2021 Hyundai Venue Review

Name: 2021 Hyundai Venue Review
Brand: Hyundai
Price: 14498 USD

Hyundai Venue Denim 4dr Hatchback Exterior

Hyundai Venue SEL 4dr Hatchback Exterior Shown

+166

Hyundai's smallest SUV, the Venue, packs a lot into a very compact package. It excels at everyday tasks and is comfortable enough to take on a road trip. It's a great value and comes with most of the latest safety and technology features. If you want something more practical and stylish than a subcompact sedan, it'll be worth your time to check out the Venue.

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$14,498 - $20,990

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Hyundai Venue model years

Hyundai Venue for Sale

2022
2021
2020

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2021 Hyundai Venue Review

byChristian Wardlaw^{Correspondent
Christian Wardlaw has worked in the automotive industry since 1994. He has written nearly 10,000 car-related articles and tested and reviewed more than 2,000 vehicles over the course of his career. Chris is a correspondent at Edmunds and was the first editor-in-chief of Edmunds.com in the 1990s. He has also contributed to Autotrader, CarGurus, J.D. Power, Kelley Blue Book, NADAguides, New York Daily News Autos and WardsAuto. His mom claims that his first word was “car,” and Chris believes that Miata is always the answer.}

Pros

Impressive number of features for your money
For its size, easy to get in and out of
Simple control layout

Cons

Engine sounds and feels a little coarse at higher speeds
All-wheel drive isn't offered
One of the smaller extra-small SUVs in the class

What's new

Manual transmission discontinued
Other minor changes to standard and optional feature availability
Part of the first Venue generation introduced for 2020

Overview

Nothing screams value quite like the 2021 Hyundai Venue. An extra-small crossover SUV that serves as the entry point for the automaker's SUV lineup, it is the second least expensive Hyundai after the Accent sedan. Even so, it's ready to carry up to five people and as much as 31.9 cubic feet of cargo. That's less than half of what you get from the next size up SUV — a Honda CR-V, for example — but it's still sufficient for most daily tasks.

Cost to Drive^{Cost to drive estimates for the 2021 Hyundai Venue SE 4dr Hatchback (1.6L 4cyl CVT) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.80 per gallon for regular unleaded in Pennsylvania.}

Monthly estimates based on costs in Pennsylvania

$152/mo

$192/mo

Avg. Compact Car

Calculate my fuel costs

This year's updates add standard equipment, especially for the midgrade Venue SEL. A spiffy set of 17-inch alloy wheels improves the SEL's look, and it now includes a blind-spot collision avoidance system, further cementing the Venue as a true value leader among extra-small SUVs. The only deletion for 2021 is that the six-speed manual transmission previously offered with the SE trim has been dropped. As such, every Venue now comes standard with a continuously variable automatic transmission.

Though it doesn't offer much in the way of power and performance, the 2021 Venue nevertheless brings significant style and tremendous bang-for-the-buck to the extra-small SUV segment. Check out our Expert Rating for our in-depth take on the pros and cons of this pint-size Hyundai.

Edmunds Expert Rating

Our Verdict^{The Edmunds Vehicle Testing Team evaluates a fresh batch of vehicles every week, pairing objective assessments at our test track with real-world driving on city streets, freeways and winding roads. The data we gather results in our Expert Ratings. They’re based on 30-plus scores that cover every aspect of the automotive experience.}

Average

7.4

out of 10

edmunds TESTED

Rated for you by America's best test team.

Performance

7.0/10

How does the Venue drive? From behind the wheel, the Venue is perfectly adequate across the board. You'll have no issue commuting, running errands, or taking a cruise to the beach or lake. Acceleration is about average for this class, which is not fast by most accounts. At our test track, the Venue needed 9.4 seconds to get up to 60 mph.

But it's good where it counts for a small city runabout, responding quickly right off the line, with its CVT automatic and easy brakes providing a pretty smooth driving experience overall. It's definitely not an athletic SUV, but its small size keeps it nimble and kind of fun to zip around corners.

Comfort

7.0/10

How comfortable is the Venue? You might assume based on its small size and low cost of entry that the Venue lacks comfort. Thankfully that's not the case. It's far from a luxurious experience, but the Venue fares well even compared with some larger rivals in its class. The front seats have a nice balance of cushion and support. The rear bench cushion is a bit flat, but there's a good recline to the backrest. Ride comfort can be tricky to maintain in smaller vehicles, but the Venue's won't beat you up even on longer trips.

The climate control is single-zone only, which makes sense given the Venue's size, and we found it sufficient for keeping the cabin cool. There is some wind and road noise at highway speeds, but it's nothing out of the ordinary for this class.

Interior

7.5/10

How’s the interior? The Venue's interior is practical, and passenger space is better than expected given its short length. It achieves this relative spaciousness through its upright seating. As long as you're not much taller than 6 feet, you should find the Venue relatively accommodating in front and cozy but livable in back. The squared-off doors make it pretty easy to get in and out of.

The simplicity of the Venue keeps it easy to use. The 8-inch infotainment touchscreen is bright, responsive and easy to use. All other controls, buttons and knobs are clearly labeled and arranged logically. Forward and side visibility is pretty good, but your over-the-shoulder view is hampered somewhat by the thick rear roof pillars. The available blind-spot monitoring system certainly helps alleviate this issue when switching lanes.

Technology

7.5/10

How’s the tech? The Venue has just the right amount of technology, and it's easy and straightforward to use. The available six-speaker sound system produces surprisingly good sound that's clear and has a nice amount of punch. The 8-inch touchscreen infotainment/navigation system comes standard with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration. The navigation system is very reminiscent of today's smartphones in look and feel, and real-time traffic information is nice to have.

The advanced safety and driver aids work but seem a bit oversensitive. It's worth noting that adaptive cruise is not offered on the Venue in case that's an important feature on your list.

Storage

7.0/10

How’s the storage? The Venue is small, so there's only so much you can physically fit inside. We think it makes excellent use of the space it does have, however. There's 18.7 cubic feet behind the rear seats (31.9 cubic feet with rear seats folded), which we found sufficient for everyday use.

The cargo area offers a couple of cool things: an adjustable load floor and a stowable cargo cover. The loading area has a wide opening and low loading height to make it easy to get things in. Up front, there's a sufficient amount of storage space for your personal items. As for child duty, the Venue's car seat anchor points are clearly marked on the seatback and easy to access. But the lack of rear legroom will make it hard to fit a larger rear-facing child safety seat.

Fuel Economy

7.5/10

How’s the fuel economy? The EPA estimates the Venue's fuel economy at 31 mpg combined (30 city/33 highway), a pretty efficient estimate for this class. But we found it tough to match that in our real-world driving. On our highway-heavy 115-mile evaluation route, we averaged a mere 29 mpg. Perhaps it's due to our need to keep up with the flow of California traffic, but we suspect the EPA figures are a bit optimistic for a Venue roaming in the wild.

Value

8.5/10

Is the Venue a good value? Good value? No. We'd call this an excellent value. The Venue is well built and relatively practical. For what you pay, Hyundai packs in a lot of features. Some vehicles start where the Venue tops out on price and don't have the same amount of tech.

Hyundai's warranty is best in class. It includes five-year/60,000 bumper-to-bumper and 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranties. Roadside assistance is provided for five years with no mileage limit, and all Hyundais now come with free scheduled maintenance for three years/36,000 miles.

Wildcard

7.0/10

Is it fun to drive? Not really. The Venue is very utilitarian and that seems to be the core focus. The styling of the Venue is also rather nondescript, blending into the sea of subcompact SUVs. If you want something more distinctive, look elsewhere, at perhaps Mazda's CX-30 or even Kia's Soul or Seltos.

Which Venue does Edmunds recommend?

Because the Venue Denim provides less in the way of choice, we recommend the SEL trim level. It offers the greatest blend of value, equipment and color choice. For 2021, the Venue SEL further sweetens the deal with 17-inch alloy wheels and a blind-spot collision avoidance system with rear cross-traffic collision avoidance warning as standard equipment.

2021 Hyundai Venue models

The 2021 Venue is the most affordable SUV in Hyundai's already value-oriented lineup. It comes in three trim levels: SE, SEL and the stylish Denim trim. Highlight features include:

SE
Starts you off with:

121-hp four-cylinder engine
Continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT)
Front-wheel drive
Automatic headlights
16-inch aluminum alloy wheels
8-inch touchscreen display
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration
Four-speaker sound system
Automatic emergency braking (warns if a front impact is imminent and applies the brakes if the driver doesn't respond in time)
Lane keeping assist (steers the car back into its lane if it begins to drift over the lane marker)

SEL
The midtier SEL includes the SE features and adds:

17-inch aluminum alloy wheels
Leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob
Center storage box with sliding armrest
Automatic climate control
Additional USB port
Six-speaker audio system
Normal, Sport and Snow drive modes
Blind-spot monitoring (alerts you if a vehicle in the next lane over is in your blind spot)
Rear cross-traffic alert (warns you if a vehicle behind you is about to cross your vehicle's path while in reverse)

One option package is available on the SEL:

Premium package

LED front and rear lighting
Heated front seats
Heated side mirrors
Power sunroof
Keyless entry and push-button start
Navigation system
Hyundai's Bluelink Connected Car system (includes a variety of communication functions, such as remote locking and automatic emergency assistance)

Denim
The Denim trim includes almost all of the above. It also has:

Two-tone blue and white paint (the only available color)
Simulated leather and cloth seating

Consumer reviews

Read what other owners think about the Used 2021 Hyundai Venue.

5 (57%)

4 (20%)

3 (3%)

2 (10%)

1 (10%)

4.0

30 reviews

Write a vehicle review See all 30 reviews

Most helpful consumer reviews

Very Economical car!

William Correa, 03/03/2021

2021 Hyundai Venue SEL 4dr Hatchback (1.6L 4cyl CVT)

This little care is awesome. It’s a nice crossover, plenty of room inside. The engine does respond, especially in sport mode. The Apple Airplay and Android Auto touchscreen radio is very user friendly. Speakers are great. I bought the SEL model, and it’s well worth the upgrade.

Love this car

DANSEL, 01/19/2021

2021 Hyundai Venue SE 4dr Hatchback (1.6L 4cyl CVT)

I wasnt sold after my test drive but I am so glad I got this car. The gas mileage is AMAZING, it handles well in all weather...even icy conditions. The truck and backseat are a little small, but that's only because I have a car seat and stroller to go everywhere with me. Little touches make the car feel like a luxury vehicle: sunroof, leather steering wheel and a user friendly …

Very disappointing

from WI, 05/29/2022

2021 Hyundai Venue SEL 4dr Hatchback (1.6L 4cyl CVT)

4th Hyundai I've owned. Bought it new; complained of a squeak when going in reverse since it was new to two different dealerships. "Must be dust on new brake pads..." I was told. Under 15,000 miles, the transmission went out. Took them a month to fix it and still trying to get money back for the car rental, the story keeps changing on who I should talk to. Now the horn never works and …

Better than I expected.

R. Geithmann, 02/05/2023

2021 Hyundai Venue SEL 4dr Hatchback (1.6L 4cyl CVT)

The Venue was not my first pick for a new car but since the Ford Maverick I wanted would not be available till 2024 I purchased my second choice. we wanted to order a 2022 Venue but again there would be to long of a wait and the price would be much higher. We settled for a slightly used 2021 that was actually better than what we would have ordered! Also since it is a SEL there are the … usual upgrades. One that is only available on the newer SEL's is the sunroof which ours lacks which in our case was good as we did not want one. This is our first Korean auto and we are very impressed with the build quality and how solid it feels. There are no rattles , squeaks or shakes present anywhere. Even though it is an economy configured car it does not feel like one. The interior is actually quieter that you would expect and the engine and road noise ( what little there actually is ) is not that harsh at all. Performance wise it is what you would expect however acceleration is very good as I have no trouble getting up to highway speeds and that includes going up onramps. I proved this in the Detroit area where driving can sometimes be quite interesting. The ride is actually very good considering the short wheel base and the lower profile 17 inch wheels but it is not objectionable. It is still better than my 2010 Transit Connect and my former 2008 Focus. If you want a slightly better ride the smaller 15 inch wheels on the SE might be a bit better. The infotainment center and dash displays are very easy to use and take very little time to get used to. This was good for me as this is my first car with all the bells and whistles. I like the fact that you can turn some of the more annoying warning signals off if you want and they stay off untill you turn them back on. The interior is laid out petty good with good room and spaces to store items. The rear seat folds down completely flat without having to remove the headrest's like on my Transit. In the rear there is also some very good extra storage in the spare tire well which is great for storing extra winter driving items. The gas mileage is also much better than what is stated on the window sticker as I am currently averaging 38.7 miles per gallon in mixed driving which is far above the 33 mpg stated. The CVT transmission is very smooth and gives you very good acceleration at all speeds even with only 121 hp. The only modern item I had to get used to was the electric assist on the steering. Since almost all cars have this now you have to get used to it. It is a bit vague to me as I am used to having some kind of road feel as feedback while driving but is is growing on me. I have not had to do any maintenance yet as everything is still under warranty but time will tell how easy that will be. But so far what I can see the major items that the average owner could take care of would not be much of a problem as most things seem easy to get to. Overall I would give this vehicle a 4.9 out of 5. I hope this helps someone out?

See all 30 reviews of the Hyundai Venue

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2021 Venue Highlights

Trim:

Base MSRP Excludes Destination Fee	$18,750
Engine Type	Gas
Combined MPG	31 MPG
Cost to Drive	$152/month
Seating	5 seats
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place	18.7 cu.ft.
Drivetrain	front wheel drive
Warranty	5 years / 60,000 miles

See all features & specs

Safety

Our experts like the Venue models:

Blind-Spot Collision Warning: Warns you of vehicles in the Venue's blind spot and illuminates a light in the mirror as an alert.
Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning: Alerts you of vehicles or objects crossing the Venue's path when reversing.
Driver Attention Warning: Monitors your driving patterns to display an alert if the Venue senses you aren't paying attention to the road.

NHTSA Overall Rating

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration offers independent analysis.

Frontal Barrier Crash Rating
Overall4 / 5
Driver4 / 5
Passenger4 / 5
Side Crash Rating
Overall5 / 5
Side Barrier Rating
Overall5 / 5
Driver5 / 5
Passenger5 / 5
Combined Side Barrier & Pole Ratings
Front Seat5 / 5
Back Seat5 / 5
Rollover
Rollover4 / 5
Dynamic Test ResultNo Tip
Risk Of Rollover14.3%

IIHS Rating

The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety uses extensive crash tests to determine car safety.

Small Overlap Front Driver-Side Test
Good
Small Overlap Front Passenger-Side Test
Good
Moderate Overlap Front Test – Original
Good
Moderate Overlap Front Test – Updated
Not Tested
Side Impact Test – Original
Good
Side Impact Test – Updated
Not Tested
Roof Strength Test
Good
Rear Crash Protection / Head Restraint
Good

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2021 Hyundai Venue Review

2021 Hyundai Venue Review

Pros

Cons

What's new

Overview

Cost to Drive^{Cost to drive estimates for the 2021 Hyundai Venue SE 4dr Hatchback (1.6L 4cyl CVT) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.80 per gallon for regular unleaded in Pennsylvania.}

Edmunds Expert Rating

Performance

Comfort

Interior

Technology

Storage

Fuel Economy

Value

Wildcard

Which Venue does Edmunds recommend?

2021 Hyundai Venue models

Consumer reviews

Read what other owners think about the Used 2021 Hyundai Venue.

Trending topics in reviews

Most helpful consumer reviews

Very Economical car!

Love this car

Very disappointing

Better than I expected.

2021 Venue Highlights

Safety

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2021 Hyundai Venue Review

2021 Hyundai Venue Review

Pros

Cons

What's new

Overview

Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 2021 Hyundai Venue SE 4dr Hatchback (1.6L 4cyl CVT) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.80 per gallon for regular unleaded in Pennsylvania.

Edmunds Expert Rating

Performance

Comfort

Interior

Technology

Storage

Fuel Economy

Value

Wildcard

Which Venue does Edmunds recommend?

2021 Hyundai Venue models

Most helpful consumer reviews

Very Economical car!

Love this car

Very disappointing

Better than I expected.

2021 Venue Highlights

Safety

People who viewed this also viewed

Consider these recommendations

Related Used 2021 Hyundai Venue info

Vehicle reviews of used models

Shop similar models

Shop used vehicles in your area

Popular new car reviews and ratings

Research other models of Hyundai

Research similar vehicles

Other models

Join Edmunds

Cost to Drive^{Cost to drive estimates for the 2021 Hyundai Venue SE 4dr Hatchback (1.6L 4cyl CVT) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.80 per gallon for regular unleaded in Pennsylvania.}