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The 2021 Hyundai Venue
It is not often today that you find a “cheap car” with a lot of value. And Hyundai, which was once known as a disposable car brand has stepped up to provide what many drivers, especially urban drivers. The Hyundai Venue can be thought of as basic transportation, but we found out after a week of driving it is hardly basic, though it does fit in that under $25K segment because, well, it is cheap to buy, cheap to maintain, and cheap to operate, especially since it gets 30 to 33 miles per gallon.
What the Hyundai Venue is and is not
What it is, is a small station wagon-like car with room for four passengers, five in a pinch, and a small, but still, a generous amount of cargo space. Don’t expect all-wheel drive or any real performance options. The only real options are the model you choose, Each has its own specific set of features. Making it a simple choice. You want features or you want a basic Venue.
The Venue is an affordable small front-wheel-drive car that is a great grocery-getter, commuter car, and an excellent city car due to its small size and ease of parking. If you need to do errands, take friends to dinner or an event, carry some groceries, even a trip to the big box store, you can do it in the Venue.
Do not expect the Venue to be the cross-country luxury hauler, though you can indeed go long distances in it, don’t expect a lot of comforts, other than the basics. Comparing it to cars of decades past, it is amazing with its safety and road sensing technology.
Inside the Venue
While it is not spartan, it is not luxurious either, the fit and finish are just fine, seats are comfortable with room for four passengers in relative comfort. Though you will be close to each other. What you do not expect is the fact that there is a lot more passenger space and just enough cargo room, than you might think for its exterior size.
The car is a front-wheel drive, which means no transmission hump to take up extra interior space, which is good, especially if you are the one who gets a center 2nd-row seat, which may not be the best seat in the Venue. Though the car can seat up to five people and has 18.7 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seat in place and 31.9 when folded down.
You do not feel you are cooped up in a small car inside the Venue, as you might expect when you see it from the outside. Interior design is quite well done, using much of the same tech and switchgear as you find in other Hyundai products. Our model was the Denim Edition, so it featured fabric on the seats. If you have priced denim jeans, you know they are not cheap, so no wonder they used a similar style fabric, just not the denim you may be used to on your fancy jeans for the seats. One of my younger friends stated very clearly that is not jeans fabric. I had to explain the Levi’s Edition AMC products of the 1970s to him, which totally went over a 20-year-olds head.
Under the Hood
The 1.6 DPL, dual-port fuel injection, 4-cylinder double overhead cam 16-valve gasoline engine is small and it puts out 121 horsepower and 113-foot pounds of torque mated to a CVT continuously variable transmission that powers the front wheels. Which honestly was just fine in all driving conditions that I experienced in my week of driving this car.
Driving Impressions
Driving the Hyundai Venue on the highway, city and suburban streets, and country roads, I was impressed with the handling and overall power and performance of this small people mover. It is a perfect urban city car, small enough to park in tight spaces, and with plenty of room for a small family, or for someone who just needs basic transportation. This car would be great for a senior who is looking for simple transportation and does not need a big car, as it is easy to get in and out of. Similarly, for a young family just starting out without a lot of money, it carries everything you need including the baby seat.
Overall
I was not thinking I would like this car, but indeed I did. For what it is and its $23,390 price tag including delivery, it is a great little runabout. Would I buy one, if I needed such a car, I would seriously consider it, especially with Hyundai’s five-year 60K mile warranty and their 100K mile powertrain warranty. This would be a great vehicle for someone who does not need a lot nor really is that into their cars. Hyundai makes a great car, and this one is no exception.
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