A Perfectly Acceptable Driving Experience

Ride comfort could be better; the Venue’s ride is stiff, handicapped by its short wheelbase and relatively big 17-inch wheels. We imagine the SE model feels a little more compliant on its 15-inch wheels. Three elements save the Venue’s driving experience. First is the steering, which is light and direct and tracks well at highway speeds, so you don't have to make constant corrections. Second is the CVT, which provides smooth, shift-free acceleration. Third is maneuverability, which is quite remarkable. The Venue has a turning circle of 33.2 feet, a good foot or two tighter than most subcompact SUVs, so it’s easy to pull a U on narrow streets and zip in and out of parking spots.

Fun to drive? That’d be going too far, even for cheap-car devotees. The Venue has a light, tossable feel, although its eco-minded tires put a hard limit on how fast you can go through the curves. Our test gear showed just-OK skidpad grip of 0.80 g, and the Venue ambled around our figure-eight handling course in 28.2 seconds, the sort of time we expect from big pickup trucks and off-road-focused SUVs. While those bigger rigs are slowed by squishy-soft off-road tires and suspensions, it was the Venue’s lack of power that kept it from chalking up a better time. As for the handling characteristics, the Venue is set up for predictable understeer (if it can’t grip the turn, it’ll try to go straight ahead, at least until stability control cuts in) with lots of tire squeal to warn you of an impending loss of traction. Said tires also scrabble for purchase in hard braking, but the antilock system works overtime to compensate. We recorded a 60–0–mph stopping distance of 123 feet, which is respectable.

For This Price, What Else Are You Gonna Do?

Despite its thoroughly modest test scores, motoring around in the Venue reminded us of the old cliché about “cheap and cheerful” cars. With no geegaws to coddle us, we were left to recall that initial taste of freedom we got from our first cars. The Venue provides simple, stripped-down motoring, minus the bad stuff we choose not to remember like cantankerous clutches and wind-down windows.

Granted, $25,000 is a lot of money for a small, stripped-down SUV; for a car with this feature set, we’d expect a price tag closer to $20K. Surprisingly, there’s a lot of competition at this end of the market. The Chevrolet Trax starts at $23,495, and while you get fewer creature comforts at that price than the Venue, it does offer more space. Like the Venue, the Trax is front-wheel-drive only. Nissan’s new Kicks is arguably the nicest among super-cheap SUVs, and it does offer all-wheel drive, although that adds $1,500 to the Kicks’ $24,275 base price.

Or you could buy used. A budget of $20,000 would get you more space and stuff in the form of a previously enjoyed SUV, but it will lack one very valuable feature that comes standard in the Venue: the peace of mind that comes with a generous five-year/60,000-mile warranty. Unfortunately, Hyundai dropped its free maintenance program for 2026. That’s a shame; not only did it save budget buyers money, but it had the potential to shield them from dealer shenanigans.

Would we recommend the 2026 Hyundai Venue? Yes, we would. The Venue is still a good choice for your kid’s first car or for a family on a very tight budget. While lacking up-to-date features, the Venue is a maneuverable, easy-to-drive SUV that doesn’t feel as dire as its price tag suggests. It’s easy to criticize the Venue but not difficult to like it.

2026 Hyundai Venue SEL Specifications
BASE PRICE	$24,425
PRICE AS TESTED	$24,665
VEHICLE LAYOUT	Front-engine, FWD, 5-pass, 4-door internal combustion SUV
POWERTRAIN	1.6L port-injected DOHC 16-valve I-4
POWER	121 hp @ 6,300 rpm
TORQUE	113 lb-ft @ 4,500 rpm
TRANSMISSION	Continuously variable
CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST)	2,702 lb (60/40%)
WHEELBASE	99.2 in
LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT	159.1 x 69.7 x 61.6 in
TIRES	Nexen N'Priz AH8 205/55R17 91H M+S
EPA FUEL ECONOMY, CITY/HWY/COMBINED	29/33/31 mpg
EPA RANGE	369 mi
ON SALE	Now
MotorTrend Test Results
0-60 MPH	8.9 sec
QUARTER MILE	16.9 sec @ 82.3 mph
BRAKING, 60-0 MPH	123 ft
LATERAL ACCELERATION	0.80 g
FIGURE-EIGHT LAP	28.2 sec @ 0.59 g (avg)