2024 Hyundai Venue vs 2023 Volkswagen Taos

The 2023 Volkswagen Taos was designed to appeal to a broad audience, offering a balance of affordability and comfort. Despite its higher base price compared to the Jetta, the Taos quickly became a popular choice in the U.S., even surpassing the Jetta in sales. The Taos SEL, with its Cornflower Blue paint and 4Motion all-wheel drive, presented a stylish and sporty appearance, enhanced by bold 19-inch alloy wheels and a premium interior that echoed the feel of a more luxurious vehicle. The spacious interior, nearly as roomy as the larger Tiguan, made it one of the largest small crossover SUVs available, providing ample comfort for passengers.

The 2024 Hyundai Venue, available in SE, SEL, and Limited trims, offered a more affordable option with prices ranging from $21,275 to $24,525. The Venue Limited, with its Ecotronic Gray paint, presented a mature and subdued appearance, while still maintaining a sense of style. Inside, the Venue featured hard plastics but managed to avoid looking cheap, with stylish seat designs and white trim accents. The digital instrumentation and 8-inch touchscreen infotainment display were highlights, offering a user-friendly experience. Despite its compact size, the Venue was thoughtfully designed, providing a high-quality feel for a small SUV.

The 2023 Volkswagen Taos was equipped with a turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine, producing 158 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque. The engine was paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission for front-wheel drive models, while all-wheel drive versions came with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic. The Taos offered up to five driving modes, but its powertrain response was unpredictable, with occasional surges of torque and delays in response. Despite its sporty character, the Taos struggled with power, especially when compared to rivals like the Mazda CX-30 and Hyundai Kona N. The Taos averaged 26.8 mpg during testing, slightly below its EPA rating of 28 mpg.

The 2024 Hyundai Venue featured a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine with 121 horsepower and 113 pound-feet of torque. Weighing just 2,612 pounds, the Venue's continuously variable transmission (CVT) maximized its power, making it suitable for city and suburban driving. However, the Venue's suspension struggled on rough roads, and the engine became noisy under hard acceleration. The Venue lacked all-wheel drive, but its 6.7 inches of ground clearance allowed it to handle light snow. The Venue achieved an EPA rating of 31 mpg in combined driving, but during testing, it averaged 30.3 mpg.

The 2023 Volkswagen Taos offered a range of interior options, with cloth seats in the S trim, CloudTex artificial leather in the SE, and real leather in the SEL. The SEL trim included features like heated seats, rain-sensing wipers, and a panoramic sunroof. The Taos provided ample rear-seat space and comfort, with generous cargo capacity of 27.9 cubic feet behind the rear seats and 65.9 cubic feet with them folded down. However, the 4Motion version had slightly reduced cargo space.

The 2024 Hyundai Venue, with its higher ground clearance, made entry and exit easier. The Venue's interior, though compact, offered decent comfort with manual seat adjustments and heated front seats. The back seat was better suited for two passengers, with limited storage and no air conditioning vents. Cargo space was modest, with 18.7 cubic feet behind the rear seats and 31.9 cubic feet with them folded down.

The 2023 Volkswagen Taos came with standard digital instrumentation, with an 8-inch screen for S and SE trims and a 10.25-inch display for the SEL. The infotainment system varied by trim, with the SEL offering an 8-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and an eight-speaker Beats Audio system. However, the user experience was hindered by hidden controls and a complex interface, making it less intuitive.

The 2024 Hyundai Venue featured an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment display with modern graphics and simple operation. Standard features included Bluetooth, wireless Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. The Limited trim added navigation, SiriusXM, and a wireless charger, though it required wired connections for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Despite this, the Venue's infotainment system was sophisticated and user-friendly, with effective voice recognition.

The 2023 Volkswagen Taos improved its safety features with standard Front Assist, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert. The SE trim added VW's IQ.Drive suite, including adaptive cruise control and lane-centering assist. The Taos received decent crash-test ratings from NHTSA and IIHS, though not perfect.

The 2024 Hyundai Venue came with Hyundai SmartSense, offering forward-collision warning, lane-departure warning, and a driver monitoring system. The SEL trim added blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert. The Venue received Good ratings in IIHS crash tests and a four-star overall rating from NHTSA.