2024 Hyundai Venue

Kia's tiny SUV, the Soul, offers fun styling and lively handling for the segment, both of which give it some personality. And it comes with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, which is more powerful than the Venue's 1.6-liter mill. That engine hauls the Soul to 60 mph about a second quicker than the Hyundai without a corresponding hit to fuel economy. Like the Venue, it's only offered in front-wheel drive. It is also slightly bigger than the Venue, which affords it more passenger and cargo space. But the best part about Kia's Soul is that it actually has one.

Like the Kia Soul, the Nissan Kicks is slightly bigger than the Venue, which gives it a modest utility advantage in everyday use. But is it ever slow. We recorded a 10.7-second 0-60 mph time, which is among the slowest of any vehicle we've tested. Combine that with a rock-hard bench-style rear seat and a noisy cabin and there are some reasons to choose a Venue over the Kicks. Still, the Nissan redeems itself with an abundance of driver assist features and solid tech, which put it back on par with the Venue in those areas. Give it a look if you're not in a hurry.

Hyundai's Kona is the next step above the Venue in the brand's SUV hierarchy. It's more powerful, more expensive and slightly bigger than the Venue. The key differentiator between the two is the Kona's powertrain. Even the Kona's base engine is more powerful than the Venue's tiny powerplant. And the Kona's Limited trim comes with a turbocharged engine. All-wheel drive is available on all trims except the performance version, which is called the Kona N. But don't choose the Kona for more passenger or cargo space. It's just not substantially bigger than the Venue inside. Choose it because you want more power or all-wheel drive, which are genuine advantages.