car. The thing weighs between 2,612 and 2,738 pounds. At its lowest weight, the Venue is just 271 pounds heavier than a Mazda MX-5 Miata, and you can carry five people in a Venue — at least in theory. The Venue did just fine, even on longer freeway jaunts. Switching it into Sport mode gave the Venue more verve than you would believe. It almost felt peppy after turning that dial.
4. Good Safety and Sound
The Venue has some good active safety features, including automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection (and cyclist detection in the Limited trim), plus a lane-keeping assist system that I found a tad too little, well, assisting. Blind-spot monitoring is also on all except the base trim, and a driver attention warning system is standard. I would have loved adaptive cruise control in the Venue like it is available in the Soul and Kicks, but I managed multiple freeway treks using standard cruise control. One pleasant surprise was the Venue’s audio system. It not only played the FLAC lossless audio files I had on a USB stick, but it sounded better than it had any right to at this price.
5. For Better or Worse, It’s Small
Remember how I said I like cheap cars? I like small ones, too, as they usually fit my needs. My wife and I don’t have kids to cart around, and if you do, the Venue probably isn’t for you. Rumor has it that children only continue to grow. The Venue is beyond tidy and is an absolute snap to park. Here again, let’s reference the Mazda Miata. At 159.1 inches, the Venue SUV is 5 inches longer than the tiny roadster. Thankfully, the Venue has more cargo room, though it isn’t great even by subcompact SUV standards. The Venue has 18.7 cubic feet behind the rear seats and 31.9 with them folded. Compare that to the Kia Soul’s 24.2/62.1 figures.
The Wrap
The Venue is a better SUV than expected and is inexpensive to own and operate. I didn’t even mention its fuel economy of 31 mpg combined. Yet for all its hidden strengths, I can also understand why the Venue doesn’t have the sales or appeal of its Kia cousin. The Soul is also cheap — starting at $21,565, or just $290 more than the Venue — and offers more trims with better tech and more advanced driver assistance systems. The Soul is also more powerful and has more cargo space and a roomier back seat. And then there are the looks. I dig the little Venue. To my eye, it’s modest, if not a little gawky — humility on wheels. I mean, I dare you to have an ego driving this thing. A Santa Fe it’s not, nor is it even a Soul. The Kia Soul does have a soulful vehicular attitude if you will. But the Venue, well, this little guy has heart. Related:
2024 Hyundai Venue: Choosing the Right Trim.
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