2024 Hyundai Venue vs 2025 Honda Pilot

The 2024 Hyundai Venue was available in SE, SEL, and Limited trim levels, with prices ranging from $21,275 to $24,525, including the destination charge. The Venue SEL, priced at $23,275, was recommended for its enhanced exterior appearance and additional convenience and safety features. The Limited trim test vehicle, painted in Ecotronic Gray and equipped with carpeted floor mats, had an MSRP of $24,735. Despite limited options, the Venue's price rarely exceeded $25,000. The gray color lent a mature and subdued look to the hatchback, which was otherwise stylish and appealing for an affordable car. Inside, the Venue featured hard plastics but maintained a sense of style with seat stripes, piping, and white trim accents. The digital instrumentation and 8-inch touchscreen infotainment display were well-suited to the Venue, and the controls reflected Hyundai's quality in finishes and operation.

The 2025 Honda Pilot was offered in Sport, EX-L, TrailSport, Touring, Elite, and Black Edition trims. The Sport model was affordable but lacked appealing amenities, making the leather-lined EX-L a recommended upgrade. Prices ranged from $40,200 to $54,580, plus the destination charge. The Black Edition, evaluated in Southern California, featured black wheels, blacked-out trim, and black badges, with an MSRP of $55,975. Inside, black leather seats with red perforation accents, red stitching, and ambient lighting created a unique atmosphere. The Pilot's rugged design, introduced in 2023, was enhanced in the TrailSport trim for off-roading, while the Black Edition's custom look suited suburban environments. The interior featured thoughtful design and quality materials, though the digital displays appeared dated. Despite competitive technology, the cabin lacked a "wow factor" unless practical storage solutions were a priority.

The 2024 Hyundai Venue was equipped with a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine producing 121 horsepower and 113 pound-feet of torque. Weighing 2,612 pounds in base SE trim, the Venue's continuously variable transmission (CVT) maximized available power, making it suitable for city and suburban driving. Its small size, nimble handling, and excellent visibility were advantageous in urban environments. However, the Venue's suspension struggled on rough surfaces, resulting in a busy ride and structural shudders. On highways, the Venue maintained pace with traffic but sounded unpleasant under heavy acceleration. Lacking all-wheel drive, the Venue's power was directed to the front wheels, though its 6.7 inches of ground clearance allowed it to handle snow with winter tires. The Venue achieved an EPA rating of 31 mpg in combined driving, but our testing yielded 30.3 mpg.

The 2025 Honda Pilot featured a 3.5-liter V6 engine paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission, generating 285 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque. This allowed most Pilot models to tow up to 5,000 pounds. The Pilot offered multiple driving modes, including Normal, Econ, Snow, Tow, Sport, Trail, and Sand. Models with Honda's Intelligent Variable Torque Management (i-VTM4) AWD system provided hill descent control and up to 7.3 inches of ground clearance (8.3 inches for the TrailSport). The AWD system's torque vectoring allowed up to 70 percent of engine output to a single rear wheel (75 percent in the TrailSport). The V6 provided good acceleration, though the transmission occasionally felt slow to downshift. Fuel economy was unimpressive, with 17.8 mpg in city-heavy driving and 20 mpg on our evaluation loop, below the EPA rating of 21 mpg. The Pilot's handling was predictable, aided by the Black Edition's 20-inch wheels and tires. The compliant suspension was beneficial in typical driving, though an adaptive-damping system would improve the Elite and Black Edition models. The Pilot's off-road capability was confirmed in the TrailSport trim, though it was more suited for suburban environments.

The 2024 Hyundai Venue's increased ground clearance facilitated easier entry and exit from the front and back seats. Despite its small dimensions, the Venue offered decent comfort. The driver's seat featured a manual height adjuster, and the steering wheel had tilt-and-telescopic adjustment. Front seats included fabric inserts, artificial leather bolsters, and heated cushions. The back seat technically accommodated three people, but two would be more comfortable. Taller passengers might find the hard plastic front seatbacks uncomfortable. Rear-seat riders had USB ports but limited storage space and no air conditioning vents. The Venue lacked dark-tinted rear privacy glass, necessitating window shades for infants. In front, there was decent storage space, including a dashboard shelf. The trunk held 18.7 cubic feet of cargo, expandable to 31.9 cubic feet with the back seat folded.

The 2025 Honda Pilot excelled in form and function, with three rows of comfortable seats and thoughtful storage solutions. In the Black Edition's front row, the driver enjoyed a 10-way power seat adjustment, but the front passenger had only a four-way adjustment, lacking height and tilt options. Despite this, the front seats were comfortable and supportive, with heating and ventilation. The second-row seats were roomy but lacked leg support. The center section was removable, creating captain's chairs with a pass-through to the third row. Smartphone holders, drink box and cup holders, and rear side window shades were convenient for families. The third row was habitable for adults if the second row slid forward. The Pilot featured a remote engine starting system, triple-zone automatic climate control, heated second-row seats, and a panoramic sunroof. The hands-free power tailgate revealed 18.6 cubic feet of cargo space, expandable to 48.5 cubic feet with the third row folded and 86.5 cubic feet with both rear rows down.

The 2024 Hyundai Venue featured an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment display with modern graphics, logical menus, and simple operation. 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 upgraded system required wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, reducing the wireless charger's utility. Despite this, the Venue Limited's infotainment system was sophisticated, with an impressive native voice recognition system. Music streaming through Apple Music and Pandora was effortless, though the Venue deserved better stereo speakers for its youthful audience.

The 2025 Honda Pilot's technology appeared dated, with smaller, plainer display screens. However, the digital driver display and infotainment system offered desired features. The Black Edition had a 10.2-inch digital gauge panel and a 9-inch touchscreen infotainment system, including wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, SiriusXM satellite radio, text-messaging support, and wireless smartphone charging. The test vehicle also had a navigation system, HondaLink subscription services, Wi-Fi access, and a 12-speaker Bose audio system. Wireless CarPlay functioned inconsistently, and Honda's voice recognition system required multiple attempts for accurate responses. The Bose audio system was adequate but not exceptional. The wireless phone charging pad's design allowed devices to move and stop charging. The Pilot's CabinTalk feature enabled driver communication with passengers over the stereo speakers, and a small head-up display met basic technology expectations.

The 2024 Hyundai Venue came with Hyundai SmartSense, a suite 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 unavailable. The lane-departure warning and lane-keeping assist systems occasionally produced inaccurate alerts, and the forward-collision warning issued one incorrect warning. 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.

The 2025 Honda Pilot was equipped with Honda Sensing safety features, including forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, lane-centering assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and adaptive cruise control. The Black Edition test vehicle had parking sensors and a multi-view camera system with TrailWatch technology. The adaptive cruise control occasionally failed to respond appropriately in traffic, and the lane-centering assist system affected steering feel. The road sign recognition system often conveyed inaccurate data. The Pilot earned high marks in crash tests, with the IIHS naming it a Top Safety Pick+ and the NHTSA giving it an overall rating of five stars.