2024 Hyundai Venue vs 2023 Toyota Sienna

The 2023 Toyota Sienna aimed to redefine the minivan aesthetic, shedding its traditional image with a design reminiscent of a Japanese bullet train. Toyota offered a variety of trims, from the base LE to the luxurious Platinum, including a special 25th Anniversary Edition. The XLE trim was particularly appealing for families, featuring power-sliding doors and a power liftgate. Inside, the Sienna impressed with high-quality materials, such as brown leather upholstery and wood-grain accents in the Platinum trim. It accommodated seven or eight passengers, with the eight-seater option supporting three-across car seats in the middle row.

The 2024 Hyundai Venue, available in SE, SEL, and Limited trims, presented a stylish and affordable option for urban drivers. The Limited trim, with its Ecotronic Gray paint, offered a mature look. Despite its compact size, the Venue's interior featured appealing fabric inserts and heated front seats. The back seat, while technically for three, was more comfortable for two passengers. The Venue provided decent storage space and a useful dashboard shelf, with cargo capacity ranging from 18.7 to 31.9 cubic feet. However, it lacked rear air conditioning vents and privacy glass, which could be a concern for families with young children.

The 2023 Toyota Sienna featured a hybrid powertrain with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and electric motors, delivering 245 horsepower. While this setup was less powerful than some competitors, the Sienna's chassis and steering offered a surprisingly nimble and enjoyable driving experience. The minivan's light steering and tidy turning radius made it easy to maneuver in urban settings. However, the CVT and lackluster acceleration were less impressive, and the various drive modes offered limited benefits.

The 2024 Hyundai Venue came with a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine producing 121 horsepower. Weighing just 2,612 pounds, the Venue's CVT maximized its power for city driving, offering nimble handling and excellent visibility. However, the suspension struggled on rough roads, leading to a busy ride quality. On highways, the Venue maintained speed but sounded harsh under acceleration. With front-wheel drive and 6.7 inches of ground clearance, the Venue managed well in snowy conditions, but its fuel economy of 31 mpg combined was slightly disappointing.

The 2023 Toyota Sienna excelled in interior storage, with numerous cubbies and bins, including a large open cubby below the center console and a long dashboard shelf. Its minivan platform provided ample cargo space, with 33.5 cubic feet behind the third row and up to 101 cubic feet total. However, the middle row couldn't be removed or folded into the floor, limiting maximum cargo capacity. The second-row captain's chairs were highly functional, offering extending ottomans and sliding capabilities for added comfort.

The 2024 Hyundai Venue's higher ground clearance made entry and exit easier, and the front seats featured manual height adjustment and heated cushions. The back seat was better suited for two passengers, with limited storage and no air conditioning vents. The Venue offered decent front storage and a dashboard shelf, with cargo space ranging from 18.7 to 31.9 cubic feet. However, the lack of rear privacy glass could be a drawback for families with infants.

The 2023 Toyota Sienna's technology was reliable but outdated, featuring an older infotainment interface with physical buttons. It included standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, though both required a wired connection. The 9-inch touchscreen was adequate, and the 12-speaker JBL audio system delivered good sound quality. However, the interface felt clunky, and accessing Android Auto was cumbersome.

The 2024 Hyundai Venue boasted an 8-inch touchscreen with modern graphics and logical menus. Standard features included wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bluetooth, and a six-speaker sound system. The Limited trim added navigation, SiriusXM, and a wireless charger, though it required wired connections for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Despite this quirk, the Venue's infotainment system was sophisticated, with impressive voice recognition and seamless music streaming.

The 2023 Toyota Sienna impressed with its standard safety features, including automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, blind-spot monitoring, and adaptive cruise control. It earned a 5-star rating from the NHTSA and a Top Safety Pick+ designation from the IIHS for the 2022 model. While it lacked some gimmicky features found in competitors, its safety technology was robust and reliable.

The 2024 Hyundai Venue came with Hyundai SmartSense, offering forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, and lane-keep assist. The SEL trim added blind-spot monitoring, while the Limited trim included cyclist detection. However, adaptive cruise control and lane-centering assist were unavailable. The Venue received Good ratings in IIHS crash tests and a 4-star overall rating from the NHTSA, but its smaller size could be a concern in collisions with larger vehicles.