2024 Hyundai Venue vs 2024 Toyota Sienna

The 2024 Toyota Sienna, available in various trims like LE, XLE, XSE, Woodland Edition, Limited, and Platinum, presented a distinctive appearance. Despite the absence of "swagger wagon" commercials, its sleek front and rear fascias and vibrant color options like deep blue, red, or green maintained its stylish vibe. LED lighting was standard, with upper trims featuring Bi-LED projector headlamps. The XSE trim, with its sporty black metallic mesh front grille, black heated side mirrors, and 20-inch dark wheels, emphasized its bold design. The Woodland Edition, with exclusive colors and off-road features, added a rugged touch.

Inside, the Sienna offered cloth seats, three-zone climate control, and seating for eight. The XSE trim with the Premium package replaced the second-row bench with captain’s chairs and added heated and cooled leather-trimmed front seats. The interior, with horizontal design lines and satin accents, felt spacious and practical, especially with features like a built-in vacuum cleaner in upper trims. The fixed center console and accessible cup holders and shifter enhanced functionality, making it a family-friendly vehicle.

The 2024 Hyundai Venue, offered in SE, SEL, and Limited trims, ranged from $21,275 to $24,525. The SEL trim, recommended for its enhanced exterior and safety features, added value. Our Limited trim test vehicle, with Ecotronic Gray paint, reached an MSRP of $24,735. Despite limited options, the Venue's design was appealing, with a mature and subdued appearance. Inside, the Venue featured hard plastics but maintained a stylish look with seat stripes and white dashboard trim. The digital instrumentation and 8-inch touchscreen infotainment display added modern touches, while controls exhibited Hyundai's quality.

The 2024 Toyota Sienna, a hybrid minivan, combined a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with two electric motors, producing 245 horsepower. All-wheel drive models included an additional rear motor. Despite a sport-tuned suspension and Sport mode, the Sienna felt sluggish, with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) that hindered performance. Acceleration was smooth but slow, especially on highways or inclines. The CVT could be noisy, and the brakes were occasionally grabby. However, the steering was light and accurate, and visibility was excellent. For those seeking more power, alternatives like the Honda Odyssey or Kia Carnival offered stronger V6 engines.

The 2024 Hyundai Venue featured a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine with 121 horsepower and 113 pound-feet of torque. Weighing 2,612 pounds, the Venue's CVT maximized power efficiently. It excelled in urban settings with nimble handling and excellent visibility. However, the suspension struggled on rough roads, leading to a busy ride. On highways, the Venue maintained speed but sounded noisy under pressure. Without all-wheel drive, power was directed to the front wheels, but its 6.7 inches of ground clearance aided in snowy conditions. The Venue achieved an EPA rating of 31 mpg combined, though our test averaged 30.3 mpg.

The 2024 Toyota Sienna excelled in interior functionality, with a lower storage pass-through for bulkier items and multiple cupholders. The second-row captain’s chairs offered 40 inches of legroom and an ottoman for comfort, though the slide function was complex. The third row was accessible, with 39 inches of legroom when the second row was forward. Tri-zone climate control was standard, with an additional zone in the XSE trim. The rear liftgate revealed 33.5 cubic feet of cargo space, expandable to 101 cubes with seats folded.

The 2024 Hyundai Venue's increased ground clearance facilitated easy entry and exit. The driver's seat had manual height adjustment, and the steering wheel offered tilt-and-telescopic adjustment. The back seat was better suited for two passengers, with limited storage and no air vents. Front storage was decent, with a dashboard shelf. Cargo space was 18.7 cubic feet, expanding to 31.9 cubic feet with the back seat down.

The 2024 Toyota Sienna featured an older infotainment system with a nine-inch touchscreen and wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Physical buttons for common menus were included, but the backup camera's grainy view was disappointing. A 7-inch digital display provided essential information. Standard features included a Wi-Fi hotspot, SiriusXM radio, and an optional JBL stereo. USB ports and a 1500-watt inverter were available, though activation required a button near the driver’s seat.

The 2024 Hyundai Venue's 8-inch touchscreen infotainment display offered modern graphics and logical menus. Standard features included Bluetooth, wireless Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. The Limited trim added navigation, SiriusXM, and a wireless charger, though wired connections were required for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Venue's infotainment system was sophisticated, with an impressive voice recognition system, though better stereo speakers were desired.

The 2024 Toyota Sienna came with Toyota Safety Sense, including lane departure alert, automatic emergency braking, road sign recognition, adaptive cruise control, and automatic high beams. Blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert were standard. The Sienna received four stars from NHTSA for frontal crash and rollover protection and five stars for side crash protection. IIHS rated it "Good" in crashworthiness but "Average" in front crash prevention.

The 2024 Hyundai Venue included Hyundai SmartSense, with forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, and lane-keep assist. Blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert were added in the SEL trim, with cyclist detection in the Limited trim. The Venue received Good ratings from IIHS in crash tests and an Acceptable rating for LED headlights. NHTSA gave it an overall four-star rating.