by Anthony Fongaro - photos via Hyundai - 03/21/2022
When I first saw the Venue, I thought “I don’t get it.” I didn’t like the rear end and the overall shape. That’s changed. Starting at the front, you have a semi-clean design with square DRLs which look great. The Venue is deceptively small; something I found out parking it next to my 2016 VW Golf GTI. Since this is the top-of-the-line Venue, the Galactic Grey paint was complemented by a black roof and some snazzy 17-inch wheels. I think I didn’t like the sharp crease where the Venue logo is, and the lights still looked too big. Still, this looks like a good little crossover.
Enter the cabin, and you’ll see and feel quality that exceeds the $23,000 asking price. The steering wheel has your regular media controls, but the Venue can’t be had with adaptive cruise control. Although the dials are analog and there’s a small TFT display, the infotainment system makes up for that. It’s Hyundai's usual infotainment system that works well and has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. There are some physical buttons for the infotainment system, and below that are the climate controls. Oddly, there is a big digital dial next to the climate and fan speed, but it doesn’t move. The seats in black were supportive, but those in the back will not have a good time.
Handling may not be the Venue’s sweet spot but selecting Sport mode on the drive mode knob wakes up the Venue. This is great considering the lack of power and I used it when I was merging onto the highway and getting to highway speeds. Other than that, you just keep in Drive and let the CVT do its thing. I enjoyed that the CVT wasn’t too intrusive, but there were times when I needed more power so I utilized the manual mode. That seemed to wake up the Venue. When I traveled to Chicago, the Venue was definitely in its stride. Power doesn’t really matter in Chicago, so if you can get to 30 MPH, you’re fine.
Speaking of driving in Chicago, I felt perfectly safe in the Venue. There’s so much glass that you can see a lot, but the door mirrors could be a bit bigger. Not surprisingly, parking and maneuvering the Venue was a complete doddle. Even on the highway, the Venue was perfectly fine. I would have liked to have adaptive cruise control, but it wouldn’t be a deal-breaker for the Venue. The only thing I wished my Venue had was a sunroof to really let the dismal Chicago weather shine in. I can say that the heating and ventilation were good, but one person pointed out that the cabin took a little time to warm up. We couldn’t complain about the heated seats which heated the seats quickly.
So this is a small, inexpensive SUV, but how is the gas mileage? I averaged 32-MPG which is impressive considering I had the heater and heated seats on. Going off money, Venue starts at around $20,000 but you don’t want that one. This Limited model has almost everything that you’d want including those heated seats, upgraded 8-inch infotainment system, and the cool two-tone paint job. I like that the Venue shows that $23,000 can get you a well-equipped little crossover. This brings us to: should you take a look at the Venue?
There are a few situations where I think the Venue is a great bargain. Living in the city makes the most sense for a Venue since it is a small crossover. With the tall driving style and quick-enough acceleration, the Venue is also a great pick for a new driver or someone coming out of college. Although Hyundai makes the more interesting Kona, this Venue is made for the value-conscious. $23,000 can’t get you too much, but it can get you a loaded Hyundai Venue Limited. I’d recommend checking it out, especially if you have worse vehicles like the Ford EcoSport on your list. It may be inexpensive, but the Hyundai Venue isn’t cheap.
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