2023 Hyundai Venue

Hyundai's littlest SUV is the subcompact Venue. It's been around since 2020, and although it's not a top contender in this class, it still makes a strong case for itself by dint of its surprisingly spacious cabin, high level of standard features, fuel efficiency, and many standard safety aids. But a quick review of the Hyundai Venue's rivals will show why it doesn't finish higher up the pecking order of small crossovers; with the Volkswagen Taos and Kia Soul in the running, it was always going to be a tough job to compete, and adding insult to injury, the Venue has to compete with its own excellent Kona stablemate. Other negatives are that you can't get it with AWD, the ride is firm, and the powertrain struggles to get it up to speed. However, the Venue returns for 2023 with extra standard features to bolster its value offering while still managing to be a sub-$20k car in its base trim.

The Hyundai Venue's MSRP starts at $19,650 for the SE trim and the mid-range SEL will cost you $21,400. The top trim is the Limited, and it goes for $22,900. These prices exclude any extras and the $1,335 destination charge.

The Venue's powertrain has been set up to provide a swift response from rest, making it feel lively in city traffic, while its tiny size makes it a cinch to thread through narrow lanes. At low speeds, it's nippy and responsive, darting around the city with alacrity, with the only off note being struck by the ride quality that only just manages to absorb most road scars - it borders on being too stiff, though. The initial promise of lively performance wanes as speeds rise and its enthusiasm peters out. On the highway, it's out of its element, with very little passing power as the strained engine revs to provide its best - which isn't very much at all. Rather stick to the school run and downtown errands, because this is where the Venue is at its best.

The Venue mainly banks on value. All its main rivals are better, but most of them cost several thousand dollars more. Its toughest competitor is the Kia Soul, which is only around $1k more expensive and comes with a far more powerful 147-hp engine. The Venue has a hard time making a case for itself, but it does fight back with more standard driver assists than the Soul and better fuel economy. If the budget is tight and safety is important to you, the Venue might be right up your alley - as long as you stay citybound. But for this kind of money, the Soul is a better all-rounder.

We used to love the SEL, but its price is now uncomfortably close to those of the more accomplished competition, so the Venue makes more sense to us playing to its strengths - value and safety. Since the base S retails for under $20k and comes with most of the essential driver assists as standard, it occupies a niche that makes it logical to recommend - an advantage the more expensive trims lose. It looks smart enough with standard alloy wheels and it comes with a fully featured infotainment system, making it an able contender at its base price level. For more money, we'd rather go for a rival like the Soul.