2024 Hyundai Venue vs 2023 Honda HR-V

The 2023 Honda HR-V underwent a significant styling transformation, shedding some of its previous quirky charm for a more sophisticated and modern appearance. The lowered beltline and simplified detailing contributed to a sleeker look, with cleaner lines and fewer interruptions. The windshield wipers were discreetly tucked under the hood's lip, and the black molding strips on the roof were removed. The test model, finished in Nordic Forest Pearl, showcased one of the two new color options. The HR-V's interior followed the refinement trend set by the 2022 Civic, featuring a metal honeycomb grille that concealed the vents, touch-sensitive lights, and a sculptural center console. The EX-L trim, which was tested, offered perforated leather seats, dual-zone climate control, and a power moonroof, creating a comfortable and upscale cabin experience.

The 2024 Hyundai Venue, available in SE, SEL, and Limited trims, presented a more mature and subdued appearance with its Ecotronic Gray paint. Despite its affordable price range, the Venue's design exuded genuine style. Inside, the Venue's interior featured hard plastics but managed to avoid looking cheap. The Limited trim offered digital instrumentation and an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment display, which was well-sized for the vehicle. The controls exhibited typical Hyundai quality, and the Venue's interior was thoughtfully designed with stylish details. The Venue's small size made it ideal for city driving, and its nimble handling and excellent visibility were appreciated in urban environments.

The 2023 Honda HR-V was equipped with a 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder engine, producing 158 horsepower and 138 pound-feet of torque, an improvement over the previous model. The continuously variable transmission (CVT) featured a Step-Shift function to mimic traditional automatic transmission sounds. The HR-V offered Normal, Snow, and ECON drive modes, with Sport mode available by pulling the shifter back. The vehicle's front and fully independent rear suspensions, along with widened tracks, contributed to a surprisingly fun driving experience, although it was not overpowered. The HR-V was available with front-wheel drive (FWD) or all-wheel drive (AWD), and updates to the cabin aimed to reduce noise, though it remained noticeable at higher speeds.

The 2024 Hyundai Venue featured a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine, delivering 121 horsepower and 113 pound-feet of torque. Weighing 2,612 pounds in base SE trim, the Venue's CVT maximized available power for city and suburban driving. The Venue's small size, nimble handling, and excellent visibility made it well-suited for urban environments. However, the suspension struggled on rough pavement, resulting in a busy ride quality. The Venue lacked AWD, with power directed to the front wheels, but offered 6.7 inches of ground clearance. The Venue achieved an EPA gas mileage rating of 31 mpg in combined driving, averaging 30.3 mpg during testing.

The 2023 Honda HR-V, a subcompact SUV, offered a comfortably sized interior with a well-thought-out design. The center console featured a shelf for drive mode controls, parking brake, and hill-descent control, with two USB ports for convenience. The HR-V's fastback design slightly reduced rear-seat headroom, measuring 39.4 inches in the front and 38.0 inches in the rear. Cargo space was 24.4 cubic feet with the rear seats up and 55.1 cubic feet with them folded. The HR-V's passenger volume varied by trim, with the EX-L offering 97.3 cubic feet. The rear seats provided a higher seating position for easier entry and egress, and the front seats offered improved legroom.

The 2024 Hyundai Venue's increased ground clearance made entry and exit easier. Despite its small dimensions, the Venue provided decent comfort, with manual height adjustment for the driver's seat and tilt-and-telescopic steering wheel adjustment. The front seats featured fabric inserts, artificial leather bolsters, and heated cushions. The back seat accommodated three passengers, though two would be more comfortable. Taller passengers might find the hard plastic front seatbacks uncomfortable. The Venue offered USB ports for rear-seat passengers but lacked air conditioning vents and dark-tinted rear privacy glass. Cargo space was 18.7 cubic feet with the rear seats up and 31.9 cubic feet with them folded.

The 2023 Honda HR-V featured a tablet-style touchscreen infotainment system, with power and volume controlled by a physical knob. The EX-L trim offered additional buttons for Home, Back, and Seek functions. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were standard across the lineup, with wireless versions available on the EX-L trim. The HR-V included a 7-inch digital gauge cluster and a 7-inch color touchscreen display, with the EX-L trim offering a 9-inch infotainment display and a Qi-compatible wireless charging pad. The 9-inch system featured programmable shortcuts and Smart Shortcuts for user preferences. Standard features included three USB-A ports, Bluetooth connectivity, and a four-speaker audio system, with upgrades available on higher trims.

The 2024 Hyundai Venue's 8-inch touchscreen infotainment display featured modern graphics and logical menu structures. Standard features included Bluetooth connectivity, wireless Apple CarPlay, wireless Android Auto, Bluelink connected services, and a six-speaker sound system. The Limited trim added a navigation system, SiriusXM satellite radio, a wireless smartphone charger, and Bluelink+. However, the Limited trim required wired connections for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, making the wireless charger less useful. Despite this quirk, the Venue Limited's infotainment system was sophisticated, with an impressive native voice recognition system. Music streaming through Apple Music and Pandora was seamless during testing.

The 2023 Honda HR-V came standard with the Honda Sensing suite of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), including adaptive cruise control, collision-mitigation braking, automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, road-departure mitigation, lane-departure warning, and forward-collision warning. Additional features included traffic-sign recognition, traffic jam assist, automatic high-beams, and a driver-attention monitor. The Sport and EX-L trims added a blind-spot information system, with EX-L also offering front and rear parking sensors and low-speed braking control. The 2023 HR-V had not yet been crash-tested by the NHTSA or IIHS, but the 2022 model received a five-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA.

The 2024 Hyundai Venue featured Hyundai SmartSense, a collection of driver assistance systems, including forward-collision warning with pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, a driver monitoring system, and a rear-seat reminder system. The Venue SEL added blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, and the Limited trim included cyclist detection. However, adaptive cruise control and lane-centering assist were not available. The Venue received Good ratings in three IIHS crash tests and an Acceptable rating for the Limited trim's LED headlights. The NHTSA awarded the Venue an overall rating of four stars.