2025 Hyundai Venue

Pros

• Packed with abundant features and great value for the price.
• Spacious and easy to enter and exit for its size.
• Intuitive and user-friendly control layout.

Cons

• The engine feels unrefined at higher speeds.
• The Venue is not available with all-wheel drive.
• The interior is cramped, even for a subcompact SUV.

How do people drive to the Venue? Overall, driving conditions at the Venue are more than good enough. You won’t have any trouble getting to the lake or beach, running chores, or getting to work. Most of the time, this class’s pace is at most average. It took the Venue 9.4 seconds to go from 0 to 60 mph on our test track.

But for a small city car, it does well in important ways. It does what you ask of it right away, and the ride is pretty smooth thanks to its soft brakes and continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). It’s not an athletic SUV, but its small size makes it easy to turn bends and fun to drive.

How cozy is the place? Since the place is small and charges little to get in, it might not be very comfortable. Thank goodness, this is not the case. The Venue does a great job, even when compared to bigger venues in the same class, but it’s by no means a high-end experience. The front seats have the right amount of support and padding. The backrest can be leaned back a fair amount, but the cushion in the back of the bench is mostly flat. In small cars, it can be hard to keep the ride comfortable, but the Venue will always be there for you, even on long trips.

A single-zone climate control system makes sense for the Venue’s size, and it worked well to keep the cabin cool. This is a normal class, even though there is a lot of wind and highway noise.

How is the inside? The Venue’s interior is useful, and even though it’s only a short way, it can hold more people than expected. If you are less than six feet tall, you should be able to find a seat in the front that works for you and a comfortable but not great seat in the back. It’s easy to get in and out through the squared-off doors.

The simplicity of the Venue makes it easy to use. The 8-inch monitor on the entertainment system is clear and easy to use. Every other button, control, and key is clearly marked and placed in a way that makes sense. The front and sides are clear, but it’s hard to see over your shoulder because of the big roof beams in the back. The built-in blind-spot warning system (SEL and Limited trims) definitely makes this problem less of a problem when changing lines.

How does the tech work? The technology at the Venue is easy to use and has just the right amount. The sound from the six speakers is surprisingly good. It’s clear and loud. You have to use a USB cable to connect your phone to the top-of-the-line Limited, but we like that the SE and SEL trims already have wireless access for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration. The Venue’s biggest flaw in this category is that it has many features that help the driver. Even though they’re common, some drivers might not like them because the tips they give are too sensitive. Keep in mind that the place does not offer an adaptive cruise if that is very important to you.

How are things with the storage? Because the building is small, there is only so much space. But it makes good use of the room that’s there. The 18.7 cubic feet of space behind the back seats (which turned into 31.9 cubic feet when folded) were enough for daily use.

A stable cargo cover and a movable load floor are some cool features of the cargo area. With a low loading height and a wide opening, the loading area is made to be easy to get to. There is much room in front of you to put your things. When it comes to child duty, the Venue’s car seat pinpoints are easy to find and are shown to everyone on the seatback. However, because there is little room for the back legs, it will be hard to fit a bigger rear-facing child safety seat.

How much fuel does it use? The EPA says that the Venue gets 31 mpg overall (29 mpg in the city and 32 mpg on the highway), which is a good number for a car in this class. But it was hard for us to do that when we were actually moving. Our 115-mile test trip, most of which was on the highway, got us an average of 29 mpg. The EPA’s figures are too high for a venue that moves around in the wild, but that could be because we need to keep up with California traffic.

Is the price of the place fair? Is this a good deal? Not at all. This is a great deal for us. It’s useful, and the building is well-made. Hyundai gives you a lot of nice things for a good price. Some cars have less technology and start at a certain price when the Venue is at its largest.

With a bumper-to-bumper warranty that lasts 5 years or 60,000 miles and an engine warranty that lasts 10 years or 100,000 miles, Hyundai has the best warranty in its class. All Hyundai cars now come with free scheduled maintenance for three years and 36,000 miles, as well as roadside help for five years with no mileage limits.

Is it fun to drive? Not at all. The Venue’s high usefulness is the main point of attention. The Venue also has a basic look that blends in with most other small SUVs. If you want something more unique, look at the Mazda CX-30 or the Soul or Seltos from Kia.

In our opinion, the SEL trim level is the best deal in the Venue family. The Venue is an improved and safer ride thanks to its 17-inch wheels, disc brakes at the rear, and rear-facing safety features that detect and avoid blind spots and cross-traffic.