2023 Hyundai Venue Hatchback

　　

2023 Hyundai Venue Review

byChristian WardlawCorrespondent

　　Christian Wardlaw has worked in the automotive industry since 1994. He has written nearly 10,000 car-related articles and tested and reviewed more than 2,000 vehicles over the course of his career. Chris is a correspondent at zzdcar and was the first editor-in-chief of zzdcar.com in the 1990s. He has also contributed to Autotrader, CarGurus, J.D. Power, Kelley Blue Book, NADAguides, New York Daily News Autos and WardsAuto. His mom claims that his first word was “car,” and Chris believes that Miata is always the answer.

　　, rating written byChristian WardlawAssociate Manager, Vehicle Testing and Operations

　　Rex Tokeshi-Torres has worked in the automotive industry for over 17 years. Rex is a vehicle testing technician and photographer at zzdcar and is responsible for coordinating vehicle testing and logistics, organizing data, and capturing photos for the site and social media. He has written over 100 vehicle-related articles and has rated, tested and reviewed hundreds of vehicles over the course of his career. He has also contributed content to Autobytel, Autotrader, Automobile, the Associated Press and DSport along with various motorsport teams. His affinity with cars started because of Hot Wheels and his love of modifying cars. He occasionally drives Subarus.

　　When you're short on cash, you face a choice: Keep driving your old car and repairing it when it breaks down, or get a loan and take on payments for a new car that will likely give you trouble-free motoring for years. That's where the 2023 Hyundai Venue shines brightest, serving as an entry-level vehicle with a sense of style, some extra utility, modern technology and a long warranty. And now that the company has sent its Accent sedan off to that big automotive scrapyard in the sky, the Venue is the most affordable way to buy a new Hyundai.

　　Hyundai calls the 2023 Venue a crossover SUV, but it doesn't offer all-wheel drive or much in the way of extra ground clearance. Plus, it has barely enough power to accelerate out of its own way, so towing or carrying lots of cargo is ill-advised. However, the Venue offers plenty of value thanks to a generous list of features, excellent warranty and free scheduled maintenance program. Plus, like other Hyundai models, the Venue displays uncommon quality for the price.

　　There are other low-priced SUVs available, such as the Kia Soul, Nissan Kicks and Toyota C-HR, but the Venue deserves serious consideration in its segment. Check out our test team's Expert Rating for a detailed review of the Venue's performance, comfort and more.

　　zzdcar Expert Rating

　　Our VerdictThe zzdcar Vehicle Testing Team evaluates a fresh batch of vehicles every week, pairing objective assessments at our test track with real-world driving on city streets, freeways and winding roads. The data we gather results in our Expert Ratings. They’re based on 30-plus scores that cover every aspect of the automotive experience.

　　Average

　　7.4

　　out of 10

　　zzdcar TESTED

　　Rated for you by America's best test team.

　　

Performance

7.0/10

　　How does the Venue drive? From behind the wheel, the Venue is perfectly adequate across the board. You'll have no issue commuting, running errands, or taking a cruise to the beach or lake. Acceleration is about average for this class, which is not fast by most accounts. At our test track, the Venue needed 9.4 seconds to get up to 60 mph.

　　But it's good where it counts for a small city runabout, responding quickly right off the line, with its CVT automatic and easy brakes providing a pretty smooth driving experience overall. It's definitely not an athletic SUV, but its small size keeps it nimble and kind of fun to zip around corners.

　　

Comfort

7.0/10

　　How comfortable is the Venue? You might assume based on its small size and low cost of entry that the Venue lacks comfort. Thankfully that's not the case. It's far from a luxurious experience, but the Venue fares well even compared with some larger rivals in its class. The front seats have a nice balance of cushion and support. The rear bench cushion is a bit flat, but there's a good recline to the backrest. Ride comfort can be tricky to maintain in smaller vehicles, but the Venue won't beat you up even on longer trips.

　　The climate control is single-zone only, which makes sense given the Venue's size, and we found it sufficient for keeping the cabin cool. There is some wind and road noise at highway speeds, but it's nothing out of the ordinary for this class.

　　Continue reading zzdcar Expert Rating below