Nice design brought down with nickle & diming.
This is my 3000 mile review of my 2026 Hyundai Venue base model.
I went with the base model to save money and to skip on features I really didn't want. The dealer only had the SEL (mid) model and had to get a SE (base) from another dealer, so I did not test drive the SE, but my previous car was a 2017 Elantra GT base so I figure I would be getting most of the same features as the Elantra. I didn't.
On the good side, the Venue has a smooth, quiet ride. It has as much power as you'd expect but does get up to speed faster than you'd think. The styling does give you a large windshield with good visibility. Best of all, I've averaging 38 mpg, 95% highway driving.
The nickel & diming I mentioned are in most of the features & controls. First there is no blindspot section in the side view mirrors. The SEL has the electronic alert, but the base does not. This is a serious safety issue and I’ve almost biffed a couple cars because of the plain mirrors. My old Elantra had them, so Hyundai cut them to save themselves money.
There is no seatbelt adjustment either. The seatbelt position is fixed and it rubs against my neck causing discomfort & distraction. My Elantra had a seatbelt that would move up and down to fit the driver. Even a clip on the seat to guide the belt would be an improvement. Again, cut to save Hyundai money.
The Venue does have physical climate controls as apposed to putting them on a touchscreen, which is a big plus to me. Unfortunately the controls are very thin and hard to grasp. The fan speed control should be twice as thick as it is and the temperature & location switches need more material to grab onto. But it saves Hyundai material & money. They are also too far away to grasp without leaning forward. They have them recessed under the touchscreen when being flush with it would have put them in the perfect location.
The steering wheel is the hardest and most uncomfortable wheel I’ve ever seen. It’s too hard with no cushioning and too thick front to back to hold comfortably.
The base model comes with an actual key, not a push button start, which also factored into my getting the base.. Why they chose to make it a flip-out key is beyond me. It’s large and noticeably heavy in your pocket plus it opens in your pocket. I’ve stabbed myself in the leg several time with it. I would have vastly preferred a separate key & fob. Plus why are the keyholes on the door covered up? You have to use the key to pop off the cover to get to the key lock to open the door. The only bit of over-engineering they did and it’s just pointless.
Overall it’s a car, which is all I wanted. I don’t want all the bells and whistles just something to get me from A to B. The touch screen & phone integration are nice features now that I’ve used them, but anything more is overkill to me. Hyundai could have had a nice, basic car for people like me who don’t want a lot of features and/or are on a budget but want something new. As it is, I’d advise looking around more for better quality basic features. If they cheaped out on mirrors, I have to wonder what else did they skimp on?
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