2024 Toyota Land Cruiser vs 2024 Hyundai Venue

The 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser presented a classic yet modern aesthetic, with its boxy design and flat roof reminiscent of its iconic predecessors. Each trim level featured unique elements that paid homage to past models, such as the heritage grille and distinctive headlight designs. The use of LED lighting throughout added a contemporary touch. The vehicle's design updates, like the lowered beltline for better visibility and the inclusion of off-road gear in the First Edition, enhanced both its functionality and appeal. Inside, the Land Cruiser offered a range of seating materials from cloth to real leather, with heated front seats standard across all trims. The cabin emphasized comfort with cushy seats and padded consoles, ensuring a pleasant driving experience.

In contrast, the 2024 Hyundai Venue, available in SE, SEL, and Limited trims, offered a more compact and stylish design. The Limited trim, with its Ecotronic Gray paint, provided a mature look. Despite its affordability, the Venue's design was appealing, featuring unexpected style elements like seat stripes and dashboard accents. The interior, while containing hard plastics, did not appear cheap. The Venue's digital instrumentation and 8-inch touchscreen infotainment display were highlights, offering quality finishes and operation. Overall, the Venue was thoughtfully designed, balancing style and practicality in a small SUV package.

The 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser was equipped with a hybrid powertrain, combining a 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with a 48-hp electric motor, producing a total of 326 horsepower and 465 lb-ft of torque. It featured an eight-speed automatic transmission and full-time four-wheel drive, with a two-speed transfer case for high and low range. The Multi-Terrain Select system, available on higher trims, allowed for enhanced off-road capability. The Land Cruiser also included features like a push-button disconnect for the front sway bar and an updated CRAWL control function, making it adept at handling challenging terrains with ease.

The 2024 Hyundai Venue, powered by a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine, delivered 121 horsepower and 113 lb-ft of torque. Weighing 2,612 pounds, it was paired with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) that maximized its power for city and suburban driving. The Venue excelled in urban environments with its nimble handling and excellent visibility. However, its suspension struggled on rough surfaces, and the engine became noisy under heavy acceleration. The Venue lacked all-wheel drive, but its 6.7 inches of ground clearance provided some advantage in snowy conditions. It achieved an EPA rating of 31 mpg combined, though our tests showed slightly lower efficiency.

The 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser, based on the Prado, offered two rows of seating with headroom measuring 36.1 inches in the front and 35.3 inches in the back. Legroom was 33.0 inches in the front and 26.7 inches in the rear. The center console was designed for easy access to off-road controls, and the cargo area provided 37.5 cubic feet of space with practical features like a rubber mat and a 120-volt AC outlet. The interior layout prioritized functionality and comfort, with thoughtful placement of controls and storage options.

The 2024 Hyundai Venue, with its increased ground clearance, facilitated easy entry and exit. The front seats offered manual height adjustment and tilt-and-telescopic steering, with heated cushions for added comfort. The back seat, while technically accommodating three, was more comfortable for two passengers. Storage space was limited, and the lack of rear air vents and privacy glass were noted drawbacks. The Venue's cargo capacity was 18.7 cubic feet, expanding to 31.9 cubic feet with the rear seats folded, making it suitable for compact car standards.

The 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser featured the Multi-Terrain Monitor system on higher trims, enhancing the 12.3-inch touchscreen's utility during off-road driving. The infotainment system included wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, with USB-C ports for both front and rear passengers. The base model had an 8-inch display with a six-speaker system, while higher trims offered a 10-speaker system or an optional 14-speaker JBL system. Additional features like a head-up display and digital rear-view mirror were available with the Premium Package.

The 2024 Hyundai Venue came with an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment display, offering Bluetooth, wireless Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. The Limited trim added navigation, SiriusXM, and a wireless charger, though it required wired connections for smartphone integration. Despite this, the Venue's infotainment system was sophisticated, with a native voice recognition system and streaming capabilities. The sound system, however, could benefit from better speakers to match the youthful target audience.

The 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser had not been rated by major safety organizations, but it came standard with Toyota Safety Sense 3.0, including adaptive cruise control, lane-departure alert, and more. The Premium Package added features like lane-keep assist and traffic jam assist. Toyota's reputation and the Tundra's safety ratings provided some assurance of its safety credentials.

The 2024 Hyundai Venue included Hyundai SmartSense, offering forward-collision warning, lane-departure warning, and more. The SEL trim added blind-spot monitoring, while the Limited trim included cyclist detection. The Venue received Good ratings in several IIHS crash tests and a four-star overall rating from NHTSA, though its small size was a consideration in crash scenarios.